Error 2100: HDD0. Scrap and reinstall linux as OS?

[Doc_Leaf]

Hello,

I have a T61 which is showing a 2100: HDD0 Hard disk drive initialization error on booth. I have read through these forum and followed the basic remedies but to no avail. I do not have back up disks either.

I am time rich but cash poor. Is it possible to wipe the drive and start again using Linux operating system? If so, How do I do this?

Thank you

[Neil]

Hi Doc, welcome to the forum.

Have you read this thread from last year?

http://www.thinkpads.com/forum/viewtopi ... 29&t=99948

It covers your problem fairly thoroughly.

And, sure, you can wipe the HDD and install the Linux distro of your choice. That is, if there is nothing physically wrong the the HDD. It's as simple as booting up the Live CD of the distro you choose, and using the graphical installer to delete the current partition(s) on the drive, and install the new system.

[Doc_Leaf]

Thanks dude!

Read through that thread. I got the t61 second hand to bring traveling. Sounds as if a new HD is in order ( which i cant afford).

Going to give Linux a try as iv long written off the info. If this is a sign of a degrading HD then perhaps i just in this T61. It came so highly recommended and my experience has been a disaster

[Neil]

Several Linux distributions can be run from a USB flash drive with persistance, so you wouldn't have to even have a hard drive installed, if it comes to that.

[Doc_Leaf]

Thank you again for your help! That is great to know! I also have an external HD to play with.

What version of Linux should I be looking at? Cinnamon or Mate?

Any links to installation guides from boot?

The T61 was working fine for several weeks. I got 2 batteries 1 reg + 1 long life plus 2 t40's sold for parts.

Can I use the T40's for any parts on the T61?

[Neil]

If you've never used Linux before, something like Linux Mint or Ubuntu, might be a good place to start. Both have online installation and user guides. If you want something that looks and feels a lot like Windows 7, take a look at ZorinOS.

Mate and Cinnamon are desktop environments that can be run on most any disto, but Mint has already installed both on their system. I recommend you download several different distros and try them out. Decide for yourself which distro, evironment, package management system, etc., you like best, and then go with that one.

If you can read French, the Hybryd Linux distribution features five or six desktop environments that you can switch on the fly. Might be a good way to sample the different ones.

Check out http://www.distrowatch.com to see what all is available.
And http://www.pendrivelinux.com for all the info on booting from flash drives.

There are really no parts from a T40 that will work with the T61. The optical drives will interchange and work, but their bezels are shaped differently so they don't really look good together.

[farmall]

I just dumped Ubuntu for Centos 6.3 and am delighted with the swap. (I'm a Linux user since 1999.) I prefer stability and polish. Centos benefits from Red Hat's Enterprise success rather than being bleeding edge/idiosyncratic like Ubuntu.

I recommend you download and burn a live DVD of any distro you wish to try. I've done the USB thing too, but DVDs are cheap and having read-only rescue/install media is nice even if you mainly use USB. You can boot a live CD or live USB key and acquire a hard drive at leisure. Booting the DVD uses more power but leaves the USB completely free for storage.

Your sound (Ubuntu sometimes has issues with it) and wifi will work with Centos. It's clean, stable, and you can run all the OTHER guest (32-bit due to T-61 CPU limitation) OS you like in VMs using Virtualbox. (Nice reason/excuse to get 8GB RAM later on.)

T61s run 64-bit main/host OS fine.

http://isoredirect.centos.org/centos/6/isos/x86_64/

Download the LiveDVD .iso. You can run it without a harddisk, without touching your hard disk, or you can install to your hard disk.

Both Windows and Linux utilities exist to create live USB boot media.

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/