Dell Latitude Cpx Laptop - Help Needed

[SexyGurl 0]

I have a second hand DELL LATITUDE CPx Laptop.

Some time back the hard disk crashed and the Laptop is uanble to boot.

My attempts to reload the operating system have failed.

The reason is that the laptop does not recognize the CD drive inserted into the slot of the machine (The inbuilt slot for CD drive, under the keypad). I know, this is hardware failure, and I am in deep trouble.

The laptop continues to prompt: "Diskette in Drive 0 Seek Failure".

I can use F2 to get into set up and choose from CD, Diskette, HDD or some other options to boot .... even when CD Drive is chosen, the CD is not recognized (It is possible the connection of the drive and the CD slot is not good).

BUT, when I connect my CD Drive to the laptop using the 25-pin connector wire (plug-in) .. the laptop does recognize the CD (the CD spins).

Unfortunately, even though recognizing the CD, the laptop does not boot from this externally attached CD.

My hope is that some configuration in the Dell laptop (possibly using some Dell CDs), would enable the laptop to boot using the externally attached CD Drive.

Is there a way out .. or have I lost the system for ever? What could I make the laptop to boot from the external CD?

[anujit 0]

Is your floppy drive working?

Then you can make a Win98 boot disk and start up from there.....

Although I suspect you problems are far beyond this!

[ashoksoft 83]

Does ur lappy have a floppy drive ?

if yes u can make it bootable using a bootimage (contact me if u want any of them / or u could find them from http://www.bootdisk.com )

When u connect thro the 25pin connector u say that the CDROM is detected, u mean u are connecting it to the Serial port naa? well then I do not think there will be native boot support. U will need to boot thro some other native boot media, and then use the drivers to read from the CDROM.

Another option is ... if u have boot from network and have a network card (ehternet card) u could try to boot from the network. If u want the procedure to do this ... just PM me back, or if need be .. I will make a post right here .

If ur lappy supports boot from USB Drive, then use a bootable image on ur flash card.

(BTW, if u are in Mumbai / near by... u could drop by ... and we could do something about it !)

Cheers

Ashok

[SexyGurl 0]

Floppy disk is not working (I mean not working from the native boot media). -- as expected, the floppy disk is also recognized from the serial port (using the 25 pin connector). I have tried a bootable floppy at that serial port. No use.

The laptop has a an ethernet card (I bought this laptop from my company) .. but have lost the connector which connected the ethernet card to the RJ-45 (The regular ethernet cable fit into that small connector). So, that option is also gone. (Though, I still wonder, how with Ethernet work, even if I had the connector ... because the ethernet is also not a listed native boot media). There are no ethernet drivers right now on the laptop.

USB option is surely giving me some hope. To the best of my memory, I recall that USB was listed as a native boot media (in the setup). The problem with that is I don't have a flash card (or any media, which I could plug into the USB). Hope some reasonably sophisticated computer repair shop may be able to help me there.

If the USB works out ... my next prob. would be how to get the External CD driver and load it into the laptop (using flash) ... I am a real sick guy, didn't bother to collect the Dell CDs, when buying the laptop. I have to hope, some one has the CDs for Dell latitude CPx.

Alas, I'm in Delhi ! .... a series of bad things happening.

F*k, why don't they make the serial port a native boot media?

Anyway, thanks for the knowledge update ... (and if you have any further comments, I'm really thankful).

I plans to speak to the Dell engineer to sometimes come to office. Let's see, if he could be of any help. Helpdesk engineers have been no help thus far.

[SexyGurl 0]

btw.. since you enlightened me with the concept of Native Boot Media .... I recall there were 7 or 8 such media options. I could post all those options here tomorrow ( or if possible by evening today).

But getting the driver of the serial port into the laptop, is what's really troubling me right now.

[anujit 0]

I think theres something wrong with your ROM or your motherboard (sorry dude)! :'(

[SexyGurl 0]

ohhhh !

anyway i better condition my expectations to the possibility of losing the system.

but still, what clue tells you that the motherboard has a problem?

(or ROM) -- The setup functionality seems to work fine (I guess that would be part of the ROM)

[deepu 0]

There is another option.

If your USB HDD is ok, you can get a HDD case of Laptop HDDs and using that you can connect the laptop HDD to a regular PC through USB.

Then make it bootable atleast to win98, copy all the setup files needed to the HDD and connect it back to your Laptop.

Boot as usual... simple... But need the HDD case for laptop HDDs

[ashoksoft 83]

well u wanted to know how to enable the external CDROM from a flash drive boot ?

Do this .... Make the USB drive bootable by formatting the drive with the option "Make bootable" enabled. Once done ... then copy the CDROM Drivers for external Drives on Serial port (I used to use the one from http://www.micro-solutions.com/downloads/index.asp )

U might need to add a few more files to the boot media to actually help u out.... first of all U might need to repartition ur hdd ... so (DO THIS FROM A WIN 98 / 98SE Machine) copy fdisk.exe to the flash drive, u might also need to get spinrite to check if ur disk is in shape ... just PM me ... I will send it accross!

once u boot from the USB Drive, then install the dos based install that u have downloaded from the given link. Next fdisk / format ur HDD. Since u claim that u had a crash earlier... and u are not quite sure about the state of the HDD ... I would suggest a slow format.

Once done the CD ROM Should be accessible as a new drive.

Insert ur windows CD there and begin the install!

and hey the method Deepu said is fairly easy ....

Cheers

Ashok

[RajanPERT 0]

@Bhutes! Ashok's idea and thinking is helpful for u!

@Anujit! as i think there is no chance of Motherboard failure if he can access the setup information. It may be some minor defect possible, but only if the harddisk is crashed due to electricity failure.

Hope, your problem will solved properly by the help of Ashok instructions.

Hey Bhutes! Waiting for your response about Delhi Rimweb Meet! Please check your Control Panel!

[ashoksoft 83]

Bhutes bhai ... after u try what I told u ... please ensure that u post, what u did... and how u went about it.

If u have more queries (and if RIM2RIM std is free ... if u have a FWT / P u can call me anytime .. for further assistance)

Cheers

Ashok

[RajanPERT 0]

Vey thanks to u Ashok for this type of support.

I Like your effort.

Thanks and Take Care!

[SexyGurl 0]

just got online now.... the funny thing is my regular company laptop also crashed (bad sectors in harddisk .... but offcourse that is being repaired by company folks).

Coming to my the problem with my owned laptop:

Knowing the importance of native boot media (which ashok told me) .. i'm first betting on getting the operating system up (from the CD), using one of them (preferably the native in built CD drive itself).

I inserted the CD drive into the native slot ... it tries to boot .... DOES NOT GIVE "diskette in drive 0 seek failure" (I have set the CD-drive as top boot option). The laptop does recognize that I have inserted the CD-drive in the native slot.

It waits for some time (the CD does not spin) .. and then gives a DELL message (I think this message comes from ROM) ... "Try re-inserting the CD-drive .... and restart"

The dell engineer will come to fix my official company laptop (to replace the hard disk) ... then I plan to ask him, what can be done with my old system.

I wish somehow, the laptop gets to pick the CD from the original CD drive itself ... saves me a lot of more complicated problems (USB / moving hard disks etc.).

I follow the other approaches subsequently.

(I'll not be online frequently today ... just typing this message fromn a sloppy PC -- which I believe was built in 1950's) .. i know your good question, how did it get the IE and windows on it !

[ashoksoft 83]

LOL !!!!! A PC from the zamaana of Mughal-e-azam I guess... are u using Windows NT (Neanderthal Technology?)

well coming to the main point ... try out the various options mentioned... and tell us what the outcome was..

Cheers

Ashok

[RajanPERT 0]

@Ashok u r ringht! But Saleem have laptop>>>>>>>>.........

HA HA HA HA HA.

Thanks and Take Care!

[SexyGurl 0]

My beloved laptop left for it's heavenly abode, earlier today, at about 3:46 pm (IST).

It spent it last days in the ICU (under supervision of a DeLL engineer), where it demised of Mother-board failure today.

I'll be performing the Last Rites tonight at my home.

Sympathizers may post condolence messages here. My heart goes out to my poor friend of last 4 1/2 years and to the ton of money, I spent on it.

[ashoksoft 83]

May its soul rest in peace - AMEN!!!!

Btw ... u could send its parts over for a decent cremation!!

Cheers

Ashok

[SexyGurl 0]

yeah.. i wonder how much it's undergarments will sell for !

I believe the microprocessor works fine ... but will anyone buy it?

Motherboard's gone .... with the motherboard not recognizing the hard disk, dell engineer could not determine, if hard disk was ok or not ... but suspects that the hard disk would also be bad.

Apart from them, I have the CD Drive, Floppy drive, 25 pin serial port connector, the adaptor and power cable for the laptop, the battery (but it's in really bad shape ... discharges in minutes, without power on).

Do the laptop screens sell (... what rate: 5 rupees a kg? )

I was planning to use it as a service tray costliest service tray

[ashoksoft 83]

yeah ... and I offer u 10 rupees for the screen ... interested in the floppy drive (if it is external), and HDD

Cheers

Ashok

PS: Give it some dignity mate .. u are selling a dead things undergarments!