The dreaded error 2010!

[Cleojasp]

Hi there,

I own a Thinkpad T43p, 2.26Ghz CPU and 2GB RAM. The model is a 2668-LG2. I have just installed a Seagate Momentus 5400.3 ST9160821A (160GB) and getting the infamous 2010 error. I have come across this before and have overcome it. However, I have seem to have forgotten how.

I have set the option in the BIOS to override the message each time I boot up, so now it just pops up momentarily, accompanied by a distressed beep and continues booting. The problem I am experiencing is that when trying to load the OS, after I have formatted the drive and copied the system files over, after the first reboot it does the whole Windows Setup loop again, as if it's starting from scratch. I'm sure there's something silly I am forgetting to do, but would appreciate it if someone can tell me how silly I'm being!

Thanks...

[Neil]

Hmm...seems to be booting the Windows CD every time. If you remove the CD does it boot and continue the install normally?

[Cleojasp]

Hmm...seems to be booting the Windows CD every time. If you remove the CD does it boot and continue the install normally?

Hi Neil, I did try that and just got the following error -

Invalid BOOT.INI file
Booting from C:\windows
NTDETECT failed.

Would this suggest that maybe it's a bad copy of Windows?

[Neil]

Could be....but maybe not. IIRC, that happened to me once when I didn't have the hard drive inserted correctly. Some of the pins were not making contact, but it seemed that Windows was installing but it would not boot, and I think the error was the same as you are getting. Just taking a shot in the dark here, but do you have the new drive in a caddy with all four screws, and label facing down?

[Cleojasp]

Not the full caddy, evidently. I only have the handle that attaches by two screws at the front of the drive (this is how it came) and yes, with the label facing down.

Funny you should mention the seating of the hard drive though: I posted another topic only yesterday saying that my new hard drive wasn't being recognised and was getting a 0200 Fixed drive error as a result. After a lot of fiddling and reseating of the HDD, it was finally seen in the BIOS.

Since speaking to you, have been into Recovery Console and done a chkdsk /r and everything was fine. Would I still have been able to do this if there was a contact fault?

[Neil]

I'm not sure...but that's how I was having trouble. Just could not get the pins to all line up until I had all four screws in place. They are critial to guide the drive into the socket. It's very much a hit or (usually) miss affair without them.

[Cleojasp]

Ok, thanks Neil. I can pick up a drive cage/caddy relatively cheap, which is what I will do. The least it will do is eliminate another possible cause I suppose.