Blank Hard Drive

ID:193353
 
Jan 29 2002, 3:44 pm
What could I do with a blank hard drive? My old cpu has a blank hard drive, which got erased by a virus.
Jan 29 2002, 3:52 pm
Sariat wrote:
What could I do with a blank hard drive? My old cpu has a blank hard drive, which got erased by a virus.



Use it as a backup drive, I was gonna do that with my old one but the PC place did someting with it -_- Just put your important stuff on it incase soething happens to your new one.

Stealth2k
Jan 29 2002, 4:00 pm
In response to Stealth 2k
How could I install an OS on it though? I have a Windows XP cd, could I intall it on there? When I turn on the old one, it just stays on, the moniter doesn't even turn on. It just stays there.
Jan 29 2002, 4:00 pm
Sariat wrote:
What could I do with a blank hard drive? My old cpu has a blank hard drive, which got erased by a virus.

You should still be able to boot off a disk to install a new OS.
Jan 29 2002, 4:02 pm
In response to Sariat
Depends if your CD drive is working, and DOS is up, and running.
Jan 29 2002, 4:07 pm
In response to Nadrew
I posted but I geuss it did not show up, Make it a backup disk or something.
Jan 29 2002, 4:10 pm
In response to Nadrew
DOS doesn't seem to be running.
Jan 29 2002, 5:28 pm
In response to Sariat
Sariat wrote:
How could I install an OS on it though? I have a Windows XP cd, could I intall it on there? When I turn on the old one, it just stays on, the moniter doesn't even turn on. It just stays there.

If the monitor never gets any signal, then you have worse problems than a blank hard drive. Either your processor, motherboard, or video card are configured incorrectly or just plain dead. It could also be memory, but that usually gives an error a little ways into the boot process.

But once you get it on, you should be able to boot off of the XP CD and install like that. It's a little used feature, but most modern OS CDs are bootable. Just go into your BIOS and set your CD-ROM to come before Hard Drive 0 in the boot sequence. If you're unfamiliar with that, it's a lot easier than it sounds :-)

-AbyssDragon
Jan 29 2002, 5:57 pm
In response to AbyssDragon
There -IS- no more BIOS in that system.
Jan 29 2002, 6:06 pm
In response to Sariat
Sariat wrote:
There -IS- no more BIOS in that system.
Impossible, unless some hardware damage has been done to your computer.

BIOS is Firmware.
Firmware is software on a chip on your motherboard. It cant be messed up without the chip actually being damaged.

Take out the battery inside of your computer for 15 minutes, then put it back in, this erases Bios's memory, dont forget to remove the correct jumper too.

Then, when you start up the computer, you should be able to hit either f1, or f8, or some other key to get to bios. If you still cant get to bios, then you have MAJOR problems.

FIREking
Jan 29 2002, 6:07 pm
In response to Sariat
Do you have a Dos Ram Chip? Some computers are coming with chips that have dos stored in them, kind of like Firmware.

FIREking
Jan 30 2002, 5:23 am
In response to FIREking
FIREking wrote:
Take out the battery inside of your computer for 15 minutes, then put it back in, this erases Bios's memory, dont forget to remove the correct jumper too.

BIOS is firmware, it can't be erased without flashing it. Pulling out the battery erases the CMOS.
Jan 30 2002, 5:27 am
In response to Stealth 2k
I agree with Stealth. Just pop the drive into your newer system and use it as a backup. you'll be happy for it if you ever have to format. Believe me, I do it alot...
Jan 30 2002, 7:57 am
Hutchy2k1 wrote:
I suggest you take the glass out the moniter and use it to make a shrine to your all knowing god Hutchy and then give him your new pc and $1 million dollars in un-marked bills in a crocodile skin suit case you have your orders.

Over and Out!

This is a bad idea for all parties concerned. The price of the croc skin will eat into your profit margin.