The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Presario V5214ea XP Home re-install problem

    Discussion in 'HP' started by Neil Purling, Dec 7, 2008.

  1. Neil Purling

    Neil Purling Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    1
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I got the laptop from my brother.\As part of the deal I wiped the hard drive.
    I have downloaded drivers & utilities from the Compaq Web site, because I have no 'official' discs.
    One of them makes a floppy disc containing a list of drivers for the HDD controller.
    At the install of XP I select F6 "Install...." The install process asks me to specify one of several drivers.
    I think that this is where my problem lies.
    There are two drivers that the install routine says are on the Windows disc if I select them.
    So far I have tried a re-install 3 times but the end result it that I get the POST screem and a brief flash of the XP logo and it goes to the black screen safe mode.
    If I leave the laptop alone it cycles endlessly.
    I have booted the laptop from a Ubuntu Linux CD and am typing this on said laptop. I think we can rule out the fact the RAM chips were disturbed. I can even install Ubuntu on the HDD, but the wirless function is not supported and I need a cable connection to my router, which defetas the virtues of a laptop.

    Sorry if I am rambling a bit. I was up to 00:30 hrs with this creature last night. :mad:
     
    Neil Purling, Dec 7, 2008
    #1