I have a 1999 IBM Thinkpad that originally had Windows 98 on it. I reloaded it with Windows 2000 but did not like it due to how slow it make it run. I'm attempting to go back to Win98 by using my IBM Recovery CD that came with the computer. I know it works, because I used it once before with no problem before I loaded Win2000.
Problem: When I boot the laptop with the Recovery disk in the CD ROM drive, it will not grab it and start the "recovery" process. Instead, Win2000 would continue to load as normal. I've done the following below trying to fix this and get the CD to start "recovery."
1. I checked the CD drive, it is working and would run in Windows2000 and also in MS-DOS when selecting files or doing "DIR" commands.
2. I checked the boot sequence in my BIOS and it is set to CD first, floppy second, and hard drive last. I don't have the ability to disable the hard drive, or any item for that matter. I can only change the sequence or order they are accessed.
3. I removed Win2000 by reformatting the drive and partitioning it. So now it is a blank FAT32 drive with no OS on it.
4. I boot the laptop using a Win98 start-up floppy disk and can view the files on the Recovery CD using DIR commands, but when I attempt to run any of them they don't start the process either. The ".exe" commands are the only ones that do anything when I type their name at the E: prompt (CD drive letter), but none of them thus far have started the "recovery" process successfully.
I don't know DOS well enough to know if I'm not typing a specific command sequence to get it to start "recovering", but I can't figure out why the Recovery CD will not begin as usual in the first place. It's not the CD, because I have a backup which won't work either.
I also have a Knoppix and Helix boot CD, and they will not start either, they begin to spin-up, but would allow Win2000 to load as usual, or do nothing after I reformatted the drive.
What can I do? Is there a sequence of DOS commands I can type to have it run every EXE file on the CD until something happens? It appears my Recovery CD and my boot CDs are not starting for some reason, but the CD drive seems perfectly normal/in good working order.
Help, I have a Thinkpad brick/paper-weight! Thanks!
Problem: When I boot the laptop with the Recovery disk in the CD ROM drive, it will not grab it and start the "recovery" process. Instead, Win2000 would continue to load as normal. I've done the following below trying to fix this and get the CD to start "recovery."
1. I checked the CD drive, it is working and would run in Windows2000 and also in MS-DOS when selecting files or doing "DIR" commands.
2. I checked the boot sequence in my BIOS and it is set to CD first, floppy second, and hard drive last. I don't have the ability to disable the hard drive, or any item for that matter. I can only change the sequence or order they are accessed.
3. I removed Win2000 by reformatting the drive and partitioning it. So now it is a blank FAT32 drive with no OS on it.
4. I boot the laptop using a Win98 start-up floppy disk and can view the files on the Recovery CD using DIR commands, but when I attempt to run any of them they don't start the process either. The ".exe" commands are the only ones that do anything when I type their name at the E: prompt (CD drive letter), but none of them thus far have started the "recovery" process successfully.
I don't know DOS well enough to know if I'm not typing a specific command sequence to get it to start "recovering", but I can't figure out why the Recovery CD will not begin as usual in the first place. It's not the CD, because I have a backup which won't work either.
I also have a Knoppix and Helix boot CD, and they will not start either, they begin to spin-up, but would allow Win2000 to load as usual, or do nothing after I reformatted the drive.
What can I do? Is there a sequence of DOS commands I can type to have it run every EXE file on the CD until something happens? It appears my Recovery CD and my boot CDs are not starting for some reason, but the CD drive seems perfectly normal/in good working order.
Help, I have a Thinkpad brick/paper-weight! Thanks!