mikieears

My gateway MT3422 laptop recently crashed.

I have tried installing xp on the system (since I did not like vista)

I could not find the drivers and the wireless did not work. So I have resorted to using the Gateway Recovery Disc

I have no upgraded or modified this laptop in anyways what so ever.

I have it set so it boots from the CD drive.

First thing it does is do the "Windows is loading files" Then when thats done I get a black screen. and nothing more....


I've tested the memory, the HD. Nothing seems to make a difference. Since I can get in the bios and such I would imagine the MOBO is fine as well.

Well any help would be awesome. ty in advance

TJ Belfiore

Hi & Welcome, mikieears!

"Especially since I was able to get XP Black edition on there."

Unfortunately, Piracy isn't allowed to be negotiated on TSF. Please remove that if you're able or a mod will take care of it later, Thank you.

"First thing it does is do the "Windows is loading files" Then when thats done I get a black screen. and nothing more..."

Have you tried simply using a different disc, or perhaps trying that disc in another computer?

Can you boot into safe mode or even regular mode - if so, try installing from the disc in your explorer.

HTH

wrench97

Since you really don't like Vista do you want to try Windows 7 Beta?
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/default.aspx

TJ Belfiore

I'm installing right now - can't wait till it's done!

mikieears

Yeah, the disc was just opened. It was sealed since I got the gateway laptop. I have since formatted the HD, so theres no chance of me booting up in safe mode. I made like 4 copies of a legal vista disc I owned and none of them worked, so I figure it can't be that.

Maybe I should just go with windows 7. the only problem with that is, how will I get the drivers since gateway only has drivers for this laptop that support vista

TJ Belfiore

Most Vista drivers work in Windows 7

mikieears

Ok I'll give that a shot tonight, and I'll post how it goes. Thanks

TJ Belfiore

Okay, take your time.

No problem.

mikieears

now from everything I've been reading in the mean time, people are attributing this to a memory issue. Almost any forum I've been to says if something happens that early in an installation I should check the mem.

Can anyone verify that this is correct, cause I don't wanna just go by hear say. I can't see why that would be the issue, unless both sticks were bad...

TJ Belfiore

I really have no idea how to go about checking memory, but I'll get jcgriff2 in here (here's a memory dump expert, so he'll be able to help you right away with your problems). Glad I could help up until now.

I'll give him a quick PM.

jcgriff2

If you own a legal Vista DVD, why the need to copy it? As you have found out, the 4 copies of Vista you have do not work - this is exactly what the problem was.

If the Vista DVD you own is a full retail version, then you can use it to install Vista on any system, but you can only use the keycode on one system and it must be activated and validated within 3 days of the install.

Vista activation - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/940315
Vista validation - www.microsoft.com/genuine

An OEM (Gateway) version (Vista recovery DVD) is simply an image and will over-write all that is on your hard drive restoring your system to factory defaults - the way the system was when you 1st took it out of the box and initial boot-up.

How did you re-format the HDD? Since you attempted install w/ bad Vista DVDs and XP, the HDD must be wiped clean w/ low-level format - including the hidden boot sector.

Use KillDisk to wipe HDD; ImgBurn to burn bootable ISO CD. Also run memtest86+ using ImgBurn to burn bootable ISO CD. Run memtest86+ 2 stick at a time, alternate slots.

KillDisk - http://www.killdisk.com/downloadfree.htm
memtest86+ - http://www.memtest.org/
ImgBurn - http://www.imgburn.com/index.php?act=download

`
Personally, I like this idea the best.


Regards. . .

jcgriff2

.

mikieears

Ok I'm gonna try this tonight. I made 4 copies cause people kept telling me something must be wrong with the disc, so I figured 4 copies 1 being the original disc and all copied on different burners would cancel out the idea that the disk was bad.

I cleared the HDD by hooking it up to an external port on another laptop and just formatted it.

Maybe it wasn't enough. Than I tried to install windows 7 beta yesterday, it g\ot past the "windows is loading files" but when it said "starting windows" it just stayed there for a half hour.

So you're saying I need to REALLY format the HDD than do a memory test and use the gateway operating system installation disc. I'll give that a shot tonight when I get outta work and post the results. I'm gonna write out a step by step guide I'm gonna follow, since I've never used a mem test before. So I wanna make sure I do this correctly.

TY, I'll let you know how this goes

TJ Belfiore

"Ok I'm gonna try this tonight. I made 4 copies cause people kept telling me something must be wrong with the disc, so I figured 4 copies 1 being the original disc and all copied on different burners would cancel out the idea that the disk was bad."

Ah, interesting. Cloning a disc that's bad.. in hopes of reverting the badness! Madness!

Anyways, keep us updated.

mikieears

Well I don't think the gateway recovery disc is bad. I mean it was sealed until 2 days ago. I just can't grasp why it came with Vista on it to start with, it would run XP a million times better, but there are few drivers out there and the ones I found didn't even work.

Either way, I'm looking forward to the memory test, I've never done one. I like trying new things with technology and learning something new. I guess that's the one good thing about the situation is that I'm learning quite a lot about.....everything.

I think the killdisk makes sense though, if I've been trying all these different OS's and none are working, the HDD might be all junked up with a bunch of boot crap that is useless.

So you said you were installing Windows 7 yesterday. How did that go for you? lol it was a failure on my end.

jcgriff2

Hi -


It sounds to me that Vista nor Windows 7 is the problem here and that XP is not the solution either. An unknown hardware error exists. The black screen you mention could be PSU related, among others. I didn't realize the OEM recovery DVDs were only 2 days old -- I agree with you that they should have worked.

Run the memory test and hard drive diagnostics - if you can connect the HDD to another PC again. I know you formatted the HDD while connected to another system - did you run chkdsk /r?

In the last 24 hours, I've re-installed full retail Vista x64 on one system and Windows 7 RC on another that already had Windows 7 x86 beta on it. Killdisk run on both 1st. No problems with either on. The Win 7 x86 and a 3rd Win 7 x64 have performed flawlessly since the New Year as have all of the Vista systems here.

Regards. . .

jcgriff2

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wrench97

Actually on the laptop checking the DVD drive as well as the hard drive is a sound idea, the DVD drive may indeed be at fault here if you are having trouble installing Vista or Win 7 as XP is on a CD Vista and Win7 a DVD.

l_b_rex

Every buy anything in a selaed container or box that didn't work?
Dvds and cds are just as likely to be defective as any other product.

Is there a flashing cursor on the black screen or is it just black?