No Operating System Found! Yet everything is there.

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EvolZx6R

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I have a laptop that has an external CD and FLOPPY Drive. I used the partition I386 copy method to get the windows xp files on the laptop hard drive while connected to my desktop. I did the format C: /s command in order to boot my laptop to reach C Prompt. I have a Sony Vaio PCG-R505TL.

When I put the HD back in the laptop I get a NO Operating System message. The Bios says the HD is there; it just wont boot from it. I installed the HD into a different desktop computer and I get the c prompt. This leads me to believe there is an issue within the laptop that wont let the Hard Drive boot to the C prompt. I played with the Bios settings and havent had any luck.

I know the laptop HD works on my desktop. Just not my laptop.

Any ideas what might be wrong?
 
If you are saying you "copied" a Windows i386 folder to the Lattop's HDD than it will never Boot . You HAVE to install windows on the Laptop by running the SETUP command , while the HDD is IN the Laptop.
If you are saying you installed the O/S on that HDD while it was installed on a Desktop ,that will never work either.
Windows must install to the hardware configuration where it is going to actually function.Laptop hardware is radically different from Desktop.
If you can get the External CD or floppy drive to boot the Laptop you must install Windows from there.Or if you can run Setup from the partition on the HDD that is in the Laptop your there, except you have to install to another Partition .
I had to use a small Proprietary application that I downloaded from toshiba in order to get the Laptop to recognize the external devices for Booting.I do not know if Sony utilizes the same process, but I suggest you do some investigation at their site,
 
I have a laptop that has an external CD and FLOPPY Drive. I used the partition I386 copy method to get the windows xp files on the laptop hard drive while connected to my desktop. I did the format C: /s command in order to boot my laptop to reach C Prompt. I have a Sony Vaio PCG-R505TL.

if you did the abov ethen what you did was copy the i386 folders to yuor hard drive. then you used the "format C: /s command which then wiped out the files you had just copied.
 
I386 method

I used DOS to copy the I386 directory to my D partition (Straight for the XP CD). I want to copy the I386 files from the D and run setup to get them on My C: in order to install XP while the HD is in the laptop.

The operating system is not installed on the HD. I'm trying to find out why the prompt doesnt come up on the laptop.
 
The prompt is not coming up on the laptop because there is no O/S on the laptop.
You need to use a boot disk(Boot disks are Mini Operating systems), you can make one from a download at www.bootdisk.com , or you can use your Windows CD it will boot .All you do is make sure the BIOS is set to accept the Boot order as 1.Floppy or CD then HDD(You will have to switch this back after windows is installed.
Carefully read my first post.
 
So Now What

We tried my laptop Hard Drive in another laptop and it boots to C as expected. When we try in my laptop I continue to get the No Operating System Found Message. The bios sees that the hard drive is there but wont boot from it. I've played with the bios and cant seem to get it to boot from the hard drive.

HELP
 
The format c: /s parameter transfers the DOS operating system from floppy to harddisk, but to be bootable that first partitio must also have been set to active (with FDISK from that same floppy).
 
Officially Lost

The same hard drive in a different laptop (DELL) booted to the C prompt.

Question is why won't the Vaio do the same thing?

Liquidlen - Regarding your three "If you's"

- The only way to get XP files onto the laptop HD is to copy them to the D partition using COPY in DOS. I plan on running setup once I get the C prompt with the HD in the laptop.
- The OS has not actually been installed on the HD. Just copied from the XP CD.
- I dont have an internal CD or Floppy to boot from and Bios wont allow booting from anything external.

The final step is to reach the C prompt upon bootup. Once I get that I can install XP on the laptop using the setup command. I just can't get past why it isnt booting up the way my friends laptop did.
 
As I mentioned in my first post(last statement) Your Vaio must use some sort of Setup/ mini program, in order to be able to utilize the CD or Floppy in the Dock to reload O/S etc.I know that this utility sits on a small portion of the HDD before the C:\ drive begins.This way Sony can force customers to buy their parts only. You see there are other ways of loading O/S's
This is why I asked you those '3 if's '
On a couple of Toshiba's pressing f2 at boot time took you to this program it acts just like a Bios program.
This is proprietary stuff and the best way to get a handle on it is the Support system at Sony and read about re-installing O/S carefully for the model you have.

It's a pain but they believe it makes them more money if you are dependent on them is a part of the reason for these systems.
 
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