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Technical advice.... plz

  • 03-07-2003 6:03pm
    #1
    ScArY_Cheese
    Registered Users Posts: 42 ✭


    HELLO:)


    RIGHT

    im getting a new mobo(motherboard), and i want to know if this packard bell peice of crap can be modified... like can i put the p4 from this one into a new motherboard and then put it into the case??(this case is tiny though i might need a new one)

    or can i hook the h/d etc, up to the new board??

    im only asking this question because i tried to hook my "newish" 40 GB h/d up to this and it would not work said somthing about "invalid system disk" or somthing... do packard bell design their computers so that only the components that they choose for that specific system will work in it and no others???


    plz help me

    (my pc was only bought at christmass, it has a p4 2.53ghz, 512mb ddr and a gf4 ti4200 64mb.... thats not the original it came with a geforce4 mx 440)


Comments

  • #2
    Saruman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,389 ✭✭✭✭Saruman


    "Invalid system disk" means you either had a floppy in the drive during boot.. OR the hard drive you put in ended up as c: and when system tried to boot off it, there was no OS on it to boot off!! The answer is NO Packard bell, as crap as they are cant prevent one component working in their sys if its not thiers.. i mean NOTHING in that compurter was made by Packard Bell... all they did was get all the stuff, put it in a case made for them (not by them) and put a sticker on it.


  • #3
    Yrthilian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 31 ✭Yrthilian


    ok as Saruman said it is most likley you have the new drive set to master too and since it is the newer drive it will try to be the master and since there is no OS on it that is why you get the error.

    In order to fix it however you need to change the jumper setting on the drive. this is easy to do you should see on the drive a sticker and it showes the drive settings. this will show you how to change the drive to slave. once you have done that then you should be able to get your drive working in the system along with your main drive.

    Also no company can set there system to just take any one component it is iligal to do but the can however design the system to tak certan types of components. Like compaq and there RAM. you can on use 2 types of ram ina compaq the beein compaq ram and kingston ram. but they are not able to stop you putting in other drives and cards though.

    Yrth


  • #4
    tribble
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,478 ✭✭✭tribble


    Also no company can set there system to just take any one component it is iligal to do but the can however design the system to tak certan types of components.

    Illigal - not at all - Dell have been doing it for years - Try put a non-dell motherboard into a dell case, it'll fit and everything will connect but the PSU is wired diifferently so it will kill you're new board. Ob better stilll put a Dell motherb. in a new non-dell case so you can play whats that smell...

    But as for Packard Bell - they have improved over the last few years and now build quite reliable systems there have been some bloopers but they are few.
    Also they use standard gear and aren't as fussy about ram as Dell or some Compaqs's (also known for their custom "improvements")

    As was said above "invalid boot disk" error are caused by -
    1. A non-boot floppy in the floppy drive
    2. A master/slave conflict
    3. No operating system on the master disk.
    4. Busted File Allocation Table

    tribble

    tribble


  • #5
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 92,241 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    If you move a HDD to a different system and the (cylinders heads sectors) ( or LBA Large normal modes) are different then it probably won't boot...

    So if you know the setting on the original PC use them in the BIOS. If you don't know them and don't care what is on the new disk then use fdisk to wipe it power off power on into BIOS - autodetect - then fdisk and format and SYS the drive. (life is so much easier when you have win98 or DOS as a back door) the when this boots up you can install your Windows over the top....

    PS.
    compaq improvements - quirky but solid reliable PC's
    but when the likes of Elonex / AST tried it - just walk away..

    Also check the cables - are they marked HD1 HD2 etc are they older ones or are they ATA 66 or whatever...
    and jumpers - is the drive set for Master / Slave / Master with Slave / Single / Cable Select etc..

    Is the partition Active on the drive - has it been sys'd etc...

    does it make noises ending in the letter "K" ?


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