Problem loading XP on X40 laptop

[teather]

A newby here. I just inherited an X40, 2371K4U.
For some weird reason my benefactor loaded DOS. There is no CD drive. but I'm not interested in going back to my younger days and using DOS.
How in the world can I load Windows when the bootup options only allow for either the IDE HD or PCI LAN.
I do have a desktop with SATA capability. Can I simply use a SATA to IDE converter and load the drive from my desktop?
How else can I load, push or shove Windows XP into this laptop?
Help is greatly appreciated.

[ssd_thinkpad]

I was in the same position like you. First I just would check if you want to buy the ultrabase x4, maybe this will cost you 20-40 $. Of course this would be the easiest solution. Otherwise, I would put the x40 hdd into your desktop computer and load windows xp there and everything you need to make an internet connection. Then put your hdd back to your computer. The x40 uses a 1,8 inch hdd which has a 2,5 inch pata connector. Your desktop has a 3,5 inch connector. Therefore you need to use a pata 2,5 inch to 3,5 inch converter.

[sjthinkpader]

You can buy an USB CD/DVD drive and boot from it.

[teather]

Will try to get the 2.5 to 3.5 converter
As to the external CD drive suggested by sjthinkpader, will not work. Tried that but DOS does not see the USB drive and no way to get driver into this X40.

[Harryc]

DOS doesn't have to see the drive. Just put an XP install disc in the drive and boot. Make sure that the USB optical drive is first in boot order (start-up) in BIOS. Hold down the F1 key on boot to get into BIOS.

[jtt3011]

Very little chance that XP installed on the laptop HDD via a desktop will work. Wrong boot sequence, wrong drivers - it won't even start to load when transferred to the laptop. Only options really are a usb CD drive, or a PCMCIA connected CD (and that'd have to be done via DOS, with appropriate PCMCIA drivers). I had similar trouble with an X31, and fortunately had a PCMCIA CDROM which enabled me to load XP, prior to getting an Ultrabase dock.

[mikeh]

A USB CD is easiest.
If you don't have one, XP can install from a thumbdrive. Just google for how the netbook folks do it:

http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&q ... thumbdrive

[ygrig]

When I was in the same situation and did not feel like buying any additional hardware, I installed Windows XP over the net using PXE boot.

[davodavo1]

I have a related problem with my x31. It has a DVD reader in the docking station, which is IDE based. When booting a windows install disk, everything is fine.

But when I try to boot from a DVD that needs a DOS boot sequence (so that it can run Ghost, to refresh my HDD), I can't seem to get the DOS CD-ROM driver to load. The latest thing from IBM (and some down-rev versions of it) don't see the DVD drive. I even went back and bought the original CD drive that shipped with the dock, and the DOS driver (ibmtpcd.sys) can't see the drive.

Just to be thorough, I tried the same sequence on a different x31. Both machines are running the latest BIOS (v3.02, I think), both behave the same way.

Is it possible there's something wrong with my dock? It's supposed to support win95, so it supports DOS, right???