How to use the wrong OEM CD

since almost all of our systems have the COA for xp on the bottom, one could postulate that one panny xp image is as good as another, from a EULA/legal standpoint.
I have an mk1 that was shipped with 2k. I acquired a coa sticker, transferred it to my unit, and got my hands on the oem cd's. But, ALAS, it won't work becuase there is a system of checks built into the cd's that reads your model number (and thusly, whether or not it should have xp on it).

So, to install the "wrong" panny xp image on my mk1, I did the following:

create an iso of disk 1
extract "AUTOMAIN.BAT" and edit it as follows:

delete "echo off"
leave "Promt $P$G"
remove everything before "rcv_os check" and leave everything after untouched

It should look something like this:
(only not etc, etc, etc... but the actual rest of the bat as it was

Next, delete the old automain.bat from the iso, and drop the new one in.
burn,
boot,
install
DUN


Now, I don't know about the image cd's for other than mk1, but I'm assuming they are all set up about the same, and I don't believe that there is such a significant difference in hardware that it would be an issue to cross mk#s' images (as far as xp cares). Dunno.

Anyway, I hope it helps, I know a few people have had issues with which image they have vs which mk they have.

 

Of course, you could just use a Dell OEM disk... but that wouldn't have your drivers. Does the Panny disk have the correct drivers?

Oh... and what does Dial Up Networking have to do with it? :wink:

mnem
Nothing like a game of Driver-Roulette to start a build off right...

 

Would that make it a Dellsonic or a Toughell?

 

It would make it a b@stard stepchild daywalking ginger, just like interestingfellow... :wink:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/panasonic/449614-www-custom-toughbooks-com-7.html#post6173380

mnem
*Raises a glass to b@stards everywhere*

 

Let me try a mac OS. Would I lose the left or right button on the mouse?

 

Yes.

mnem
Mouse-tarded.

 

I actually acquired an ISO with instructions on how to put a Mac OS (Tiger I think)on a non Mac Intel based machine. One of these days I plan on experimenting with it.

 

I actually have a spare HDD caddy with my failed vista run. I laughed on the windows score when it ranked everything high except graphics.

 

(we need to make a gingicon)

and the dell disk does alright, I suppose. The guy I got this unit from had done that, and I couldn't install any other windows components due to a lack of an appropriate "xp sp2 disk"

I'm supprised at the oem initial install size; i don't have that much installed (about 2gb of programs + sp2), and my windows partition is ~7.4gb?
I'm going to chase down the "system backup" from installing the sp2, and also turned off system restore (i'll track'm down and delete them too)


DUN--> ebonic street speak for "done"

 

If you want to, I have a spare Dell SP2 disk you can try; see if it installs with less waste. As I recall, the last time I did it my finished build was about 1.4GB, but that was nekkid with nothing added, just drivers.

mnem
Has intent.

 

driver roulette can be fun if you have the time (and the "i will make this work" determination) , i have learned many many things on this forum and the most important thing being if panasonic tech support says it cant be done search the threads and find out how it can be made to work (maybe they should route there tech support queries here)

 

THANK YOU GOD FOR THIS! Rep to you!

P.S, I posted this as a sticky on my website too HERE

 

My first experience with Ubuntu was a PowerPC port which I used on an iBook; I'll say it was a definite improvement over OS9... particularly the part where I could BLEEPING RIGHT-CLICK on things for a change (With the addition of a USB mouse).

mnem
I bet that iBook felt violated...

 

Oh, no. that install is long gone. i have it backed up, but I never did trust it, as it wasn't my install.

I've got windows dir down to 2.72gb. I don't think that's right. That is just oem image + sp2 - backup dirs. I think I can do better than that.

Pagefile.sys is still 1.1 gb, hiberfile.sys=0
My gps program (mcguider) is 1gb.
All the other dirs on c:\=1.82gb

w\system restore turned off and my documents moved to d:\.

That's 6.7gb used up out of 8gb.

 

I have dell logos everywhere! I kinda find it funny. Visa automatically found my sound drivers after a HUGE update of like 190 items. only issues I have is hot keys and it thinks my 29 has a digitizer screen.


*edit* screen shots.


Pic 3. When you see it...Bricks

 

Vista
(somberly looking at my feet) I'm sorry....

 

Yeah after the trial is over I'm done. It's not having that crisp feel it did last week.

 

I have tried this on three models disk hoping to load a MK1 with one of the following disk set MK2,MK3,MK4,MK5.

Your work around, works as for getting the disk to load, but the Mk2,MK3,MK4 disk still tells you wrong image for machine. MK5 disk loaded but machine would not boot

TB2010

 

Confirmed working on a cf-18 mk-2 touchscreen, that would not load the standard mk-2 disks ,as the model number ended with a -DU digit

A look in device manager shows all hardware detected correctly

Its a worthwhile workaround for specialized models in the same series

Note: I used Roxio to save the iso file to the hard drive , and Ultra ISO full version to edit the file



Alex

 

If the image disk boots and tells you it's the wrong machine, then there is some more editing needed in the automain.bat. If you post/attatch the origional automain.bat from whichever cd, I'll be glad to take a look at it, and see what I can see. My batch programming is a little rusty (terrible to begin with ), but I should be able to gidit.

There's only 3 ways the cd can check the machine/fail:

1)The disk checks the machine (automain.bat scripts)
2)The pqi file itself could be locked to a bios string id or something, but it wouldn't tell you that until the power quest image program got to actually trying to load the image.
3)XP realizes what's going on (too many hardware diffrences, etc) and refuses to boot properly/tells you "this copy of xp is not meant to run on this machine, call bill gates and curse him out" or similar

 

What it did was go through the steps, but when windows went to load a blue screen popped up staying wrong image for this machine.

Now the mk5 cd loaded but would not boot after loading.

I tried using the auto file from the mk5 cd on the mk2 cd and it still didn't work. Might be just because it's a mk1 machine.

 

I would guess some of the drivers are wrong. See if you can boot into Safe Mode [F8], then delete the video driver.

 

LOT of differences between Mk1 and Mk5.

Better to spend the bucks and get the CF-29 Series Product Recovery CD-ROM set for the Mk1.

 

XP and later is funny about that. It has checks built in, where if too many things change at the same time, it won't allow that install to run anymore. I'm sure you know some computer dorks who are always changing out hardware.This was a major concern for them (and others) when xp first came out. One of those new fangled (with the advent of XP) efforts to stop people from ripping of windows so easily. MS was trying to kill the "Oh, I need to "activate" windows now, well then I'll just image my drive, and copy to another computer then" attitude.

IF you are getting that screen, then it will be a pain in the ace.
You would be better off working for 1 or 2 hours, taking the wages from said hour of work, and buying a copy online. maybe from someone here :wink:.
Otherwise you will be wasting 10's of hours trying to fix this by hand (which I don't think is readily done)

Again, IMHO.

 

You mean like here?

+1

 

yes, just like that.

How hard was that to find, ST???

That was one of the first things I tried to find before I ever purchased my 29, just so i would know where to gitit.

 

I have CF-30 MK1. will I be able to do the same if I'll buy the Windows 7 Recovery DVD for CF-30 MK3?

 

dunno. i'd have to see. any 1 or more of the three methods i talked about earlier could kill the install.... go ahead and ship me your 30 and i'll try ferya

 

do someone has the cf- 18 recovery that can pass me?

 

We usually like new members to search for an answer,first before posting here
In your case I don't mind giving you a link

http://forum.notebookreview.com/pan...reading-anyone-who-posts-panasonic-forum.html

 

From looking at the windows 7 ISO all I see it asking for is a check. it is looking for a BIOS check of CF30-3. the three obviously standing for the MK model. I would imagine changing that to two or one might get it to install on the MKI-II models

 

FYI... This was posted about 6 - 9 months ago by our friend in Iraq..... Look up how to rewrite a BIOS ID...

 

I've got 1 MK2, two MK3 and two MK6 CF-M34 toughbooks and would like to perform a clean install (of ANY OS!) using CF-M34 MK3 OEM disk set. I am stuck at step 1! When I search the .iso of the OEM MK3 disk 1, I cannot find an "AUTOMAIN.BAT" file anywhere. There are "ER" and "IMAGES" folders and 3 other files: Bootctg.bin, Bootimg.bin and Version.cd. In the "ER" folder, there are two .bat files, autoexec.bat and atoexec2.bat, but they don't have the phrase "rcv_os check" anywhere. I am using MagicISO to create, view and edit these files. I've had no luck trying to view or edit the .bin files to see if the "automain.bat" lives in there somewhere. Interestingfellow? Can you help? Thanks, Jenhim

 

Well. I've run into an issue where the correct CD says "Wrong System."

I am asembling a CF-28 Mk2 ( CF-28PCJGZPM) for my nephew and am attempting to use the Mk2 Product Recovery CD-ROM set (MK2-2K2XPM-TS): it is giving me the error message when the system boots.

I have looked on Disk 1 for a "AUTOMAIN.BAT" file and cannot find one.

Any ideas here?

While I have a WinXPSP2 OEM disk available, I don't really feel like building my own "OEM" installation (via downloads) here.

 

I think you may not be using the correct disc.

From another post:

P - Pentium III 800mhz
T - 13.3" XGA Touchscreen with standard keyboard
J - 30 GB HDD w/ 256 RAM
G - Floppy Disc Drive / Modem / Ethernet
Z - No integrated options
Q - Dual operating system - Win2K / XP
M - Destination North America

I think P may be for W2K only.

 

TopCop that recovery disk you got from me was for one of the 6 units I got that were the same. Every one of them had a DUAL COA sticker with a different key for windows 2000 and windows xp. It would work in the mk3's I had so I just loaded it on the mk2 and swapped it to the mk3's.

 

Looked it up (somewhere ) and P = Dual NT-2K, so XP is not one of the choices for that mobo. Of course ADOR's approach works if you happen to have another system handy of the right flavor.

 

Yup; we (myself and db04p71) have already come to that conclusion.

I may be trying the S/N letter change trick soon (don't have another CF-28 right now).