Crocodile

oh I see, thanks for that wolfeymole. Ok then, I am going on a hunt for suitable XP versions. anyway that was great info!!! have a good evening!! ;) :)

I see what you mean.:eek: I will see if I can get a xp CD and will install that one. at least I could buy a license for my own xp??? I paid for my own laptop+ software so I should be able to use my CD and get a second license from microsoft no? at least that should be possible??

oh oh Hi Wolfeymole, yep it seems ok so far but of course tells me in 30 days I need to get the license. I was looking into that but cannot get a internet connection to buy the license online. My flatmate has a vista cd which I could borrow and get a license for vista, but u said u wouldnt recommend it... :( hoped I can try out vista as I never worked with it and it seems like a good operator to have. anyway, they sell a vista CD in ebay which you can use at any computer it is just a basic verion of vista which would be enough for me. to anwer your questions: that is the info from ebay: Item Specifics - PC Laptops Brand: Tiny Condition: Used Processor Speed: 1.1 GHz Processor Type: INTEL P3 COPPERMINE Hard Drive Capacity: 30 GB Memory (RAM): 256 MB Screen Size: 14 inches Primary Drive: DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo Features: Firewire, Modem, Operating System, USB IT HAS ,1X VGA ,1X PARALLEL ,1X SERIAL, 1X PS2 , 1X MIC , 1X HEADPHONE , 2X PCMCIA ,1X FIREWIRE ,2 X USB ,1X RJ11 MODEM ,1X TV OUT , 1X IRDA AND 1X FDD 1X DVD CDRW DRIVE. I hope that helps. ( I copied the info as u can see;)) thank you!!

breakthrough I made it - the funny thing is, I changed the power cable! I had this feeling something is wrong as the battery was flat all the time. Using the other one it worked and loaded the CD. I installed xp (my own one but need another license) but I think I would like to buy a vista for that one. do you think it would be ok to just reformat again to a vista or is that not recommended given the age of the laptop? anyway thanks for all your advice, good to know that there are people out there trying to help. :)

as soon as I pressed enter to start xp - it shut down... I also tried the other way, what that lady said in another forum but it shut down too or it comes to the same black screen with the option to choose... anyway, I think this problem is worse than I thought, I am to blame and I think I just spend money for nothing... I appreciate all your help - thanks for trying :o

I am afraid, no... microsoft windows xp professional "use the up and down arrow keys..." nothing listed here, and the microsoft windows... is highlighted above. oh oh.... I found an offer for a harddrive in ebay... might need to take that one mmhh... ------------------------------------------------ there is another forum and they said to someone else with the same problem: You need to run a "repair install" of Xp, this is how we do it............ Turn your computer on, give it about 3 seconds (literally) and then keep tapping the DELETE key, if you tapped at the right time you should see a "BIOS" screen (loads of options that you and many other people cannot understand!). About the second or third option down should be "Advanced BIOS (or CMOS) Options" in here you will find the 3 "boot device" options (1st, 2nd, and 3rd). To boot from the Xp CD you must change the 1st boot device to CDROM. You must then press F10 (usually, have a look round the screen if not) to save and exit the BIOS. ******************************************** So bearing what I've just typed in mind..... You need to run a repair of Xp. Make CDROM first Boot Device in your BIOS, save and exit. Place your Xp CD in the drive and reboot (you may need to press F8 or other key during boot), once at the setup screen make like you were doing a fresh install. When you have to select a partition/drive to install to, select the one Xp is ALREADY on, and you should see an option to repair. I don't suffer from insanity, I embrace it. -------------------------------------------------------------- Funny thing is, it shuts down as soon as i put the cd into it so I dont know if the option of that lady works for me... what do u think? :rolleyes:

kept pressing F8 ok i kept pressing F8 that worked so I am trying to go to last known config. I have done that and now it gives me the following: please select the operating system to start: Microsoft windows xp professional use up and down arrow keys.... that is it actually... its says in blue letters below last know config (the option i chose)

now F8 doesnt work ok so sorry but now F8 wont work anymore it comes back to the normal black screen. I do have the "last known config" option but as soon as i do this same thing and back to blue screen. I guess this is a hopeless case.... I keep trying F8 again though :o

tried something else hi wolfeymole, I have tried it with F8 and now i have the following: Windows Advanced Options menu Please select option: safe mode safe mode with networking safe mode with command prompt enable boot logging enable VGA mode last know config.... directory services restore mode (windows domain controllers only) debugging mode start windows normally reboot (i think I have tried that and it shut down) return to OS choices menu what do you think? could I try the "enable" modes or VGA? it sounds better than before actually:rolleyes:

oh oh again funny question but, can I remove my harddrive safely? (Have never done this before...) the solution would be so good (with the recovery option) if only the CD would start...

:( that means I would need to purchase a new harddrive huh... if I buy a new harddrive that might help but I hope there is nothing wrong with the motherboard... new laptop then as well... thanks for all your help wolfeymole, muchly appreciated;)

data recovery? Hello there, I know how that feels if files are gone.. I am having another problem with mine.... cannot do anything at the moment so I have a look in the forum if I can help someone else :) the only thing I could think of is data recovery software?

oh oh hi wolfeymole, no I am afraid I cannot do this. (I cannot believe I have done this stupid cable thing...) Is there any option or command I can use within the blue screen as the CD still runs and the laptop is still on... I tried several keys but it does not react...:cool:

it runs the CD if I wait for blue screen but nothing... I just managed to find out that if I wait for the blue screen and put in the CD then, it does not switch off. Isnt that weird. but nothing happens though... :confused:

Laptop shuts down hi Wolfeymole, love the picture :) anyway, thank you so much for trying to help me, there are actually another two problem (as if the bluescreen wasnt enough) - I bought this laptop in ebay that means I only have my own xp home edition CD which is for the laptop i am just using now, so I know I cannot use this CD in the other broken one. - last but not least: it doesnt matter what I am trying, as soon as it starts loading the CD the laptop shuts down... I tried it twice, once with the CD from my flatmate for Vista (to install a new windows programm and after I can buy a license from microsoft) or my own and buy a second license. Well if it at least would start any CD.. It seems as if the power shuts down, also when I am trying to go in the save mode, it always stops at the same line (would need to look again which on) and then shuts down. Could it be that I am using the wrong power cable? but using the other one it is the same. I guess I am at the end of my latain... maybe any other ideas? it does react when I am pressing F8 immidiately after switching on, but as soon as I want to do something - same end, either it switches off or blue screen. Do I loose my laptop here? funny thing is, I just bought it and it worked perfectly fine and me idiot did the cable thing... I cannot blame the seller, anyway, there were no files on it, so I got nothing to lose apart from the money I bought it with. :confused: ohhh, what have I done...