Packard Bell (Easynote) - tricky windows 7 installation

[thestaticboy]

Good day all,

I've been given a laptop from family (part of a do it on the cheap task) to try and get working by installing a copy of Windows 7 after giving the whole thing a good format.

There are a couple of major catches however:-
1. The DVD drive is failing and wont load the windows 7 disk properly
2. Due to the age and model of the Easynote laptop it doesnt pick up an external dvd drive at all
3. It picks up my Sandisk memory card but again it due to the age it doesnt support booting a windows 7 copy from the stick itself.

Is there anyway of getting past this without pulling the laptop to peices and removing the dvd drive to add a replacment?
Im trying to work out if its possible to link the laptop hard-drive with a PATA to USB and try an installation to that hard-drive?

Here is the model of the laptop
http://www.cashgenerator.co.uk/laptops/packard-bell-mit-drag-d-laptop-tx564

I did also find this guide, but the removal of the dvd drive is 10 times more difficult than it explains here. On my Drag laptop, the whole bottom cover needs to come off before the drive can be removed.
http://tim.id.au/laptops/packardbell/easynote sw w.pdf

cheers all...

 

[FoolishTech]

1. The DVD drive is failing and wont load the windows 7 disk properly
2. Due to the age and model of the Easynote laptop it doesnt pick up an external dvd drive at all
3. It picks up my Sandisk memory card but again it due to the age it doesnt support booting a windows 7 copy from the stick itself.

Is there anyway of getting past this without pulling the laptop to peices and removing the dvd drive to add a replacment?

For cases like this we have a PXE boot with WDS setup so we can install Windows via our network... very useful with netbooks especially; but sometimes a PC is too old to support network booting so it doesn't work out all of the time. Anyway, moving on to your problem...

Will it boot to a USB Flash Drive? If so, check out this tool from Microsoft. You'll need a 4GB+ flash drive to do it.

Otherwise, your other option is to pull the HARD DRIVE (not the DVD drive). I've done this a few times with success (did it just last week, in fact.)

• Place the HDD in a computer with a working DVD drive and install Windows 7 from there.
• Keep watch on the installation - when it prompts you for the first reboot, power down the machine.
• Put the drive back in the problematic system, boot, and Windows installation will continue from there without the need for the DVD drive.

 

[MobileTechie]

Does it have capability to boot to network?

Or maybe use PLOP to boot from USB: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/16822/boot-from-a-usb-drive-even-if-your-bios-wont-let-you/

 

[Slaters Kustum Machines]

Otherwise, your other option is to pull the HARD DRIVE (not the DVD drive). I've done this a few times with success (did it just last week, in fact.)

• Place the HDD in a computer with a working DVD drive and install Windows 7 from there.
• Keep watch on the installation - when it prompts you for the first reboot, power down the machine.
• Put the drive back in the problematic system, boot, and Windows installation will continue from there without the need for the DVD drive.

Great to know, adding to my notes for future reference. Thanks Nick!

 

[NETWizz]

Thumbs Up for Foolish Tech.


That was the answer I was going to give...


I would say go with the Memory Stick option first. Anything new enough to run Windows 7 should easily be able to boot a USB Memory Stick.

If not, Windows Deployment Services is the best bet like Foolish Tech said.

 

[thestaticboy]

Thanks for your detailed and quick responses.

So by using the USB option, the laptop hangs up hten comes up with the following error

"Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the
cause. To fix the problem:

1. Insert your Windows Installation disc and restart your computer.
2. Choose your language settings and then click "Next"
3. Click "Repair your computer"

If you do not have this disc, contact your system administrator or computer
manufacturer for assistance.

File: \Boot\BCD
Status: 0xc000000e
Info: An error occurred while attempting to read the boot configuration data.

The computer does have the option to PXE via a network, but being new to the whole network world, im hitting some snags (fixed) which have led to some new snags.

Ive tried using the tftpboot software, laptop connected via crossover to the pc. but i keep getting jammed in the DHCP part where the icon is spinning.
my computer picks up the mac address and arranges an ip address for the failed laptop, but i cannot get the laptop to go into the command prompt to access the shared windows files on my pc in order to install.

Ive also tried connecting laptop directly to the router. Same thing as above, can assign an ip address (MAC code matches). I move forward and press F12 to sort the connection but then get jammed with the whole error below again.

"Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the
cause. To fix the problem:

1. Insert your Windows Installation disc and restart your computer.
2. Choose your language settings and then click "Next"
3. Click "Repair your computer"

If you do not have this disc, contact your system administrator or computer
manufacturer for assistance.

File: \Boot\BCD
Status: 0xc0000001
Info: An error occurred while attempting to read the boot configuration data.

Im massively new to the this sort of network thing but would love to get past and understand how it works as it could be a great means of reinstalling windows in future.

does the above look right? if not, any pointers in the right direction would be appreciated.

Thanks all

 

[FoolishTech]

Not sure what your setup is, but you're not going to get it to boot to the network without anything to boot to!!! (e.g. WDS boot image) You can't just get it to boot to your other PC by crossover cable either! No offense, but forget that option for now I think you are missing some concepts because you couldn't have possibly setup a WDS server that quickly

Just pull the drive and put it in another machine and to the first part of the install from there, like I pointed out earlier.

If you don't have another laptop that accepts that type of HDD, find one!

Or if it's SATA, just plug it up to your desktop PC and unplug your existing HDD for the install. If it's PATA, you can do it with a 2.5" > 3.5" PATA adapter. Adapters like this are handy tools to have around, if you don't have one, get one.