[ILUG] Laptop problems.

[Timothy Murphy]

On Sunday 29 June 2008 09:10:42 pm Paul Linehan wrote:

> > What sort of beeps do you get when you try to boot?
>
> None, it just takes ages to boot into a v. dodgy
> install of W XP. I have double/triple/multiple
> checked boot order in BIOS and tried putting
> floppy first, then CD and every other combination
> but to no avail.

Sorry, I missed this before - I thought you could get nothing
out of the laptop.

As far as I can see, the ThinkPad 1171 has very little RAM -
max 192MB - so I imagine it would take quite a long time
to boot Windows XP even if it were in the best of health.

Does Windows see your CD (in My Computer)?

> I think the most recent install has messed something
> up. I think that a new hard drive is in order, then
> reinstall Windows - maybe 2K pro this time, then
> Linux over that.

I don't really see how you could do that,
if your CD doesn't work.

I couldn't find the name of the shop I mentioned on the SCR.
I haven't been there for about a year,
so it is conceivable that it has gone.
It is (or was) more or less opposite the large church on the road.

But from what I have seen on google
I wouldn't invest any money in your laptop.
You could get a second-hand ThinkPad T23 for less than you would pay
for more or less anything for your machine,
and the T23 is quite usable with Windows or Linux.
(I'm using one now.)

I suppose it might be worth taking your CD drive out,
and spraying the contacts with Contact Cleaner.

Another possibility would be to get a PCMCIA to ethernet card,
and use that to link to a desktop or hub.
In fact that would be the first thing I would try, probably.