Boot via Lan

[Ricardo Eloy]

Hello, everyone!

I have this problem with my laptop (a HP Pavilion dv1000) and I can't figure out what to do. I had to format it and everything was normal until I tried to re-install Windows XP. I boot from the CD (actually a DVD-writer) and start everything as it should be, until setup reaches a certain point where it starts to say it simply can't copy a file. I tell it to retry but it keeps saying it can't do it. The only choice I have then is to skip that file. Problem #1: it says the same thing for like 10 or 20 files. Sometimes, different files, but everytime I install I get the same problem.

Anyway, a friend told me this could be a problem with my DVD drive. Since my laptop does not come with a floppy disk drive nor allows me to boot from a USB port, my question is: how do I make it boot from my LAN? It gives me the option, but when I do it it says it can't find anything and asks me to restart the computer. What do I have to do to actually make it boot via LAN and, after that, install WinXP using another machine?

Thanks for any info!

[AJLynn]

Net boot is generally for large companies that want to do a standardized unattended install on a lot of PCs - the setup takes work, the payoff is in using it more than once. You might need a Windows 2003 server and some additional setup. I've never tried this in Windows, only Linux. This might help: http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsServer/en/Library/17926e97-8038-4a20-beb0-f50298fd107c1033.mspx

 

But you're probably better off (in financial and sanity terms) with an out-of-warranty HP repair.

[Ricardo Eloy]

Hehe... Which means spending a few bucks to have some guy doing it... Just wish there was a better way to do it... Maybe creating a boot CD and then adding the network adapter to make the rest of the installation?

[AJLynn]

I'm just doing cost/benefit here - is it better to use $300 or your or your staff's time, or pay somebody $200 (and have the working drive to boot)? Or, I don't know the DV1000, but is the drive user-replaceable? Because you can get it on Ebay for maybe $100.

 

But, one question - are you sure it's the drive? Did you try it with a different CD? This sounds counterintuitive, but sometimes you can fix these problems by using another computer to copy the CD nd using the copy to install.

[Ricardo Eloy]

Done that...with 3 different copies (all original ones). Same problem. Isn't there a way to create a boot cd with, let's say, autoexec and config, just enough for me to have access to command line and then make it part of my network? I could use another computer's cd drive, I guess.

[AJLynn]

That's a definite maybe. But I've never seen it.

[mtutaj]

Rick,

 

how did you format? I had a problem with w2k like you are having quite some time ago. I had to do a format in dos. and had to use this link I believe to create a boot cd/ for dos.

 

http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;1701252989;fp;1024;fpid;

 

http://www.nu2.nu/bootcd/

 

takes a little reading to understand how to set it up. I know that I burned a few cd's before I actually got it working right.

 

MIke

[Ricardo Eloy]

Nice, Mike! Gonna try those probably today. Thanks!