Toshiba Laptop hard drive question

The link shown below has the following wonderful advice, applicable to Satellite 5105-S501 and a lot of other 5105/5205 models:

"These models are considered 'legacy-free', and offer only a Windows-based BIOS setting utility. From the Windows Control Panel, launch the Toshiba HWSetup program. HWSetup provides a user-friendly graphical frontend for modifying BIOS settings. ... HWSetup comes preinstalled on your Toshiba portable PC ... "

So, all you have to do is start Windows Control Panel and launch HWSetup and the user-friendly graphical frontend should appear!! Another entry on that page says 'power up and keep f1 pressed. it will say "key error press del to setup"'. I imagine that's just another way to start the so-called preinstalled HWSetup program.

I'd expect a linux live cd to see the new drive ok, and on small machines linux performs better than MS-Windows does (well, linux often performs better on big machines too) so that's what I'd try.

Quite likely your 40 gig hard drive is a dud. Try it on some working machine before you proceed.

In many computers it is pressing the "F2" key soon after power on (the best way is to keep tapping the "F2" key) to get into the hardware set up screen before Windows starts to boot.

Or download the user guide from Toshiba website and figure it out: =20

James Waldby fired this volley in news:k1toea$qua$2 @dont-email.me:

Of course, JW, he can't boot Winblows, so he can't get to the bios utility.

He may have a bad HD controller. That would mimic a bad HD, and lead to the junking of the computer. If it's bad, there's nothing for it but to replace the mobo.

IF the disk controller is OK, he could create an Ultimate Boot CD from his Toshiba distribution disks, and be able to do it just fine.

I use the UBCD for solving all sorts of "primitive hardware" problems.

LLoyd

Try the OLD hard-drive on another machine. You can connect it to desktop PC with adapter. If it works ok, then the drive controller on the laptop has failed.

If the laptop works, you might need recovery disks for it from Toshiba to setup the new harddisk..

Download "Hiren's Boot CD"

Make the .ISO bootable using a DVD/CD burning software, IMGburn is free and good. There are a slew of disk utilities to use once booted in Hiren's, hopefully the drive will show up and you can repair it.

If it still does not show up, move it to another PC and verify it works. You will need an adaptor to install it in a tower. USB or 2.5" -> 3.5" SATA/IDE adaptors are available.

If it shows up in another computer, something is amiss in the BIOS. You'll have to access it somehow. I would just look for an option to 'reset to defaults' and try again. Worse case, you have a bad SATA/IDE controller and will have to use external drives to work with (or get a new MOBO). Also, look on Toshiba's website for the newest BIOS upgrade and flash it if you can.

Mine looks like this:

added a 3.5" to 2.5" adapter board for its pigtail laptop drive power connector, for drives that take over 500mA.

In XP Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Disk Management you have to Initialize (rt-click) the bare drive before you can partition and format it.

This is more powerful, but XP's built-in controls are enough to set up a blank wiped hard drive:

I usually partition 100MB FAT32 for DOS and diagnostics, 15 - 25GB for XP or 7 and the rest for user data, which then isn't lost when I reload the operating system from a backup.

jsw

In WinXP find %SystemRoot%\system32\compmgmt.msc /s and run it.

Storage Disk Management

Find your drive, partition it, format it. Then it will appear in File Mangler.

If you can't make it though that process, the new drive is likely toast.

Or there was a REASON he was given the laptop.

I have had spotty results with the basic Satelite laptops. The A100 units were total junk, and the A300 units appear to be gaining the same reputation. Not familiar with the unit in question. The Satelite Pro units seam to be pretty solid.

I've got one of those. I hooked it up backwards one day and fed 5V from the power supply to a USB port, blew the port! The lappy was still under warrantee, so I got a new MOBO when they returned it. I just played stupid, "I don't know what happened!".

Haven't played with a Toshiba in a while. Last time I did, there was a program called tsetup.exe that ran from a dos boot floppy to setup the bios. You need the version that works with your system and to get it onto a boot CD or maybe use a usb floppy drive. surprised it doesn't outline the bios procedure in the manual.

If your new drive isn't initialized, it won't be seen anyway. I'd stick it onto a usb/adapter and initialize/partition/format it.

Thanks guys. Pretty much what I found out on my own

Im gonna put this thing on the self for a while until I get some free time to spend on it.

All of your posts have been printed out and are now taped to the top of the laptop in readiness for when I have the time. Winter is coming and some rainy night Ill putter with it.

I may wind up having to put Linux or something on a USP flash drive and running it from that. Shrug...lot lots of computers around here, but a free laptop..couldnt pass it up. If its toast...Ill make a lamp holder or something out of it.

Oddly enough..my old..very old Compaq Amada 1700 is still...still percolating just fine. A Win95 machine, rides in the truck each and every day and has for about 15 yrs now. Batteries are dead, but boots up fine on AC and its really all I need to talk to CNC controls And I have a spare one sitting on the shelf, all wrapped up neatly. I power it up once a year..and it too works fine each and every time.

Much obliged!!!

Gunner

-- The essential differences between liberals and conservtives is that liberals could not exist without conservtives to defend their freedom and support them economicaly.

Conservatives on the other hand, can exist and live quite well without liberals."