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linux installs windows wont ?

post #1 of 10
10/9/10 at 7:57am
Thread Starter 
Hi all, i'm new to lappy's and need somme help if poss.
I have a Dell latitude D420, 1.2 centrino duo, 1 gig ram and a 60 gig hdd, its this Hdd causing me probs. It's a toshiba mk600ga which as far as i am aware has never had an op/sys on it as i bought it at ex corporate auction as never used, indeed protective covers were still on.
When i tried to install win xp/98/2000 operating systems it stops just as the message says "installing windows" then BSOD "windows has stopped to prevent damage to your computer" etc.
But i have installed linux ubuntu without problems and it works fine. I have tried many tools unsucsessfully, then i tried dban boot and nuke which showed a 3.8 gig SCSI partition ?? This was all written over (nearly 4 hours) and i tried windows again, same result, then again installed ubuntu no probs. NE1 got any similar experiences with this type of problem ?
Many thanks if you can help
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post #2 of 10
10/9/10 at 10:25am
Are you having issues during the installation-copying files from CD/DVD to disk or after Windows restart?

cheers ...
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post #3 of 10
10/9/10 at 12:43pm
Thread Starter 
Hi, ghn, the problem is on installation, i have jst found out that because no op system has been installed i am missing drivers, but i cant install them unless i am running windows, this i found out after visiting dell site. so i cant install windows due to drivers missing but i cant install those drivers unless i run windows, what kind of a STUPID system do dell run. It all works fine with linux and i can go to the dell site, but cant install the drivers. Think i'll probably stick with ubuntu
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post #4 of 10
10/9/10 at 6:20pm
I wonder if there is a possibility that the Windows installation disk is somehow corrupted. Try with another disk?

cheers ...
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post #5 of 10
10/9/10 at 10:31pm
Nutty,

Look into VirtualBox for Linux. It has the capability of virtualizing ANY type of OS inside of your currently running one. And, as long as you have Virtualization support enabled in your BIOS, you will be able to run 64Bit Operating Systems under VirtualBox, otherwise, 32Bit OSes will run just fine.
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post #6 of 10
10/10/10 at 2:32am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for your time guys, i find it hard to believe that my 98, 2000 and xp installation discs are all corrupted ghn, but i did try a friends xp disc just to make sure, same result. Nice one striker i am going to look into that as soon as the Jap grand prix finishes, Why else would i be up at 6 am. Will update when i have result.
Many thanks,
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post #7 of 10
10/10/10 at 6:40am
Thread Starter 
Thanks striker, I have read the bumf on virtual box but there is one thing i cant find. If i run xp as a guest on linux can i then install the dell drivers for xp, leave them on the machine, remove linux and then be able to install xp as normal, 'cos i only got a gig of ram (provided i get the correct drivers)
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post #8 of 10
10/10/10 at 7:27am
Yeah, dells c**p driver download headache of a program... It works if you can install windows and have the LAN driver working (not wifi) and hard wire it to the router.. Do this on dells all the time... If you got the hard drive from a corporate auction it may have been in a batch set up by Toshiba for the corporate IT user... Don't install Ubuntu to it, but run it as a live CD.. Once you are at t5he desktop, run Gparted and see what it shows up.. Delete all the visible partitions and try the windows install again... Mainly Sony drives put a GPT based partition at the front of their drives for recovery and that causes a similar thing... Also make sure your RAM is seated OK, Linux has a workround written into the kernel to bypass faulty blocks in RAM, windows doesn't.....

Side note.. If you can virtualize XP in Ubuntu, set up a shared folder and download all the drivers into that, then burn to a CD....
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post #9 of 10
10/10/10 at 7:35am
Maybe just get another hard drive and be done with it Mr T is correct in these corporate drives with their special set up and lock-out.

cheers ...
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post #10 of 10
10/17/10 at 11:41am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for help all, i have solved the problem.....I sold it as was to a bloke who only wanted to use internet, which is fine under linux. So he got a bargain, i learned an important lesson, (DONT ever buy a dell machine of any description), and the leccy bill can get paid
Cheers
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