Linux freak! Reply Here!
2 posts
• Page 1 of 1
- LordShard
Linux freak! Reply Here!
by LordShard » Fri Oct 15, 2004 7:47 pm
Ok, a client came in with a fairly old laptop with the problem that she can only boot t up in safe mode. I figured that it would be no big deal. She also said she took it to, 2 PC shops to get it fixed but no one has been able to yet (not inclusing me)
Well this laptop is MUCH older than I originally thought.
It is an IBM 760XL
She also says that she bought it used from someone on Ebay. SHe has only the win98 book and no other documentation.
Well, I went in to try to fix this, and lo and behold, I see evidence that this laptop used to be win95! Not only that but there are many old dos drivers, now I'm thinking this is a muddled mess, and the problem seems to stem from the win95 portion.
I have looked at the win98 upgrade logs, and they are fine.
I made a bootlog and looked and it stops when it tries to load user.exe
As far as I can make out user.exe must be an integrile part of win95, and since win98 was only upgraded from win95, win98 must in some way still be using it, which leads me to beave that the only way to "fix" this problem is with a win98 full install disk, or a win2000 full install disk. (To slow for winxp)
I don't want to make her pay for a new CD, and she says that all she does is browse the net on dial-up, and read e-mails with her laptop.
So I was thinking maybe if I offer to installed Linux, she wouldn't have to pay for the windows CD, and she wouldn't loose any ability to do that, and in fact she way gain some more functionality, at the price of performance (most likely) whiloe not costing her any money other than what it cost to hire me
I'm worried though that there may be some major incompatibilities between linux and the laptop, such as not being compatible with the XGA video and causes it to break (Yes you CAN cause them to break with bad drivers for eople who don't know) (My policey is I don't charge anything unless I fix it)
I found this link http://www.grnet.com/sc/linux/tp760xl/
Tell me what you think. I will ask her about installing linux later most liekly tommarow. Also, I will call IBM tommarow and ask if they have a system restore CD, to return it to it's original manufacture's state (In which case linux won't be needed)
Well this laptop is MUCH older than I originally thought.
It is an IBM 760XL
She also says that she bought it used from someone on Ebay. SHe has only the win98 book and no other documentation.
Well, I went in to try to fix this, and lo and behold, I see evidence that this laptop used to be win95! Not only that but there are many old dos drivers, now I'm thinking this is a muddled mess, and the problem seems to stem from the win95 portion.
I have looked at the win98 upgrade logs, and they are fine.
I made a bootlog and looked and it stops when it tries to load user.exe
As far as I can make out user.exe must be an integrile part of win95, and since win98 was only upgraded from win95, win98 must in some way still be using it, which leads me to beave that the only way to "fix" this problem is with a win98 full install disk, or a win2000 full install disk. (To slow for winxp)
I don't want to make her pay for a new CD, and she says that all she does is browse the net on dial-up, and read e-mails with her laptop.
So I was thinking maybe if I offer to installed Linux, she wouldn't have to pay for the windows CD, and she wouldn't loose any ability to do that, and in fact she way gain some more functionality, at the price of performance (most likely) whiloe not costing her any money other than what it cost to hire me
I'm worried though that there may be some major incompatibilities between linux and the laptop, such as not being compatible with the XGA video and causes it to break (Yes you CAN cause them to break with bad drivers for eople who don't know) (My policey is I don't charge anything unless I fix it)
I found this link http://www.grnet.com/sc/linux/tp760xl/
Tell me what you think. I will ask her about installing linux later most liekly tommarow. Also, I will call IBM tommarow and ask if they have a system restore CD, to return it to it's original manufacture's state (In which case linux won't be needed)
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