Just been passed a friends netbook that had so many virus's on, Installing AVG and running a scan rendered it completely unusable. When you boot it gets as far as a flashing cursor, straight after the Bois. So probably for the best to wipe and re-install windows 7. Only problem is there is no DVD drive, or option in the bios to boot from USB. It is a Toshiba NB200-12N with bios version 1.6, which gives me the options to boot from HDD/SDD, FDD (??? non-existant floppy) and LAN. Tried with a bootable USB stick plugged in and it's no different. So what are my options? I've successfully installed XP in the past by transplanting the disk into my PC, used a specific command line to copy the files over so it would start the install from the hard disk once I put it back in the machine. Is there a way to do this with 7? Even if there is I'll need a * shaped screwdriver to even get to the disk. I presume netbook SATA connectors are the same as standard ones? (had to get an IDE adapter last time). Failing that does anyone have any experience with installing over LAN? Last time I tried it was overcomplicated and kept stopping halfway. Any advice would be appreciated.
All netbooks I have ever come across boot from usb. Even if you did open it up it would prob have a ziff conector for the drive, not sata.
External USB DVD-ROM drive? What was the problem with the USB drive? Not something silly like boot order or just not selecting it from boot menu, was it? Enabling USB in the BIOS also is often overlooked. I would try again, were it me.
The only USB options are: USB sleep and charge, Disabled, and modes 1 to 4. Legacy USB support. There is no option to boot from USB in the boot menu. Just going to check if the flash drive is actually bootable in my machine.
Flash drive boots in my machine no problem, would an external DVD have a better chance of being recognised by the bios?
Can you find out what those modes are? One of them should enable the USB to be recognised. If you can't boot to USB, then you may have the same problem with an external DVD-ROM drive. I would look into those options.
Id bet if you stuck a usb cd drive in the netbook then pressed f12 on boot it would show up in the boot menu.
Will give that a try when I get my hands on one, the flash drive doesn't show up in the USB menu, the laptop that I had to perform the disk transplant on above wouldn't let me use a portable DVD drive either.
Might be a silly question, but you're sure you've setup the USB stick correctly? In terms of file structure, etc.
Fair enough In that case, have a look at those modes you found in the BIOS. There has to be something that allows USB reading. What's the model of the laptop otherwise, I'll have a look.
It is a Toshiba NB200-12N with bios version 1.6, just checking the manual now. Apparently there is a recovery partition that you need to hold 0 to access when you power on but it doesn't seem to work for me.
OK, some quick research shows you need to flash the BIOS to at least v1.9 for USB boot options. What version are you running?
Therein lies your problem. I guess that option's out then. You could try the external DVD-ROM drive, it might still work as they do read differently, and the BIOS update doesn't mention if it might be only USB sticks.
Worth a try, will have to wait until I get hold of one. The manual points towards there being a recovery CD you can boot from, which implies bootable CD functionality but then it also says you can press 0 when you power on to access the same features which doesn't seem to work. It just hangs until I let go of 0 instead of going to the warning screen like the manual says it should. It's possible someone might have removed the recovery partition.
You might be able to get that screw out with a normal flat blade screw driver if the screw is not in tight, thought star shape ones are available cheaply enough..i think the easier solution will be to remove the drive and slot into another lappy with a dvd drive or into a pc with a spare sata port..
Do you think i'll need a ziff to sata adapter? Do you know how to copy all the files that are necessary to start the install form another computer. I found a way for XP but after doing so I could never find it again. Would this work if i transplanted it back to the netbook? and would marking the netbooks drive as active mess up my system?
