[SOLVED] defect HDD; how to start PC (no floppy, no CDROM, no USB)

floppy_stuttgart · 01-16-2011, 06:10 AM

Hello,

in case somebody has a PC with
- mainboard ok
- RAM ok
- terminal.. ok
- a defect CDROM = no CDROM
- a defect floppy = no floppy
- a defect HDD = no HDD
- an IDE connector inside the PC
- an USB port but cannot boot from there (BIOS is too old).

Then I would
-> buy a compactflash card (>2GB) approx 10 Euros
-> buy an USB-Compactflash adapter approx 5 Euros
-> buy an IDE adapter for compactflash card aprox 20 Euros
-> ask a friend or a shop to install KNOPPIX on USB+Compact Flash (easy on KNOPPIX 6.2 through a menu "install on flash card")
-> put the compactflash + IDE adapter into the PC and boot from there (BIOS setting must be correctly done; easy job)

Then later buy a small HDD for installing the personal data on it.

Has somebody a quicker or cheaper method?

markush · 01-16-2011, 06:24 AM

wegschmeißen...

Hello floppy stuttgart, welcome to LQ,

I'd buy the device which I want to use with the computer, in your case the small HDD.

Install the HDD at first in your working computer as a second harddrive, install Linux in a version which will work on the damaged machine (probably 32 bit), install the bootloader in the MBR of the HDD and put it into the damaged computer.

Markus

floppy_stuttgart · 01-16-2011, 11:09 AM

@markush,
buying a small IDE HDD and connect it on the old machine is a good thing, too.
ok.ok. perhaps the most cost saving Loesung (solution).
But where to find small IDE HDD in the size of a compactflash card+IDE adapter?
NO Wegschmeissen. This is not good for the Umwelt.. (and poor people would blame us for doing it)

markush · 01-16-2011, 01:12 PM

I think an IDE-disk is available for 160GB/35.00 Euro or second hand about 1.00 Euro (I looked at Ebay).

Quote:

But where to find small IDE HDD in the size of a compactflash card+IDE adapter?

I did understand that you can install the IDE-disk in the computer? isn't this possible with a normal 3.5 inch disk?

Markus

Charles4809 · 01-17-2011, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by floppy_stuttgart

@markush,
But where to find small IDE HDD in the size of a compactflash card+IDE adapter?

Small stands for dimensions? Or do you mean capacity.
Remember that 6 GB was a limit in the old days (DOS) and a modern OS like TC can address Terabyte drives.
And as far as dimensions go, even 1.8" drives are easy to get. When needed there are IDE<>SATA adapters as well AFAIK.

jefro · 01-17-2011, 02:45 PM

PXE to a Knoppix terminal server.

floppy_stuttgart · 01-19-2011, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jefro

PXE to a Knoppix terminal server.

what do you mean? I dont understand.

floppy_stuttgart · 01-19-2011, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charles4809

Small stands for dimensions? Or do you mean capacity.
Remember that 6 GB was a limit in the old days (DOS) and a modern OS like TC can address Terabyte drives.
And as far as dimensions go, even 1.8" drives are easy to get. When needed there are IDE<>SATA adapters as well AFAIK.

price? modell? a 128MB Comnpactflash card can already have a live system on it and it cost <<10 Euros (2GB, which quite enough for launching an extensive operating system is around 10).

markush · 01-19-2011, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by floppy_stuttgart

what do you mean? I dont understand.

jefro means booting the operatingsystem over the network. The computer gets the data not from HD or CD but from a PXE-server on the network. If you have any other computer as a terminalserver you'll have no need for an installation. http://pxe.dev.aboveaverageurl.com/i...ooting/Knoppix and http://www.knoppix.net/wiki/PXE_FAQ

There is also a well documented PXE-installer for Slackware: ftp://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/linux/slackwar...xe-installers/

Markus