[fredttt]

Hi,

I try to install W2K Pro on a Toshiba notebook (Satellite Pro 4200) which was previously running Linux Mandrake. After having booted from the CD, delete all previous partition and formated a NTFS one and copied the OS on the Hard-drive, it rebooted but the following error message is displayed and I can't go further

Invalid Partition Table.

Any idea how I can solve that problem?


Thanks a lot for your time.

Fred.

 

[johnwill]

I'd start by getting the disk manufacturer's diagnostic and doing a "write zeros" to the entire disk. It sounds like there might have been some leftover stuff from it's previous life.

 

[fredttt]

I am afraid I don't have the manufacturer disks anymore, I was given the machine as such without any floppys or CD

 

[Javora]

Do you have a copy of Win98 floppy disk? If so you can try the following instructions. Note: Do NOT try this until you have all needed data backed up. As this process will delete everything.

Following these steps will lead to the loss of all of your data
from your hard drive. Backup any important data to other media
prior to continuing.

***BE SURE TO BACK UP ALL YOUR PERSONAL DATA BEFORE FOLLOWING
THE PROCEDURES BELOW!***
***MANUAL REINSTALLATION WILL DESTROY EVERYTHING PRESENTLY ON
YOUR HARD DRIVE! *******

Before you begin, verify that you have the Windows startup floppy
disk. If you do not have one, or would like to make a
new one, go to START | SETTINGS | CONTROL PANEL | Add/Remove
Programs | Startup Disk and with a blank disk in the drive, press
Create Disk. (This only works with Win98)

With this disk in the drive, restart the computer and choose
to start the computer with No CDROM Support. At the A:\ type
the following:

<Anything before the * will be the computer output.
Type what is after the *. >

debug [Enter]

-*F 200 L1000 0 [Enter]
-*A CS:100 [Enter]
xxxx:0100* MOV AX,301 [Enter]
xxxx:0103* MOV BX,200 [Enter]
xxxx:0106* MOV CX,1 [Enter]
xxxx:0109* MOV DX,80 [Enter]
xxxx:010C* INT 13 [Enter]
xxxx:010E* INT 20 [Enter]
xxxx:0110* [Enter] <---BLANK LINE - IMPORTANT! >
-*G [Enter]
Program terminated normally
-*(CTRL)-(ALT)-(DEL)

The computer will now restart. Now try to load Win2000. Hope this helps.

 

[Javora]

Also Fred, find the maker of the hard drive and go to their web site. There should be a program you can download that will "zero out" that hard drive.

 

[fredttt]

Gents,

I downloaded a Win98 boot disk and solved the problem with the FDISK utility.

Thanks very much indeed for your help.

Fred.