ODD: I cannot boot from the XP Recovery CD OR MS XP CD

Message

tonyric · #1 Post by **tonyric** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 9:10 am

I just received a T61 14.1" for my wife yesterday. I ordered it with the 80GB 5400RPM disk because I had a spare 160GB 7200RPM disk in the house.

I booted the XP Pro preinstalled system to create the R&R CD/DVD. Swapped the HDD and the following happened:

Boot from CD and you see the black screen with the "Setup is checking your system configuration".
Black screen with HDD light on constant.
Just sits there on the black screen with the HDD light on.

I tried booting from the Vista recovery disk for my T61 and that worked
I tried booting from an Ubuntu CD and that worked
I tried booting from a Vista boot DVD from our Action Pack subscription and that worked
I tried booting from an XP Pro SP2 install CD (one from MS) and that failed as above
I tried booting from an XP Pro SP1 CD and it failed as above.

I have tried with the SATA controller set to AHCI AND Compatibility
The Ubuntu install that is currently on the 160GB HDD boots fine in the laptop.

I have disk cloning software that I am about to use, but I do not like doing things this way. The laptop came with XP, I want to be able to install XP.

Anyone have any ideas?

whizkid · #2 Post by **whizkid** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 9:51 am

Does that CD read in another drive or computer?

The disc itself may be bad. I'd probably try to make a copy of it in another computer with top-brand media, perhaps at a really slow speed.

tonyric · #3 Post by **tonyric** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 9:54 am

It does read fine in other systems. It isn't just the R&R cd having this issue it is also two other MS XP CD's. I have swapped the DVD-ROM drive in the new laptop with my DVDRW from my Thinkpad.

whizkid · #4 Post by **whizkid** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 10:53 am

Then it sounds like a bad or failing or dirty drive. I'd try a lens cleaner disc. Failing that, a call to EZServe to get a new drive.

tonyric · #5 Post by **tonyric** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 1:30 pm

Nope, different DVD drives also as stated above.

whizkid · #6 Post by **whizkid** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 1:58 pm

I didn't get your meaning. So the same discs fail on different drives, then. If that's the case, then you have some bad discs. It's easy to do that with burned discs, as just bumping the drive while writing can make you a coaster.

If you can't make another set, IBM (warranty service) should send you a set of recovery media. In case they don't, you can likely buy one here.

tonyric · #7 Post by **tonyric** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 2:16 pm

This is why I am confused. 3 Different XP disks fail ONLY on this system with multiple DVD drives. They do work on other systems, just not this one. 2 are factory disks and one is a burned disk. But all 3 are good on other systems. BUT, only XP disks. Vista and Linux disks work just fine.

whizkid · #8 Post by **whizkid** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 3:52 pm

Once again, I was confused. Now that I know what's really going on... I'm still confused. Best of luck.

#9 Post by **ryengineer** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 4:21 pm

Perform low-level-format on your HDD.

I experienced same problem few years ago when I was building a desktop PC and performing format solved the issue.

tonyric · #10 Post by **tonyric** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 4:49 pm

whizkid wrote:Once again, I was confused. Now that I know what's really going on... I'm still confused. Best of luck.

All CD's and DVD's are good.

DVD Drive is good.

Hard disk is good.

All of this is a known.

The only issue is the T61 will not load the R&R Boot CD (Works on another laptop) or any of my XP Install CD's (work on the other laptop). Vista install DVD's work on the new T61.

All of the above is a known. What I don't understand is why I am unable to boot from ANY XP CD including the R&R cd on this laptop. I have never encountered this problem.

tonyric · #11 Post by **tonyric** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 4:50 pm

ryengineer wrote:Perform low-level-format on your HDD.

I experienced same problem few years ago when I was building a desktop PC and performing format solved the issue.

Nope, not the issue. The Hard Drive is known good with both Vista and Linux. The Hard Disk will take an XP install on my other T61. See my previous post from a minute ago.

whizkid · #12 Post by **whizkid** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:04 pm

Yeah, Ry. I'm also really confused as to how anything on the hard drive could affect booting CDs. I might try booting with no hard drive in the machine to humor you, but it's hard to imagine how that might work.

tonyric · #13 Post by **tonyric** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:10 pm

It really is the most bizarre problem I have ever seen. Everything has been verified with my older T61 and it is all good. <shrug>

tonyric · #14 Post by **tonyric** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:12 pm

Just for giggles, I fired up VMware on my older T61 in Ubuntu, created a new clean VM and put the R&R boot disk in it. Booting fine. <shrug> lol Disk is verified on yet another DVD drive.

#15 Post by **ryengineer** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:33 pm

whizkid wrote:Yeah, Ry. I'm also really confused as to how anything on the hard drive could affect booting CDs....snip

Following statement:

tonyric wrote:snip....Boot from CD and you see the black screen with the "Setup is checking your system configuration".
Black screen with HDD light on constant.
Just sits there on the black screen with the HDD light on.....snip

tonyric · #16 Post by **tonyric** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:38 pm

ryengineer wrote:
whizkid wrote:Yeah, Ry. I'm also really confused as to how anything on the hard drive could affect booting CDs....snip
Following statement:

tonyric wrote:snip....Boot from CD and you see the black screen with the "Setup is checking your system configuration".
Black screen with HDD light on constant.
Just sits there on the black screen with the HDD light on.....snip

That is correct, but if you look further down in my post

tonyric wrote:The Ubuntu install that is currently on the 160GB HDD boots fine in the laptop.

At0mAng · #17 Post by **At0mAng** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 3:48 am

I would do what was suggested earlier...a low level format. Had a strange problem like this once before and that was what resolved it.

ODD: I cannot boot from the XP Recovery CD OR MS XP CD

ODD: I cannot boot from the XP Recovery CD OR MS XP CD

Who is online