Windows re install required? May have killed the ThinkCentre

[A31]

Hi all...
I just tried my Win95 CD in my IBM as I was curious to see what it was like and I've ended up killing my ThinkCentre A50.
The problem:
.In BIOS, you sometimes get menus that you can select options, such as the "start windows normally" screen and it will select the selected option in a time limit, if I hit the enter key to select that option, the whole thing freezes and I have to hold in the power button. I have to wait for the timer to go down from '30' to '0'.
.When Windows XP loads with the XP boot screen, it freezes or hangs and I don't know why.

I was trying to install Windows 95 but I couldnt get it to boot of CD, do I need to re install XP to get the Thinkcentre running again?? Only trouble is I have run out of XP serials to activate it with that will work...

The PC runs 2.0GB RAM btw, I think this what my have killed it. It's connected via a KVM switch to my monitor, mouse and keyboard... (I am typing this message on my HP). It was selected to boot first from CD drive but I changed it to HDD in ahope that might work. Is there anything in the BIOS I can change??

The ThinkCentre would not display the "Press any key to Boot the CD" message even when a genuine Windows 95 CD that had never been used before was inserted into the computer AND it the boot order was set to "boot of CD first". I am guessing this becuase of MS-DOS relations with Windows 95?

I will also add that in a attempt to get my Win95 CD to boot, I had to press the "power on" button a lot of times that may have something to do with this??

Thanks! Lots of questions I know!!
Luckily I still have my HP and the A31!
A31

[gb_ibmguy]

I've had problems like that before too.

My S51 Thinkcentre had the same problem, it refused to see the CD.
You could try booting from a windows boot-able USB drive, (kind of a pain to create)
Or try removing any extra added devices, take it back to factory standards - remove BT, extra memory etc. In the BIOS try RESET to original Configuration. (or what ever your bios says).

Once / if it sees the CD, you may need to wipe the hard drive or at least remove the IBM service Partition. There are several free HD utilities around that will do that. Then re-install XP

Good luck!

[A31]

Well, in the past this IBM had a dual boot with XP and Vista and it all went horribly wrong, see http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=83765.
However, despite not having that particular 80GB HDD installed (it has a Hitachi Deskstar that Vista was originally on and a Seagate 80GB, the corrupted XP was installed on a Western-Digital WD800 80GB HDD) all ready, this machine still sees the corrupted XP installation and goes straight to the OS choice menu, with either XP or XP, if you go for the top one, it is the current XP installation that I installed last week and it work(*ED*) fine, but until I tried to get 94 to work, it doesn't work? It hangs?

I will today or tommorrow go into the BIOS Setup Utility and reset to factory original, then that should work fine... Do you know how you create bootable USB pendrives?? I think if I copied the XP files onto an empty/formatted 4GB pendrive and stuck in the machine, then turned it on it may work... I'm sure I've error messages in the past saying to remove USB drives at startup unless you want to boot off them.

Thanks for the advice, I'll have a look and see what I can do.
A31

[gb_ibmguy]

Here's a good link on USB Boot device:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/win ... ,1113.html

If / When you get a working CD drive, you may have use for this tool:
http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/ This is good to erase your HD, remove partitions etc. I've had to use it several times on my IBM's

Good Luck!

[A31]

It currently has 1x CD-ROM drive at the moment that I salvaged!!
I will have a look in BIOS either later on tonight or tommorrow, will keep you imformed!!
Thanks for your help!

EDIT, I have just atached another 80GB IDE HDD to my USB IDE HDD reader and I have formatted all that was on there, so I am now going to put it back into the IBM and attempt to install Windows XP on it, wish me luck!

[A31]

well, I can now confrim that it is dead... inserted the formatted HDD and it came up with "setup is inspecting your hardware configuration". Displayed this message for 15 minutes and keyboard froze/became inactive. Changed the XP CD and still got that message and waited 20 minutes but nothing. Assuming motherboard is dead?

I've parted it out for spares now, both the IDE channels, the RAM, powers, the hard disks.
But hey, there is some good news!! Becuase my USB IDE HDD reader also supports IDE CD/DVD drives, I've rigged up the CD drive to that and so I now have 2 DVD drives and 1 CD drive connected to my HP machine, the 2 DVD drives are connected via IDE and are actual in the HP and the CD drive is connected via USB and is external. How cool's that??

And I also haven't wasted my KVM switch as thanks to the docking station on my A31, I can plug in the PS/2 mouse and keyboard and monitor into that... see, where there is a down side (in this example, lost the ThinkCentre), there are also upsides (can now have 3 DVD/CD drives on the HP and control my laptop via KVM).

Thanks for all of your help by the way, gb_imbguy, it is very much appreciated.
A31

[gb_ibmguy]

Sorry to hear you gave up on your system, But glad to hear you salvaged some parts.

One day, when you are sitting around wondering what you can do, this system will come to mind and you will start 'messing' with it, and lo and behold, it will be alive again!

Remember, it's not dead, it's just waiting.

Good Luck!

[A31]

Everything inside it has now gone/been removed apart from the system board, the processor, the RAM and the front two USB ports. I've even removed the HDD and DVD/CD drive caddies! I'm sure the power leads and supply will come in handy if my HP looses power all of a sudden!! (Hope it doesn't!) Plan to remove the RAM and the system board tommorrow to leave the computer completely bare. I'll post some pictures...!! Looking fairly bare at the moment (well, I suppose it is!)

[gb_ibmguy]

Sorry to hear that, but understand,
It will be re-born, somehow, someway.

Or, you will get another These things do not die, only rest for a while

[A31]

These things do not die, only rest for a while

Agree with you on "they don't die". I'll keep all the parts and the actual machine and use it as an experiment machine, I don't know what went wrong here but hey, I've had this machine for 3 years now (original manufacture date 2004) and lots of things have gone wrong with it... and it has always started working again!!

A bit barer and emptier than it was before though??
http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww30 ... C02523.jpg
http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww30 ... C02524.jpg
http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww30 ... C02525.jpg
http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww30 ... C02526.jpg
http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww30 ... C02527.jpg
http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww30 ... C02528.jpg

You can see the edge of my A31 in one of those pictures.
the pictures are quite large by the way!

Or, you will get another

Well, I doubt it as I have the HP DX2200 as my PC now... I used to use this ThinkCentre as my main desktop but on January 10th, I got given the HP and I kept the IBM just in case. I found out why Windows 95 didn't like it by the way, it won't install on a processor faster than 400MHz and obviously the P4 in this IBM is a 2000MHz (2GHz) I believe.

I suspect, as you say, one day I'll get bored and I'll start rebuilding it!!! I'll keep it in stroage, out of the way, for the time being.