Thinkpads Forum

My first post guys, so go easy on me. I have an IBM tp600 type 2645. The hdd gave me some bad sector/block messages so I bought a new 10gb hdd. Tried to swap one one for new. I get the I9990302 and I9990305 errors. Google tells me that they are "invalid boot error" and "no bootable device" messages. My main l/top is a TP20 with a built in cdrom/dvd tray but no floppy. I can't make floppies so the ibm tools are kinda not happening for me. What to do?

First thing to check is that the drive is formatted. If it's not formatted (or if it is formatted but doesn't have the system files on it), you can't boot off of it. If I had to guess, it probably isn't formatted.

If you have a bootable CDROM (such as a Windows CD for use on a new system), you should be able to boot off of that by going into easy setup and setting the CD drive as 1st boot device. On a 600, you can get into easy setup by holding down the F1 key while turning the machine on. Continue holding the key down for abuot 10 seconds after power-on and release it. Easy-Setup should then launch.

If you can get this drive mounted into another machine as a secondary drive, you should be able to get it formatted and SYS'ed properly. One excellent option for this is a USB enclosure (IBM makes one that's about $10-20, I'm sure there are others) - then you can format it on your T20 without any disassembly. Once you've got the new drive formatted properly, you can slap it into the 600 and be good to go.

Hope this helps,

Rob

Dont know if formatting it in another series thinkpad is going to help you, but it may be worth a try. Bootable CD is obviously your best option, but it would be a good thing to have a floppy drive for your 600 series anyway. You can buy them cheap on eBay (seen them as low as $10). If you were not in the UK, I would send you a floppy drive to do the job...I have a couple of extra ones I lend out to people at work all the time.

Another option that I personally would persue, and that is if the old Hdd isnt to far gone is to use an external floppy drive along with a 2nd hdd adapter and just clone the original drive with Ghost...this way you dont have to reinstall windows at all...a real time saver and this is something Ive done with my son's 600....actually, this process could even be done on a T20 series machine for the 600, and it could be done with a USB key rather than a floppy, by booting from it. PM me if you have the items (Tseries 2nd Hdd adapter and USB key) to do it through your T series computer and I'll give you more specific directions.

Jayeola,

Do you have a bootable CD available? (W98SE, W2K, XPP)

If so, simply install the new HD in the 600, start the unit and go into EZSetup (press and hold the F1 key down while turning on the unit, release after the MEMCOUNT completes and you hear the POST beep).

Set the BOOT order to CD, FDD and HD1 and reboot with the OS CD in the optical drive, once the install begins you'll be able to FDISK and FORMAT the HD.

Regards,

James

thanks guys for the suggestions. I have, [i.e. always have], the boot order all my machines as cd,floppy, hdd, so I'm good there. I tried to boot with a live Linux Distro and that borked too. After reading your posts I conclude that the live distro ain't booting 'cos the hdd ain't formatted. Please correct me

It's battered old laptop but very faithfull. I like TPs and want to continue using them. Going for the "F1" route. I actually have a USB flash memory reader with 512mb. TP600 does have a floppy device. Tp20 has a cd tray.

Hurrah! All I had todo was <ctrl> <p> in the "configuration" settings in easy setup. This allowed me to perform a low level format. Took a few hours. Now Linux us installed on the TP600