CF-28 operating system not found

Picked up a 800mhz CF-28.

No hard drive or caddy, but I popped my hard drive in from a CF-28 1ghz, and all is well. Everything works.

Thing is, it won't post without the hard drive at all. Just says operating system not found.

I thought you could get into BIOS without a hard drive???

No problem with the 1ghz getting into BIOS with hard drive removed...

Any ideers...

 

Hit F2 anyways

 

I'd suspect they have a "Quiet Boot" or "Quick Boot" option turned on in the BIOS... some actually have a place where you can turn off the "Hit <Whatever> key to enter BIOS" splash screen.

mnem
Why does the fuzz in my refrigerator cause me less concern than the fuzz in the candidate's speech?

 

Thanks guys.

When I have the donor hard drive installed, F2 will get me right into the BIOS.

I have set the BIOS to all factory defaults.

Remove the HD, and no BIOS.

I dunno...

 

Huh? <scratches head> Do you mean that you can click on F2 or ESC during Bootup and you get nothing?

Please advise!

EDIT... Without the hard drive.

 

Is it trying to load a network bootloader instead? Something like blahblah.pxe pre-boot execution environment? I've had my Mk1 default to that with no HD...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preboot_Execution_Environment

mnem
pXe pixies make good kindling...

 

Affirmative. ESC gets operating system not found as does F2.

Puzzling to me.

Like I said, the machine boots into BIOS, and runs winxp from the donor drive and all is good.

 

Not that I can tell.

Just Operating system not found over and over everytime F2 is pressed [without hard drive]

 

Mmmhmmm....

Tryi leaving it sit there for a few minutes; it may be busy polling all the I/O channels. I've had them sit seeming to do nothing for 5 minutes, then post a message about some IDE failure...

mnem
Just a thought... Of course, they said the same thing about Archimedes.

 

Hmmmmm.... What I would do is to boot it with the donor drive then boot into the BIOS... See what the BIOS revision number is and then check for an update. When you find the new update... (And I think you will) Configure it with the donor drive in.... Then tell it to boot from the floppy and have your new BIOS revision ready to go. Boot from the floppy... Follow the directions on how to update the BIOS and then enjoy your new laptop!

What is the BIOS version that you read with the donor drive?

 

Good idea TB.

Will try out tomorrow. Got sleepy watching the debate.

**yawns and shuffles off to bed**

 

Yup... Not a clear weiner on either side IMHO..... Though I am pulling for... <He won't go there because he WILL NOT divide the forum>
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And don't you guys either... Let's PLEASE keep our discussions here on target. If you want to express your views on anything political or religious.... PLEASE go to the Off Topic Forum! Or at least the Dell forum....

< He snickers and goes for another shot of chlorylhydrate >

 

This may sound weird, but I have had the same thing happen to a PC and it ended up being the CMOS battery. Don't know why, but since your checking things, add this to the mix.

As for my political humiliation, I am voting MNEM FOR PRESIDENT>>>>>

WOOHOO.... COME ON EVERYBODY.... GET DA DRAGON IN CHARGE!!!!!

 

Hmmmmm... A dead CMOS battery.... That sounds like it could be a likely cause too.

 

I am running on the green/scaly platform. A vote for me is a vote for free internet, honesty in campaigning and an administration that's actually in it for the good of the American People - In other words, the mythical beast party.

mnem
Hey! Why is there some strange woman trying to powder my forehead scales?