Thinkpads Forum

I need help diagnosing hardware problems. It had windows me loaded when I bought it off ebay a couple of years ago it sat unused for a while and now when I boot the computer it says (operating system not found). Is there a way to diognose the hard drive and cd rom? The cd rom never worked is it possable its not a hardware problem?
I have no cd for windows me so if anyone has any suggestions for a cheap or free os to load that might run good on a 390?
I am looking for the cheapest way to get the computer running again any advice would be much appreciated. Tom

There is a program called DFSee. There are bootable versions for different os's; I think there was one for Windows. I think the url is http://www.dfsee.com or one can do a Google.

I checked out that site but I can't figure out how to use the software without a cd drive there was one download on the site for floppy but when I booted the computer I got a black screen and a message (remove all disks and other media)?
Is there a diognostic utility to tell if my hardware is ok that will boot from a floppy with out a os installed on the computer?
I tried google but I am at a dead end.

I don't know if this will work, but a while back, I downloaded a file off IBM's site that creates a self-booting diagnostic diskette... Here's a portion of the readme file...

"IBM(R) Enhanced Diagnostics program - bootable diskette
Version 2.0.1360
T3GT9FA with FDAT 1.2.12
Installation README

This package creates a self-starting, DOS diagnostic utility you can use to detect failing hardware components."

I got this file for my IBM desktops (and haven't used it), so I don't know if it will work on a Thinkpad... but maybe...?? Try searching IBM's site for the filename "t3gt9fa.exe" and see what you find (maybe you'll find something specifically for your Thinkpad??). If you get stuck, I can e-mail you the file... it's only 1.38 Megs.

I tried it but I got that same message (remove all disks and other media)when I booted from the disk I made.

Won't boot from a bootable floppy? That's a bad sign...

About all I can think of is to boot into the BIOS set-up screen (I don't think you need any bootable drives to do this). Press and hold F1 key while powering-up your machine. (Be sure you're holding down the F1 key before you turn the power on.) You'll get some simple icon-type menus which you can use to diagnose hardware problems. Hopefully you'll find something wrong that can be fixed. Make sure the floppy is listed as the first boot device (change the existing boot sequence if needed).

My 390E (also an eBay buy) was kind of uncooperative when I first got it - probably (I now think) due to impacts it received in the mail (seller padded it with a single newspaper wrapped around unit!) I was able to make a win98 bootdisk with a utility I got off the net (just google "windows 98 boot disk") and then I just ran SCANDISK from the a: prompt this way I was able to check the HDD for physical damage.

As the previous poster said if it wont boot the floppy then you've probably got more serious problems - check the bios and make sure the floppy?hard drive are being detected - if their not it may help to remove and re-insert them (obviously with the power off!) you could also try cleaning the contacts on both devices (I use isopropyl alcohol and a Q-tip to do this and have done for years without harmful side effects - others may well disagree with this method!)

I ran scandisk and the drive checked out ok. I think I might be copying the image to floppy wrong (right click>send to drive A?). The downloads I got from ibm site if I click on it a dos sceen comes up?
I am going to do some reading and see if I can recover the os.
Let me know if you guys have any more ideas or if trying to recover the os is a lost cause. Thanks

Honestly, I'd write off the old OS, ME sucks anyway (IMHO ). If you're getting a DOS prompt (presumably a:\) and the drive scans ok the you should just format the HDD (just enter "format c:" at the a:\ prompt) and beg, borrow or steal a copy of Windows 98SE from somewhere, then you will be able to indulge in the fun process of tracking down all the necessary drivers for your machine - some things will be plug-and-pray but your video and audio devices will most probably require downloads from IBM - fortunately their support of older hardware is very good.

If you have any problems getting these drivers let me know - I probably still have them somewhere from the re-install I did on my 390E.

Good Luck!

Just read your original posting again, sorry - my last post may not have been entirely helpful. If you want a cheap/free OS try a Linux OS, these are open source and some will install from floppy - just google Linux to get about a gazillion links! If the CD isn't specified as a boot device in your bios (hit F1 on power-up) then try making it the primary boot device and see if you get any action - if not it may be a goner - I just picked one up on eBay for $5 so getting a replacement should be no problem (you could even get a CD-RW/DVD combo for about $75-$80 and use your 390 as a movie player!.

however this works out I'd be interested to know what you do - so keep posting!

I used to own a 380XD, and it was "fussy" about "burned" CD copies. Be careful you don't introduce problems of this nature and wrongly concluded that the computer, or the drive, is bad. Mine worked flawlessly with "factory" CD's, but would sometimes not read a burned copy.

455olds wrote: when I boot the computer it says (operating system not found).

455olds wrote:...I got that same message (remove all disks and other media)when I booted from the disk I made.

455olds wrote:I ran scandisk and the drive checked out ok.

I'm a bit confused here... The first two quotes imply that the machine won't boot--from a floppy or the hard drive. Yet, if you can run scandisk, then your machine is running an operating system... so it IS able to boot...???

leoblob wrote:

455olds wrote: when I boot the computer it says (operating system not found).

455olds wrote:...I got that same message (remove all disks and other media)when I booted from the disk I made.

455olds wrote:I ran scandisk and the drive checked out ok.

I'm a bit confused here... The first two quotes imply that the machine won't boot--from a floppy or the hard drive. Yet, if you can run scandisk, then your machine is running an operating system... so it IS able to boot...???

I get the (operating system not found message) if I boot from the hard drive with no disc in the floppy drive.
The (remove all disks and other media) message I get when I boot from floppy with a disk I attemted to make but probably made wrong.
I ran scandisk from a windows me floppy disk I made.
I don't think I am making the floppy disks right with the downloads I am getting from ibm.

I am going to see If I can get a copy of windows 98 (and try to get the cd rom to work) if I don't have luck with that I am going to see about linux and witch version I should use. I will keep you guys posted.

OK, now I understand. That Windows ME diskette is a boot disk. That's why you can run scandisk from it. I think this is a good sign, that your Thinkpad recognizes your floppy and can boot from it.

I recommend WIN98SE and you can probably buy a CD from E-bay. Windows ME does not appear to have the best reputation.

((I see from your screen name and from Roadrunner's that you guys like good old US muscle. Me too. I have an LT1 Trans Am.))

leoblob wrote:OK, now I understand. That Windows ME diskette is a boot disk. That's why you can run scandisk from it. I think this is a good sign, that your Thinkpad recognizes your floppy and can boot from it.

I recommend WIN98SE and you can probably buy a CD from E-bay. Windows ME does not appear to have the best reputation.

((I see from your screen name and from Roadrunner's that you guys like good old US muscle. Me too. I have an LT1 Trans Am.))

Right now I am tring to load basiclinux 3.3 from floppy. The only problem is I can't figure out how to copy a raw image to floppy. lol
I have to use a dos prompt to copy the image to drive a? The promps that are in the instructions won't work. I am going to do some more searching an see if iI can figure this out.....what year is your TA?

You don't "copy" an image to a disk, either an ISO to a CD, or some type of floppy image to a floppy. You must use either the program that the image was designed to be used by, or in many cases, you "run" the file that "is" the image and it self extracts.

Were there no instructions where you downloaded the file?

Are you trying to use Rawrite?

440roadrunner wrote:You don't "copy" an image to a disk, either an ISO to a CD, or some type of floppy image to a floppy. You must use either the program that the image was designed to be used by, or in many cases, you "run" the file that "is" the image and it self extracts.

Were there no instructions where you downloaded the file?

Are you trying to use Rawrite?

I figured out how to make the floppy after a while.
I could use more help I am stuck again.
I tried to load Mepis starting with the three floppy disks to see if I could get the cd rom to work but no luck. I rebooted the computer and windows me was back.
As soon as the computer boots There is an error message (explorer has caused a error inwdmimfp.dll) or (grpconv has caused a error inwdmimfp.dll) If I close the error messages thay come right back and the computer won't shutdown.
Is there anything that I can try to save the os. So far I have tried adware se and google searching but no luck yet.

Just for troubleshooting, there should be a simpler way than confusing the issue with Linux.

First, again, some CDROMS are fussy and sometimes won't read home burned CD's, so you need to scare up a factory CD--it doesn't matter too much what, mayb '98, 95, ME, even XP, just so you can "read" it and do a "DIR" and see if the cdrom works.

Have you been, say, to bootdisk.com and downloaded a '98SE bootdisk? This will allow you to access your hard drive, as well as do a basic test of your CDROM

Download and make the bootfloppy

Boot to it.

Note the boot screens and see if it appears to "find" the CD.

Put a CD in the drive, change to the CDROM (watch the letter, it might be D, E, R, X, etc. the boot screen may telll you that)

See if you can read a KNOWN GOOD CD in the drive--should list the files

Ditto on the C: drive--see if a DIR returns a list of files.

You MAY be able to do a "repair" install of ME right from the hard drive--IF the install files are there. I don't know for sure where an OEM version of the ME files are, but normally C:\somewhere\Install. You might have to look around for .cab files

DO you know how to change directories (CD) and so on in DOS?

IF you have the product key, and IF you find the cab files, you could do an "over the top" install from the hdd.

Thanks for the info roadrunner I am going to try to reinstall me from the hard drive like you said. I will let you know how I make out.

The thinkpad 390 is running good now. I thought I would test it out and thank every one for the help (posting from it right now).
I got rid of the error message on windows me by using regcleaner and a lot of searching (40+hrs). I found a cd rom on ebay for $6.00. I bought windows 98 too but I don't think I will have to use it now.
This 390 is my first computer I bought it in 2004. Thats probably why it was so messed up.

Good to hear you got it working, now you can risk breaking it again by upgrading the processor- lol

mechagouki wrote:Good to hear you got it working, now you can risk breaking it again by upgrading the processor- lol

Well I put the new cd rom in and as soon as I booted the display was broke. On the bright side the cd rom works good and I found a display for $10.00 plus shipping. I can't complain about that price.