Latitude X200 Windows XP or Windows 2000 installation

Question

I have a problem that I hope someone can help me with   I am trying to install windows xp on my Latitude x200, I have been trying to do this for 1 week now.   I insert the X200 into the Docking station, insert the Windows XP cd, the X200 will boot to cd..   and for the 50th time ...everytime I get to the part in the setup (Blue and white TEXT based screen)   where it says Windows is preparing to start...it just hangs right there. I don't even get to the point   where i can press F8 to accept the MS agreement  and proceed to formatting the drive.   I have tried other XP discs and even windows 2000 discs and it always hangs at the blue and white text based setup screen ... ( I am using OEM discs)   I have changed the harddrive and got the same hang  result.   I have used an external cd rom hoping that this would solve the problem and it has not.   can someone Please help me out ...   I

funtoupgrade · Answer

How much memory is in your machine?

Psinghx200 · Answer

256 MB

Psinghx200 · Answer

I have tried two bootable external USB floppy drives that will not work ...

I try to boot the X200 with the floppy drive in the dock ..if I chosse NO CD ROM SUPPORT I can get to a DOS prompt

If I choose CD ROM SUPPORT it Hangs right there ...

You are correct ...this is a hard one

I tried even using an EXTERNAL CD ROM to install Windows ...and I get the same hang in the same spot as if i was using the CD ROM in the DOCK

I did update the BIOS at one point "Sucessfully"

funtoupgrade · Answer

Boy this is a tough one! Do you have a floppy drive and a bootable MSDOS diskette with FDISK on it? Also you did say didn't you that the BIOS was recognizing the hard drive?

funtoupgrade · Answer

Hit the F2 key on startup and get to page one of the BIOS setup screen. Tell us what is reports for all of the drives.

Do you have FDISK on the floppy with which you can boot to DOS prompt without CD support?

Psinghx200 · Answer

Strange thing just happened

I just decided to install XP Pro again for the 51st time ...this time I plugged in a ps2 mouse into the dock...

and I got past the hang screen ...I am currently in the GUI "Installing devices" with 35 minutes remainding.

I am keeping my fingers crossed

Psinghx200 · Answer

XP is now installed ...I have been testing it for a few days   it boots randomly   If this laptop dose boot up I can use it for any length of time ...If I decide to shut it down, undock it ...re dock it and boot it up it will hang and not boot ...or it may boot perfectly fine.   I do not see this as a tempreture problem because I can leave it alone for a full day and try to boot it and it may or may not boot.   The touch pad does not work at all.  I have disconnected it completely and just use the PS/2   I have the latest drivers installed for every device and the latest bios version.     dose this sound like a Mainboard issue to you

funtoupgrade · Answer

Do you mean you physically disconnected the touchpad plug under the keyboard or you disabled it in BIOS?

Psinghx200 · Answer

I did both...

When I saw that it was not working, I disabled it in the bios ...rebooted ..and when I still had problems

I physically unplugged it from under the Keyboard ...thinking that it might work ok with just the PS/2 mouse

funtoupgrade · Answer

Have you done all your tests without using the dock at all?  Maybe it's some problem with that?

Psinghx200 · Answer

Yes I have

While the X200 is in the dock I plugged in a USB mouse into the notebook itself...At that point both mice were working at the same time.

I then undocked and used the pc without the dock and it worked fine with the USB mouse ...

THEN I rebooted .... and the computer hung ...

funtoupgrade · Answer

Well, I can't think of anything else.  I am only familiar with the Dell models in my signature and have never even seen one of your models.  Somebody else is going to have to help you now.

Psinghx200 · Answer

Thanks alot ...I will be speaking to you when I get one of those

trancine · Answer

I may be having a similar problem w/ my x200. I recently re-installed Windows 2000 (after somehow corrupting my system files, maybe due to a virus), and thought I was on my way to recovery, gradually installing Windows updates and drivers, but now I intermittently get hung up at the same blue screen as you. I can always start in safe mode. Whether or not I can start in regular mode seems to depend (in a way I can't quite figure out) on whether I'm using the docking station or not.

Please let me know if you solve your problem, or if anyone has any advice. What I'm doing now is installing more Windows updates, one of which says it fixes a problem w/ not recognizing nfts; maybe this will work.

Locked Topics – Laptops General

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