Thanks. What kind of firmware could I install please?

For WiFi:from the link in my last post:I think you could add the (from last link).../cdimage/unofficial/non-free/... to your package manager repositories but I have not tried that yet?

Good info here too: http://superuser.com/questions/26728...debian-install

Oh, 50G originally then 80g. Could be a chs issue.

Thanks - will look into the firmware. What is a chs issue please?

Definitely have no wifi any more. Tried wiping the disk with dban then reinstalling Windows 7 - still no wifi - then installing the original wifi driver in XP SP3 compatibility - but just no wifi. So either I have firmware missing, as you say, or the wifi card is kaput.

But even if I had the wifi working, can't use any Linux as they won't shut down. Will look at your firmware suggestions, thanks - but am beginning to feel like chucking it on the scrap heap and getting a return on the drive.

http://www.allacronyms.com/CHS/tag/computer
The WiFi switch on the front edge of the laptop (if one) didn't get bumped off did it?

Ha ha. No there isn't one - thanks for the suggestion though. I have just come across this article which seems to explain the problem. The solution seems to be - get an older reconditioned hard drive, although I might try downloading the (?) firmware he mentions first - although not sure if that is just for Toshiba.
Interesting reading:
http://www.mitchellenright.com/2012/...atellite-l550/

I'd doubt its a CHS issue on a post 2000 laptop.

http://www.mitchellenright.com/2012/...atellite-l550/

Better known as 'advanced format' drives.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Format

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Advanced_Format

As far as I know, no IDE HDD is an 'advanced format' drive.

Intermittent wifi problems, HDD/CD issues, its possible you've got sick hardware.

When I've had drive troubles, shrink microcougheds-winblow$ partition (in my case another Linux) for dual boot or format but either way leave blank i.e: no partitions then install Linux to free-space.

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and it is a NEW one ????
or used but new to you ?

80 gig ide drives were popular in 2001

i just had ( yesterday ) a 80 gig ide drive that was 14 years old die

that sounds like the graphics "chip" in the laptop is not really supported

that sounds like your "wi-fi" dongle is a MS windows ONLY one requiring a windows OS to use

or
is not supported by default and you need a third party "driver" ( a kernel mod)

Thanks everybody - all really helpful! Yes, John VV - Bipra are selling them as brand new drives - surprised me too. And yes I think basically - it aint going to work with Linux and I aint going to get wifi any more - and my time isn't worth the effort any more, so sadly will send the hard drive back for a refund (they have agreed to this) and scrap the laptop. Shame - it was working beautifully before I changed the hard drive - except for the left mouse click, which I have now fixed!

Ok here's an update. I sent the hard drive back for a refund and bought a used hard drive that was identical to the one the laptop came with for £10. Installed it, it works fine, but have exactly the same issues, so no it wasn't the hard drive. I also bought another wifi card, identical for £5. That made no difference either! I then came across a number of posts about how Packard Bell put a 'tattoo' on their laptop hard drives, meaning if you replace the drive you no longer have the tattoo and therefore have problems loading operating systems (or linux anyway).

All the links about this issue are old - and lead me to nothing - Packard Bell now owned by Acer and no links or software there.

Having said all that, even if I was able to get this tattoo back on (which looks unlikely) apparently installing Linux removes it again! So yes it looks like this laptop is set up to only run windows.

But I am still wondering if there is a work around. I can install Xubuntu perfectly well but have no wifi and the laptop won't shut down. Does anyone know any clever code to get round the shutdown issue? Will test tomorrow to see if it will work via ethernet cable.

This link from within the first link in my signature could help: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ml#post5054495 . . .

Well, it's not particularly clever, but it's code that usually works:

Thanks. It might be a silly question, but is that every time you shut down?!!! At the moment I just hit the off switch.

Off switch works or add a shortcut http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/reboot...emergency.html
or icon,,,
lots of ways for that:Fork bomb...

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