CF-18 Clean install issues

Hi All

I have a CF-18 MK1 that needed a clean install of XP pro. I removed the drive and hookedup to an old ide based unit I have via and ide converter. I formatted the drive and have tried to install tovarious stagesof the install thenreverted the drive back to the CF to boot and configure. Allto no avail. All I get now is black screen or if I select boot tosafe mode the system installs to mup.sys then hangs. I have also copiedover the i386 files to the drive. I have no floppy or cd drive and the bios does not allow boot from usb.

Do any of you toughbook guys have any suggestions??

Thanks in advance.

 

You're absolutely certain that the BIOS doesn't support USB boot devices? I would have thought it a no-brainer/non-issue by the time it came to the 18, unlike those much earlier 17/M34s.

I have the OS re-installed in my 18mk3 via USB DVDRW but IIRC, I think some will install the OS in another laptop/desktop, up to the point where a reboot is required, then swap the HDD back into your 18 and continue from there.

Have not tried this method personally but hope it helps.

 

Hi Toughnut. Thanks for the reply but I have tried this. The system says operating system not found when I put the drive back in the laptop at this stage. My best success yet is a full install on another system but as I say the system hangs on boot. There is definately no usb boot from bios and no bios updateavailable. PersonallyI think it's complacent of Panasonic not to update the bios with more modern version and features.

 

JustMeAgain, you DO have the capability to boot from USB, but it will not say USB. I have a Mk1 and the boot order is CD/HD/floppy/LAN. When using the CD setting, you can use a USB CD and that is how I installed the OS on mine. Either do the F2 for BIOS or the F12 for boot sequence and make sure the CD is first...then give it another try. My BIOS version is V1.00L13A.

 

OK I'll try that. I have actually just created a bootable primary partition on the harddrive with DOS7.1 and I386.The disk boots perfect in 2 slave units I have but the toughbook gives a no operating system found. Once this is installed its going on ebay as a high maintainance, high cost, unsupported piece of useless junk. I have 10 of these in my office and had Iknown Panasonic made everyeffort tolock users out I never would have bought them. I'll never buy Panasonic again. Not even so much as one bios update.


Many thanks for the pointer. Does the drive need to be a Panasonic with their specific hardware key?

 

Just one question. How is requiring the use of an external drive to load software, on a computer which does not have room for an internal drive, "locking you out"?
CAP

 

Well you won't have any trouble getting rid of them, there are plenty of folks who would love to get one of those.

 

The process of installing an OS on this model is no different than any other that does not have a built in CD. Those of us on this forum who have been dealing with TB's for quite a while can install an OS and all the associated drivers in just a few hours, and that includes the tons of updates that are always required when you install WinXXX. Nothing is being done to "lock out anyone", you just have to take your time and do it right..especially if this is a first time for you. Once you get the 18 up and running, the flaming you were doing is likely to subside and you may just decide it is really a great machine. If not, price them all low and we will take them in a matter of minutes..

 

Don't be frustrated my friend. Patience is the key. This is no ordinary laptop that you can find anywhere else. Ok! If you are using an external usb cd rom drive especially those dvd-/+rw or a combo make sure the external power to drive those cd rom is connected too otherwise you can not both it of just a single usb cable. There must have additional power to drive the cd rom drive and I will assure you that it will gonna work 100%.

BTW, let us know how much each/unit if you decided to throw it?


ohlip

 

I done it.

Windows bootable CD would not boot from a portable usb drive I went and purchased.

I tried using a windows Live CD but the file explorer was so slow so I used Active@Boot Disc to load the file explorer and loaded USB drivers. I ran windows setup from USB however after its mandatory reboot it told me hal.dll was missing. I copied the entire I386 folder to the drive root and used I386/winnt32.exe for the install.

Its alive and all backed up data is back on the drive. It seems this unit does not like a standard retail xp disc for some reason.

I have ghosted the drive image so shall now buy a spare drive to backup from should the same happen again. I have been thinking about Lenovo's for some time now as they are cheaper to get hard drive caddys for as we need to change drives with differnt software applications on regularly. They also come cheaper and have a bootable drive on board.


Thanks to all who offered suggestions, especially Toughnut who suggested any usb drive. Panasonic techs told me i needed their own external £385.00 item as the bios looked for hardware keys..

 

You're welcomed. What I know about these quirky laptops, is what I've learned here from the folks who shared generously. Toughbooks are not for everyone and yes, they're a hard nut to crack but many more times durable than most consumer level laptops.

About your windoze cd, run it through another system. It may be a faulty drive or damaged disc. AFAIK, anything bootable (Ubuntu or Window Live, Hiren, etc) will startup on most USB optical drives although some may require more power, using both USB plugs. The CF-18 has 2 USB ports on the left side... use 'em.