Corp000085 Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 Ok, long post, that i'll update when i'm more thoroughly done. Suggestions are always welcome. Ok, my father mailed me one of his fairly new computers, stripped down cause he got a brand new computer and kept the components. So, in the mail wednesday i get a tower, intel motherboard, p4 2.0 ghz, 1024 mb DDR ram all put together. This will replace my old computer, pIII 800mhz, 512 mb SDram. I'll be pulling my HD, all my pci cards, graphics card, and CD rom drives and floppy. So, i pull all the old stuff and plug it into the new computer and plug it in. Bad news. The configuration is so different from my old computer that windows won't start in safe mode or anything. Recovering it would be a waste of time, so i take out the HD and graphics card from the new and back into the old, to copy my data files from my system partition to my extended partition for backup so i can put windows on for the new computer. Take out HD and graphics card from old and back into new. From the time i opened the package at my door till this time is only an hour and a half, which is pretty good since 30 minutes of it was copying my stuff for backup. I reinstall windows on my new computer. After that's done, i notice that there's a bios update, so i get that and attempt to make a boot disk for flash. RED FLAG TIME. Somewhere in the transfer, my floppy drive and/or floppy cable are broken. Not that big of a deal since they're from around 1989 and intel makes a bios flash that you don't need a floppy for. I go ahead and do that. Now the stojanovich (i hate that filter, so i'm going with his last name) hits the front chassis fan. My hard drive won't read from the POST. After about 40 reboots, i take the HD, graphics card from the new and back into the old, only to find out that my HD still is ok, at least from the POST. It's gotta be the primary IDE channel on my mobo, since the cd rom reads from the secondary channel. Fast forward to today, 2 days without internet. I get a brand new floppy drive (which are tough to find.) So, all of the stuff goes into the new, i plug my HD into the secondary channel and it works, along with the floppy. So, now i'm to the point where right now i'm typing from my new computer with my primary IDE down, and a boot disk made with my brand new floppy drive for another bios flash, to hopefully complete my saga and get my primary IDE back. Anyways, if you have any suggestions, or thoughts on how to lower my blood pressure without the use of alcohol, so i can get this done, let me know. Thanks brothers and sisters... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 I could add alot but I really don't feel like it right now. Just to rub salt in your wounds... FedEx just delivered my new Dell 4700C that's LOADED to the gills. This puppy SCREAMS! Good luck mate. Personally, I'd buy a new HDD and put the OS on it. Boot the new machine with it and make your old HDD the slave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VABills Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 I could add alot but I really don't feel like it right now. Just to rub salt in your wounds... FedEx just delivered my new Dell 4700C that's LOADED to the gills. This puppy SCREAMS! Good luck mate. Personally, I'd buy a new HDD and put the OS on it. Boot the new machine with it and make your old HDD the slave. 81212[/snapback] I agree, not to rub salt but I got my 400sc last week. Just got my Presario V2000 laptop, nicely loaded, the other day. I don't care for Dell lappys sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frez Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 Is your bios boot settings correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corp000085 Posted October 22, 2004 Author Share Posted October 22, 2004 First to answer the questions so far: I've picked my nails raw, so salt would hurt. My HDD is FAST. There's no need for a new one, plus this one has all the data on it. Frez, my bios just had to be reset to defaults. Update: I ran the floppy bios flash, and it completed the first bios update, and reset the whole thing. So, i plugged my HDD into the primary IDE channel and IT WORKED! Now i'm at the stage where i'm going to power it down and just plug everything back together and get it set by my desk. After I power it on, i'll begin to reinstall all of my software. YAY. Total time worked so far, including travel time to circuit city: 9 hours 32 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VABills Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 First to answer the questions so far: I've picked my nails raw, so salt would hurt. My HDD is FAST. There's no need for a new one, plus this one has all the data on it. Frez, my bios just had to be reset to defaults. Update: I ran the floppy bios flash, and it completed the first bios update, and reset the whole thing. So, i plugged my HDD into the primary IDE channel and IT WORKED! Now i'm at the stage where i'm going to power it down and just plug everything back together and get it set by my desk. After I power it on, i'll begin to reinstall all of my software. YAY. Total time worked so far, including travel time to circuit city: 9 hours 32 minutes. 81220[/snapback] You bought a computer from a place where Poojer works? Do yourself a favor and back up any critical info, just in case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 I agree, not to rub salt but I got my 400sc last week. Just got my Presario V2000 laptop, nicely loaded, the other day. I don't care for Dell lappys sorry. 81217[/snapback] It's not a laptop, it's an ultrasmall desktop. Friggin' Jarhead. Enjoy your Presario. I hope you got the extended support. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 I agree, not to rub salt but I got my 400sc last week. Just got my Presario V2000 laptop, nicely loaded, the other day. I don't care for Dell lappys sorry. 81217[/snapback] I've got a Dell XPS laptop. It screams. 3.4 ghz, 1 gig dual-channel ram. Fast as hell. I never use my desktop any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VABills Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 It's not a laptop, it's an ultrasmall desktop. Friggin' Jarhead. Enjoy your Presario. I hope you got the extended support. 81223[/snapback] I got some but why. I have always had presarios and never, ever had a problem. Now as I told you the dell lappys at work always are breaking, and I know you say its because they are inspirons and not latitudes. BTW, I never buy the cheapy Presarios they don't look well built. I was referring dork to the other conversation I had about the dell deals on the lappys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VABills Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 I've got a Dell XPS laptop. It screams. 3.4 ghz, 1 gig dual-channel ram. Fast as hell. I never use my desktop any more. 81224[/snapback] Wow, you're rich. That's a chunk of change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 Wow, you're rich. That's a chunk of change. 81227[/snapback] Kinda. But I can write it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_BiB_ Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 You bought a computer from a place where Poojer works? Do yourself a favor and back up any critical info, just in case. 81222[/snapback] Who's Poojer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 I got some but why. I have always had presarios and never, ever had a problem. Now as I told you the dell lappys at work always are breaking, and I know you say its because they are inspirons and not latitudes. BTW, I never buy the cheapy Presarios they don't look well built. I was referring dork to the other conversation I had about the dell deals on the lappys. 81226[/snapback] You get what you pay for. If you buy Inspiron laptops for your business, you're going to have problems. I don't see the Presarios as being any different. The Latitudes are as good as anything out there except high end Thinkpads but cost ALOT less. Dell's "Complete Care" warranty is the best in the business - they actually offer it on the Dimensions now. We never sell our customers Inspirons. Probably a big reason why so many come back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VABills Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 You get what you pay for. If you buy Inspiron laptops for your business, you're going to have problems. I don't see the Presarios as being any different. The Latitudes are as good as anything out there except high end Thinkpads but cost ALOT less. Dell's "Complete Care" warranty is the best in the business - they actually offer it on the Dimensions now. We never sell our customers Inspirons. Probably a big reason why so many come back. 81233[/snapback] Yeah I get the impression HP/Compaq has the HP for the home market as well as some of the low end presarios. The higher end pesarios seem to be their target for businesses and travelers. That usually where I buy. I keep away from the $800 Best buy specials and the ones with the gimmicks that the HP's tend to have. I agree our company has several hundred of the inprirons at HQ and 2 full time people just to deal with Dell to get them fixed. Stupid if you ask me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayg Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 Yeah I get the impression HP/Compaq has the HP for the home market as well as some of the low end presarios. The higher end pesarios seem to be their target for businesses and travelers. That usually where I buy. I keep away from the $800 Best buy specials and the ones with the gimmicks that the HP's tend to have. I agree our company has several hundred of the inprirons at HQ and 2 full time people just to deal with Dell to get them fixed. Stupid if you ask me. 81235[/snapback] What kind of problems? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VABills Posted October 23, 2004 Share Posted October 23, 2004 What kind of problems? 81249[/snapback] You name they have had it. I am sure a lot of it is people abusing the machines because they are morons. I am glad I work offsite and have a desktop at work. The folks at HQ get laptops and docking stations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted October 23, 2004 Share Posted October 23, 2004 You name they have had it. I am sure a lot of it is people abusing the machines because they are morons. I am glad I work offsite and have a desktop at work. The folks at HQ get laptops and docking stations. 81288[/snapback] Everytime they make something idiot proof, God designs a bigger idiot. Nature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jarthur31 Posted October 23, 2004 Share Posted October 23, 2004 Ok, there's your mistake: using old components on a new motherboard. Bad idea from the start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet baboo Posted October 23, 2004 Share Posted October 23, 2004 next time, you could just a PCI IDE card...or go with SCSI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted October 23, 2004 Share Posted October 23, 2004 The Latitudes are as good as anything out there except high end Thinkpads but cost ALOT less. Dell's "Complete Care" warranty is the best in the business - they actually offer it on the Dimensions now.81233[/snapback] That's what the Sheriff's department here uses in their cars, the Latitude CPxH. There have been 3 that I know of where the airbag has gone off, and destroyed the laptop, Dell still honored the Complete Care warranty. I wish I could find the picture I took of one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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