"J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote in message
...
As usual, there may appear to be a lot here, but the three big chunks are
_alternatives_.
In message , HB writes:
"J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote in message
...
[]
Inside the desktop machine, does its own hard drive also have two small
connectors, or a wide ribbon cable with about 40 wires? Or, does its
CD/DVD drive? If both of those are connected with wide ribbon cables,
read
no further, as we'll have to use the USB route (which isn't difficult).
I don't know because I never opened it. The last HP DT had the wide
ribbon
cable. Then let's use the USB route because I really don't want to start
messing around iside the DT box.
OK. Notes on USB method follow lower.
I tried using a Rescue disc my son made a
few years ago. Nothing happened. I downloaded something from the net, a
MS
repair disc and that didn't work either.
I suspect two possibilities he either you (or your son) didn't burn the
CDs in the correct way that makes them bootable, or you didn't set the
boot order in the laptop so that it booted from them.
Probably, since there was no info involved on how to burn the DVDs. I guess
the site assumed everyone who would download them would know. As for making
DVDs from the PCs - there was just the MS popup or whatever it's called
about making the DVDs or TDs. I don't know why they bother having people
make useless DVDs if they don't boot the PC involved or explain how to do
it.
Ubantu was an 8 GB download I don't have unlimited download data with
See Paul's posts; UbUntu apparently isn't that big, nor any other Linux
available at the moment; they're all under a single-layer DVD's worth (4
point something G), some under a CD's worth.
I guess the download site was wrong. I took one look at the size and left
the site. Any Idea what to Google to find the smallest one to download that
may boot the Toshiba? This is frustrating beyond belief trying to do this
sight unseen, never watcing someone do it.
Verizon. It didn't look like anything that would boot a PC in the LT's
condition. There would be no way to execute it.
If the CD/DVD is burned properly, and the BIOS in the LT set to boot from
the CD/DVD drive, then it should boot and load; it loads into RAM, and
runs from there.
[]
To access the LT HD from another computer via USB, you'll need a USB (or
eSATA, but only if all your computers have an eSATA socket) interface.
I wouldn't know what they have.
This is something you should get anyway, for future backup purposes.
(Along with, obviously, a drive big enough to hold several backup images
from your various computers. As you've discovered, System Restore is no
good if the drive dies, or if its files get corrupted sufficient that it
won't boot even as far as safe mode.) So getting it - whichever of the
three options you choose - isn't wasted money, even if we do find the LT
drive is faulty.
How would they be set to replace the image of Windows OS and your files
should the BSOD happen to the PC? I can't find any way to do it with the
external Seagate I have. I'm not technically orientated at all. Every time
I plug it into the USB drive it loads the DT will all kinds of crap I no
longer even care about and have deleted from the PC. It took a few hours to
delete the unwanted crap from the Seagate. I don't bother with it anymore.
Why it puts hundreds of things on the DT is a mystery to me.
I know nothing of eSATA, so what follows is just USB. And prices are
probably wrong (I'm in the UK, so don't know my way round ebay USA [I
assume you're in USA]), so I'm really just providing these as links so you
can look at the pictures.
There are roughly three sorts of USB interface, though presumably they
mostly have similar electronics in them. For future-proofing you'd go for
ones that have USB3, but USB2 would be fine, just slower; it's likely that
at least some if not all of your other computers won't have USB3 anyway.
(If you do pay the extra for USB3, it should _work_ with USB2 computers,
just at USB2 speed. Though 3 is tending to come as standard now anyway so
_may_ not cost more.) With all three types, when you put the drive into
them, apply power to them, and connect them to the PC you are going to
use, the drive in the interface should appear on that PC just as another
drive letter in Windows Explorer (or letters if it has more than one
partition, other than hidden partitions). [It _won't_ appear as C: - that
computer's own drive will be C.] Just like plugging in a memory stick or
card. It should also appear under the utility - either Windows' own or any
other, such as EaseUS - that sorts out partitions (where you _should_ be
able to see any hidden ones).
When the TD is plugged it is shows below C: and D: with a list of folders if
they were sent to it.
Right, the three alternatives:
The best (IMO) for general work is a dock; this is a thing that sits on
your desk, comes with its own power supply, and connects to a PC via a USB
lead; it has one or more slots on top, into which you insert the drive(s)
you want to access. This is the model I have:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/202052568442 - it does both IDE and SATA drives
(and has a card reader in it too, though I've never used it), and comes -
as you can see - with a power supply and USB lead. (And the little CD, but
I've never had to use that; it just worked as soon as I connected it up.)
It seems to be a common model. I paid something like twentysomething
pounds at a computer fair, and have seen them for 15 or 16 pounds online.
You should be able to find a US seller: I just picked that one as it has a
nice clear picture. Although one of the pictures shows 3.5" drives in it,
it takes 2.5" ones just as well. Look at all the pictures.
The next option is a "USB to SATA cable"; despite just being called a
cable, these do have electronics in them, though built into the plug, so
it's not obvious. Personally, I'd go for one like this
https://www.ebay.com/itm/172256326228 which can do IDE _and_ SATA and
comes with a power supply and all necessary cables (you want the SATA
[red] one and the power adapter one, as well as the USB "cable" itself) -
look at all the pictures; however, if you must save every dollar (I've
seen kits like the above for 5 or 6 pounds), just put "USB to SATA" into
ebay and you'll find hundreds of cables that just use USB power. If you go
for one of those, make sure it's one that has _two_ USB plugs (as the
power available from a single one may not be sufficient for the drive,
especially initial spinup).
The third option is an external housing - this sort of thing:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/112652273779 - last time I was involved in buying
one it was about 2 pounds, yes even including the little screwdriver and
the pouch! (I think ours had black rather than transparent ends.) Again,
make sure the USB cable has two plugs at the computer end.
If you already have an external drive, you may be able to temporarily take
out the drive that's in it and fit your suspect one in its place.
I have an external Seagate which appears to be sealed. I don't see how the
HD itself can be removed.
Honestly, working on these computers isn't my thing. No one can remember
all this info. My time, my funds and my download data are limited which
doesn't help. I never though it would be this time consuming to try and
get the LT going again. So involved and so complicated. I was hoping
someone here knew a site to maybe download info for a reascue disc.
Something I could burn to a CD and see if I could get to Restore or do a
Recovery.
It's not that I don't ppreciate the info and help offered here, it's that I
never knew something like this could be so complicated and time consuming.
I'm the oldest woman on primetime not baking cakes.
- Anne Robinson, RT 2015/8/15-21