It's getting late...

jbeckva · Oct 15, 2017

Put your new install disc or whatever on a USB key....

1. If Linux, use "Unetbootin" (https://unetbootin.github.io/). Makes it pretty simple..

or

2. If Win 7 and above, then you need to use a combination of diskpart and bootsect utilities to properly prep the usb key for a windows install..

From a 7/above computer run "diskpart"
- "list disk" <enter> to find the correct drive number that represents the usb key
- "disk 'x'" <enter> where x is the drive number.. make doubly sure you are on the usb key before...
- "clean" <enter> (this wipes the whole usb key)
- "create partition primary" (uses the whole usb key's space for a single partition)
- "active" (sets the primary partition active.. note, if you don't do this then the usb key is not bootable and will not show as a valid boot option)
- "format fs=NTFS QUICK" (formats as NTFS, quick format)

Exit diskpart, now find a valid windows install disk ... and from it's "boot" subdirectory run
- "bootsect /NT60 X:" (where x is your usb key's drive letter, this is also needed for the usb key to be booted from)

And then... finally..

- xcopy /E /C /H /Y X:\ Y:\ (where X is the install disk's drive letter and Y is the usb key)

Either SHOULD give you a valid USB key based OS install (you MAY need to set the usb key's partition active after going the unetbootin/Linux route.. can't recall... )

And then ... Insert the key in the PC you are installing then boot up. You should be able to access it's "boot menu" typically by pressing F12 while in the POST screen until it comes up. It should list the USB drive as a valid option, and if it does not then something was missed above.

I don't mess with DVD's anymore... some burning programs do not set the CD or DVD up properly i.e. make it bootable when going from ISO to disk.</enter></enter></enter>

jbeckva · Oct 15, 2017

p.s. A SD card and USB adapter also works for a usb key, typically..

orange · Oct 15, 2017

I'm not sure that explains trying to install to a 32-bit machine (with the 32-bit version) but it really doesn't tell me where this splash screen is actually at or why and I'll have to study what you wrote some more because the problem is not universal (as evidenced by THIS PC). Likewise, I can drop a Linux drive in and just go EXCEPT for Alison and Valerie although if I drop it in as a secondary then I can choose my boot.

That's where I'm lost.

Web Police · Oct 15, 2017

You really think he has any motherboard new enough to boot from USB? Looking for my bootable linux floppy disc.
:laughing6:

As far as burning iso to disc, plenty of free utilities to do that. Free iso works very easy. download your favorite iso, put blank disc in dvdburner, open free iso, navigate to Iso file and click burn.

http://www.freeisoburner.com/

Yeah if it works go for it.

jbeckva said:

Put your new install disc or whatever on a USB key....

1. If Linux, use "Unetbootin" (https://unetbootin.github.io/). Makes it pretty simple..

or

2. If Win 7 and above, then you need to use a combination of diskpart and bootsect utilities to properly prep the usb key for a windows install..

From a 7/above computer run "diskpart"
- "list disk" <enter> to find the correct drive number that represents the usb key
- "disk 'x'" <enter> where x is the drive number.. make doubly sure you are on the usb key before...
- "clean" <enter> (this wipes the whole usb key)
- "create partition primary" (uses the whole usb key's space for a single partition)
- "active" (sets the primary partition active.. note, if you don't do this then the usb key is not bootable and will not show as a valid boot option)
- "format fs=NTFS QUICK" (formats as NTFS, quick format)

Exit diskpart, now find a valid windows install disk ... and from it's "boot" subdirectory run
- "bootsect /NT60 X:" (where x is your usb key's drive letter, this is also needed for the usb key to be booted from)

And then... finally..

- xcopy /E /C /H /Y X:\ Y:\ (where X is the install disk's drive letter and Y is the usb key)

Either SHOULD give you a valid USB key based OS install (you MAY need to set the usb key's partition active after going the unetbootin/Linux route.. can't recall... )

And then ... Insert the key in the PC you are installing then boot up. You should be able to access it's "boot menu" typically by pressing F12 while in the POST screen until it comes up. It should list the USB drive as a valid option, and if it does not then something was missed above.

I don't mess with DVD's anymore... some burning programs do not set the CD or DVD up properly i.e. make it bootable when going from ISO to disk.</enter></enter></enter>

orange · Oct 15, 2017

Bad power cord. Also back to 7 on Alison. We'll go from there.

Doesn't explain anything else but again we'll see.

Isn't 2008 new enough? Oh well. My last petite steak and some beans now.

orange · Oct 15, 2017

Nope...back to square one/

orange · Oct 15, 2017

I don't think it's the hard drive, it was doing it with a different drive as well. I have to believe the power supply isn't stable. Time to swap a PSU in.

orange · Oct 31, 2017

Meanwhile, Emily has been masquerading as Maxine and she's a Mint Girl now running Sonya 18.2 as I type.

Had been sitting in a corner so long I forgot I switched her over, just looking for where I plug the card reader in now.

orange · Nov 10, 2017

My hunch about a bad power supply was apparently proven correct now that I put a different one in.

The guy that helped me test my PSUs had me mark them all and I got bad ones tossed...this one has one rail voltage that's slightly funny but at the moment the other two I grabbed in the dark from my box of PSUs were all IDE.

AVG Free is not behaving well and the updating seem to take forever, even if it HAS been a MONTH...I'm likely to uninstall and reinstall before I wrap up for a while...the Windows Update installation failure problem isn't addressed yet either and I am hoping to restore it without reloading.

For now I have three PCs going again. WHEE.

The other thing I did in here was plug in a small Optimus receiver with some small speakers so it sounds much better over my tinnitus.

PS Using vBulletin still stinks in IE 11. I am bound to reinstall Firefox.

orange · Nov 11, 2017

Okay, FF 56.0.2 is default, and for whatever reason I finally got some of the updates to install, 4/7.

I found the aircheck cassette the public radio guy wanted for their 40th anniversary show and I can dub it or rip it now. Being that it's 4:30 in the morning I should now get some sleep.

orange · Nov 11, 2017

By the way, I'm not sure it was understood that NO Windows drive of any kind was connected while I was trying mto install...it was a formatted disk, nothing else. One of ten I bought 2-3 months ago from the guy that sold me both of the MPC Clientpro 385s and neither of those nor Emily had any problem like that.

So it remains to be seen where the splash screen is hiding, BIOS? Tried that, pulled the battery and RAM for a LONG time...I guess I should call those meddling kids and Scooby DOOOOOOOOOOOO!

orange · Nov 16, 2017

New question...I'm now using Microsoft Security Essentials instead of AVG Free.

Is Malwarebytes Free needed anymore?

orange · Nov 17, 2017

And this is what I think I figured out so far about fixing the Windows Update problem...

What next?

orange · Nov 17, 2017

Well, after a few hours fiddling with FF 57 on Mint I had to ask myself why did they give us next year's model when all they did was move the cupholders?

Now let's get it to do Windows. After I sleep.

VSAT88 · Nov 17, 2017

orange said:

I use both. Old version of Malwarebytes though. Those two are the only two I have needed. Most virus's I have encountered came from the left click button on the mouse.

orange · Nov 28, 2017

Alison is back from the dead again and with the primary partition at it's maximum 450 MB seems to be updating okay again, I take it in sections and get certain things updated first.

Back to work.

VSAT88 · Nov 28, 2017

Kicking !

orange · Nov 29, 2017

Windows 7 Home Premium is patched, now to install the programs and files I use.

Emily's 7 Professional seems to work but I need to find a video card for it, the VGA is really ill.

orange · Nov 29, 2017

What DELL thinks the card reader plugin should look like and the one I have are not on the same page...

But Alison's works. Photo Time again...

orange · Dec 14, 2017

Emily's 7 Professional seems to work but I have a lot of old age problems with her, she needs MODEMCARE or MOTHERBOARDAID.

I have the video back again, maybe the VGA cable wasn't tight enough against the computer end...but here is Emily's Old Age Plight...

Emily has a 533 MHz FSB *bus and doesn't always like 800 MHz DDR2, and she's is capped at 3 GB RAM, which is odd for a 2 slot RAM configuration...I can run 2x 2 GB modules and it will see 3 GB only but will run nicely. She's down right arthritic at 2 GB and 667 MHz suits her well too.

My CPU usage is obscene and only screwed up further by the RAM usage.

I hate to waste a Windows hard drive but then again Windows Media Player is absolutely knackered.

Fixing that would help. Even my old ancient MPC ClientPro 365 Valerie could top that...we're still talking early 2000s and in at least Emily's case Pentium 4 HT (and yes, this jalopy has UEFI and CAN boot from USB as far as I can tell, Web).

Maybe I could also stand to blow it out, that big front intake vent can be a problem

It's getting late...

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