Operating System not found?

[cookie]

Hello, I just got a compley wiped out hard drive, it has nothing on it. I put it in my IBM ThinkPad T40, and I want to install Windows XP. I put the disk in, and restart the laptop. The IBM screen comes up, then the screen goes black with a blinking _ then it says No Operating System Found. Why does it do that, and how can I install windows xp?

[RealBlackStuff]

Press F12 immediately at bootup. This gives you a menu with options to start booting from various items.
Select the CD/DVD drive to boot from your Windows CD.

[cookie]

I tried pushing F12 already,and I go to boot from cd, it still says Operating System Not Found.

[Harryc]

Go into BIOS (hold F1 on boot) and into the start-up section. Make the CDROM drive 1st in boot order. F10 to save and exit, reboot. If you still get the same error your XP disc is bad or your CDROM drive is shot.

[cookie]

Which one of these are the CDROM?

Boot priority order:
1: ATAPI CD0:HL-DT-STDVD-ROM GDR8083N
2: USB CD
3:Legacy Floppy Drives
4: -USB CD
5: USB FDD
6: IDE HDD1
7: IDE HDD2
8: IDE HDD0: FUJITSU MHT2040AH-(PM)
Excluded from boot order:
PCI LAN: IBA 4.1.07 SLOT 0240
ATAPT CD1


Thats what it is set at now. What do I need to change?

[Harryc]

1: ATAPI CD0:HL-DT-STDVD-ROM GDR8083N

[cookie]

Yup, thats what I have first, the CDROM, and it still says Operating system Not Found. But the Windows XP CD is fine, I tested it. I have also watched movies on the CDROM, and installed software on the old hard drive I had on it.

[Harryc]

Try another bootable DVD or CD in it.

[cookie]

I also tried ubuntu 10.04 install disk, still nothing. It is burned on a CD-R disk, is this bootable?

[Harryc]

It should be if it's burned correctly. Don't know what to tell you on this one other than to try different media. Buy the best CD or DVD disc you can find and try that ...like a Ritek or Taiyo Yuden (T.Y.) brand. Other than that, try a new drive. I suppose it is possible that it plays Ok but does not boot. You could also see if there is a firmware upgrade available for that drive...but it might take a bootable CD (or possible diskettes) to do it . Do you have a diskette drive?

[cookie]

What is a diskette drive?

[goofyGAguy]

What is a diskette drive?

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... TATHQ.html

[cookie]

Nope, no diskette drive.

[Harryc]

@ goofyGAguy, that's an Ultrabay 2000 diskette drive, won't work in a T4X machine. I was thinking more along the lines of this -
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... KWRG4.html

@ cookie, it seems like you are at a decision point here...try new media, a new drive, or get a diskette drive and try to flash firmware. The bad news about firmware is that you could already be running the latest version, but you can' tell until you run the flash routine. So, even if you bought a diskette drive it might be a waste for this particular task. although I keep one for situations like this anyway.

[cookie]

Is there a way to install Windows XP with out a CD or Floppy?

[Harryc]

Try this, remove the new hard drive and boot with the XP disc in the CDROM drive. Does it now boot?

[cookie]

Nope, still Operating System not found

[Harryc]

Well, I believe there is a way to install XP from a flash/thumb drive, but that is not something I've tried, so either Google it or wait for a reply here. (Might be awhile if you wait). Some of the X series guys are probably good at this stuff because there are no optical drives in most of their systems. You might want to try posting in the X6X or the Windows forum.

[Neil]

...the Windows XP CD is fine, I tested it.

Just curious. How did you test the CD? And I'm wondering whether it is a Microsoft CD, a CD-R or a CD-RW.

[cookie]

Just curious. How did you test the CD? And I'm wondering whether it is a Microsoft CD, a CD-R or a CD-RW.

We used it to install Windows XP on another computer, and it worked fine. It is a CD-R. Will installing Windows XP from USB work?

[GomJabbar]

Is this a copy of the Windows Install CD or the original from Microsoft? Some CD readers are fussy about burnt CD's, but not so much with pressed commercial CD's.

[cookie]

It is a copy of Windows install disk.

[GomJabbar]

It is a copy of Windows install disk.

I've seen that problem before. Happened to me. Try to make another copy on a different brand of media or better yet, get the original Microsoft CD.

[cookie]

For Windows XP I used Imation.


For ubuntu 10.04 I used Maxell. They are both CD-R, and it won't boot ether one. Can you name some good brands?

[Harryc]

For Windows XP I used Imation.


For ubuntu 10.04 I used Maxell. They are both CD-R, and it won't boot ether one. Can you name some good brands?

I already did .

[cookie]

Ok, I'm going to try some different brands, and see what happens.

[Neil]

Sometimes it helps to use a slow burn speed also. But not always. I've done some at 52X that work fine, and other times as slow as 4X burns still won't boot in some drives. But those drives all work with factory pressed CDs. There is a huge difference.

[cookie]

Well, I have tried everything. Do I need a new Hard drive? I don't understand, this is a new hard drive, and it won't install Windows XP. I might try to get a brand new cd, from the store. I just don't want to spend $100 on the cd, and then can't install it.

[GomJabbar]

A new hard drive is not going to fix your problem. If you have any bootable commercial CD available, give them it a try. If you have an external CD/DVD reader available, try to boot from that. If none of the above works, you might have a problem with the IDE controller on the motherboard.

[cookie]

Ok, I'm looking at buying Windows Vista brand new off ebay, lower price then at the store, and its still brand new, so I will see how it goes.