[Gugui]

The PC is an IBM IBM NetVista M42 8305 cpu 2.66/2.66 memory 512mb hdd 40gb

Hard drive is (viewed via another computer) formated and completely cleared of data (Including operating system . . . totally blank)

I want to load operating system (Maybe XP Pro) and other software, the cd rom was tested (on another PC) and worked fine.
however, I can only get a blinking cursor on a blank screen whether I insert an auto play cd, or not.

I have checked all the cables and power plug and I do not know what else to check.


P S:

I do not have any manuals for the pc.

Any related information is greatly appreciated

Edited by Gugui, 19 March 2007 - 04:30 PM.

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You may have to enter setup/bios and tell the machine to boot from the CD. Place a bootable CD in the drive and reboot the machine. Simply inserting a CD when the machine is on will do nothing.

[-=blaster=-]

You may have to enter setup/bios and tell the machine to boot from the CD. Place a bootable CD in the drive and reboot the machine. Simply inserting a CD when the machine is on will do nothing.

[Gugui]

I tried the bios and booting from the cd option to no avail

[Tyger]

I have run across IBM machines that will not boot from the CD. If you have a floppy drive in your system, or can add one termporarily you can use an application called SmartBootManager to boot the system from any device including the CD. You image the file to a floppy, you can use rawwritewin to do that.

If you're going to install a completely new operating system I would suggest that you write the drive to zeros which will remove every part of the old system including the partition and boot sector. Otherwise you may have some strange problems. You can use the disk maker's software or Killdisk or Boot and Nuke.

[Gugui]

I have run across IBM machines that will not boot from the CD. If you have a floppy drive in your system, or can add one termporarily you can use an application called SmartBootManager to boot the system from any device including the CD. You image the file to a floppy, you can use rawwritewin to do that.

If you're going to install a completely new operating system I would suggest that you write the drive to zeros which will remove every part of the old system including the partition and boot sector. Otherwise you may have some strange problems. You can use the disk maker's software or Killdisk or Boot and Nuke.

Thank you for your reply and insight on the issue of the "Blinking cursor."

I have obtained the application software SmartBootManager.
I have also obtained rawwritewin 0.7.
I think I have utilized them correctly and will soon try to use the floopy disk with the IBM pc.


I am not totally sure on how to write zeros on the drive. I guess I will have an option or prompt for me to do just that in the process.

I will share the results as soon as I receive them.

[Gugui]

I may have done something wrong . . .
 Screenshot.bmp   478.74KB   196 downloads

[Tyger]

Put a formatted floppy in or format a floppy, and then yes, choose sbootmgr.dsk, it will write that image to the floppy. Then put the floppy in the machine in question and boot from it, you may need to change the boot order in BIOS. It will open a window that will let you choose the boot device, put your CD in the drive and choose it. It can be a little glitchy but it will work and only has to work once for you.

[Gugui]

I keep trying to no avail. I keep getting led to the Smart BootManage, selecting the CD option and led to the blinkinking cursor, again and again after each try.

Would it make a difference if I format the IBM hardrive on another computer then reattach the hard drive to the IBM computer.

Maybe another option?

[Tyger]

It should be picking up the CD even if there isn't a hard drive in the system. Did the CD work before, maybe check the cables to it. I've used that setup on IBM with sucess, there may be something else wrong here, maybe try another Cd drive if you have one around. But yes you can format the drive in another computer but you can't install the OS with it.

Edited by Tyger, 19 March 2007 - 11:03 PM.