Riv

Hey guys I got a question about installing XP Pro. I recently borrowed my friend's laptop because my main computer went through a big fat meltdown that i'm trying to diagnose, but for the meantime, he let me use his. It's a Toshiba Satellite 1800-S204 model. I guess it's really old, considering how it's discontinued in a lot of places, but anyway, I have this weird question for you guys. I was wondering if you could help out.

I was recently trying to boot off an XP CD and format and reinstall the OS (one of the things he asked me to do if he let me borrow the laptop). It usually goes into the Blue Set up Screen from Boot, white text on the bottom does the preliminary checkings, but when it says starting windows XP setup, the whole laptop just shuts down as if it just .. got shut down (sorry, yeah its weird, i don't understand). At first I thought it was my CD, because I slipstreamed SP1a and a bunch of other stuff for convenience, so I tried my original XP pro CD. Same thing. In fact, it shuts off randomly; something I don't understand.

After trying to boot and install about... 5 times, I kinda gave up and I just installed Windows 2000 Server Edition on it. It pretty much goes thru the same checkings as does XP and this install only took one shot. Is there something about this machine that doesn't let me install an OS? Or.. well even though the laptop came with XP already, he wanted me to format and redo it all anyway.

Any clues? Thanks. sorry for the trouble.

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-riv-

Fas-ligand

I recently figured out this problem myself. (took me 8 hours... )

Neway, you probably need to update the bios on the notebook before you can install XP. It's pretty easy to do and doesn't take long.

Riv

Oh I hope you're right. Thanks! I'll try it right away and see how it goes

Fas-ligand

n/p let me know how it goes. I don't like that XP "blue screen of death"

Riv

sick! it worked!! thanks for your help man

Fas-ligand

Nice. Saved ya a few hours there...