OT: booting to USB

OK, sorry for the OT post but I figured that someone here had to have had
the same problem or close to it. We have a Gateway Profile 3 computer. (Yes,
I know that it is crap but I did not order it). It has been passed around to
several different users and started acting squirrely so I formatted it and
went to reload XP. Found out then that the CDROM is bad. THis is one of
those computers that are built out of laptop parts to make a slim desktop.
The replacement CDROM is no longer available. I thought that I might be able
to pick up a USB CDROM and boot to that. The only USB Boot option in the
BIOS is USB FDD. Does anyone think that this will work even thought it will
be a CDROM instead of floppy? GAteway of course has no idea.

Thanks,

Aaron

Jim
Tue Jan 18 22:43:55 CST 2005

Can you open the case and install some good old fashion cd drive
temporarily?

"BoboTWG" <aaron.nospam@excite.com> wrote:

>OK, sorry for the OT post but I figured that someone here had to have had
>the same problem or close to it. We have a Gateway Profile 3 computer. (Yes,
>I know that it is crap but I did not order it). It has been passed around to
>several different users and started acting squirrely so I formatted it and
>went to reload XP. Found out then that the CDROM is bad. THis is one of
>those computers that are built out of laptop parts to make a slim desktop.
>The replacement CDROM is no longer available. I thought that I might be able
>to pick up a USB CDROM and boot to that. The only USB Boot option in the
>BIOS is USB FDD. Does anyone think that this will work even thought it will
>be a CDROM instead of floppy? GAteway of course has no idea.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Aaron
>
>

Jim B. SBS Community Member
remove the mvp to send email

BoboTWG
Wed Jan 19 10:30:29 CST 2005

I am going to check, but I doubt it. Every part that I have seen has been
laptop type (PCMCIA, etc.).

Aaron

"Jim Behning" <jimbehningmvp@atl.mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:7bpru01p3g3lcavupl237idm136ego3ku5@4ax.com...
> Can you open the case and install some good old fashion cd drive
> temporarily?
>
> "BoboTWG" <aaron.nospam@excite.com> wrote:
>
> >OK, sorry for the OT post but I figured that someone here had to have had
> >the same problem or close to it. We have a Gateway Profile 3 computer.
(Yes,
> >I know that it is crap but I did not order it). It has been passed around
to
> >several different users and started acting squirrely so I formatted it
and
> >went to reload XP. Found out then that the CDROM is bad. THis is one of
> >those computers that are built out of laptop parts to make a slim
desktop.
> >The replacement CDROM is no longer available. I thought that I might be
able
> >to pick up a USB CDROM and boot to that. The only USB Boot option in the
> >BIOS is USB FDD. Does anyone think that this will work even thought it
will
> >be a CDROM instead of floppy? GAteway of course has no idea.
> >
> >Thanks,
> >
> >Aaron
> >
> >
>
> Jim B. SBS Community Member
> remove the mvp to send email

KevinK
Wed Jan 19 11:09:03 CST 2005

Somewhere, I don't remember PCMag(Online), Ziff, tech replublic ?? they had a
technique to actually boot from a USB jump drive, one of those memory sticks.
You might be able to do that.

Another idea might be to build the base image moving the HD to another
machine. Copy the CD onto the HD while you're at it. Although there may be
some greif once you move the HD back into the GW, it is an alternative.

"BoboTWG" wrote:

> I am going to check, but I doubt it. Every part that I have seen has been
> laptop type (PCMCIA, etc.).
>
> Aaron
>
> "Jim Behning" <jimbehningmvp@atl.mindspring.com> wrote in message
> news:7bpru01p3g3lcavupl237idm136ego3ku5@4ax.com...
> > Can you open the case and install some good old fashion cd drive
> > temporarily?
> >
> > "BoboTWG" <aaron.nospam@excite.com> wrote:
> >
> > >OK, sorry for the OT post but I figured that someone here had to have had
> > >the same problem or close to it. We have a Gateway Profile 3 computer.
> (Yes,
> > >I know that it is crap but I did not order it). It has been passed around
> to
> > >several different users and started acting squirrely so I formatted it
> and
> > >went to reload XP. Found out then that the CDROM is bad. THis is one of
> > >those computers that are built out of laptop parts to make a slim
> desktop.
> > >The replacement CDROM is no longer available. I thought that I might be
> able
> > >to pick up a USB CDROM and boot to that. The only USB Boot option in the
> > >BIOS is USB FDD. Does anyone think that this will work even thought it
> will
> > >be a CDROM instead of floppy? GAteway of course has no idea.
> > >
> > >Thanks,
> > >
> > >Aaron
> > >
> > >
> >
> > Jim B. SBS Community Member
> > remove the mvp to send email
>
>
>

BoboTWG
Wed Jan 19 11:11:29 CST 2005


"BoboTWG" <aaron.nospam@excite.com> wrote in message
news:FWvHd.11026$Vj3.3690@newssvr17.news.prodigy.com...
> I am going to check, but I doubt it. Every part that I have seen has been
> laptop type (PCMCIA, etc.).
>
> Aaron
>
> "Jim Behning" <jimbehningmvp@atl.mindspring.com> wrote in message
> news:7bpru01p3g3lcavupl237idm136ego3ku5@4ax.com...
> > Can you open the case and install some good old fashion cd drive
> > temporarily?
> >
> > "BoboTWG" <aaron.nospam@excite.com> wrote:
> >
> > >OK, sorry for the OT post but I figured that someone here had to have
had
> > >the same problem or close to it. We have a Gateway Profile 3 computer.
> (Yes,
> > >I know that it is crap but I did not order it). It has been passed
around
> to
> > >several different users and started acting squirrely so I formatted it
> and
> > >went to reload XP. Found out then that the CDROM is bad. THis is one of
> > >those computers that are built out of laptop parts to make a slim
> desktop.
> > >The replacement CDROM is no longer available. I thought that I might be
> able
> > >to pick up a USB CDROM and boot to that. The only USB Boot option in
the
> > >BIOS is USB FDD. Does anyone think that this will work even thought it
> will
> > >be a CDROM instead of floppy? GAteway of course has no idea.
> > >
> > >Thanks,
> > >
> > >Aaron
> > >
> > >
> >
> > Jim B. SBS Community Member
> > remove the mvp to send email
>
>

BoboTWG
Wed Jan 19 11:24:23 CST 2005

Thank you, had not thought to do that yet. Might have to try that.

Aaron

"KevinK" <KevinK@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:18DB8374-5287-4BD5-AFC4-7DCBBCAE39A2@microsoft.com...
> Somewhere, I don't remember PCMag(Online), Ziff, tech replublic ?? they
had a
> technique to actually boot from a USB jump drive, one of those memory
sticks.
> You might be able to do that.
>
> Another idea might be to build the base image moving the HD to another
> machine. Copy the CD onto the HD while you're at it. Although there may
be
> some greif once you move the HD back into the GW, it is an alternative.
>
> "BoboTWG" wrote:
>
> > I am going to check, but I doubt it. Every part that I have seen has
been
> > laptop type (PCMCIA, etc.).
> >
> > Aaron
> >
> > "Jim Behning" <jimbehningmvp@atl.mindspring.com> wrote in message
> > news:7bpru01p3g3lcavupl237idm136ego3ku5@4ax.com...
> > > Can you open the case and install some good old fashion cd drive
> > > temporarily?
> > >
> > > "BoboTWG" <aaron.nospam@excite.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > >OK, sorry for the OT post but I figured that someone here had to have
had
> > > >the same problem or close to it. We have a Gateway Profile 3
computer.
> > (Yes,
> > > >I know that it is crap but I did not order it). It has been passed
around
> > to
> > > >several different users and started acting squirrely so I formatted
it
> > and
> > > >went to reload XP. Found out then that the CDROM is bad. THis is one
of
> > > >those computers that are built out of laptop parts to make a slim
> > desktop.
> > > >The replacement CDROM is no longer available. I thought that I might
be
> > able
> > > >to pick up a USB CDROM and boot to that. The only USB Boot option in
the
> > > >BIOS is USB FDD. Does anyone think that this will work even thought
it
> > will
> > > >be a CDROM instead of floppy? GAteway of course has no idea.
> > > >
> > > >Thanks,
> > > >
> > > >Aaron
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > Jim B. SBS Community Member
> > > remove the mvp to send email
> >
> >
> >

K
Wed Jan 19 12:01:49 CST 2005

Although Gateway will not sell you a replacement CD, you can still find them
(ebay or such). In many cases it is just a standard laptop CD with a special
bezel on the front and an adapter on the back, you could take out the broken
one and put the GW specific parts on a genereic laptop CD-rom (after taking
it out I would look at the manufacturer and model and get as close as you
can to it for a replacemement)

I am speaking as someone who has actually replaced a Profile 3 CD this way.

Kevin D.



"BoboTWG" <aaron.nospam@excite.com> wrote in message
news:UQfHd.16369$_X7.15505@newssvr33.news.prodigy.com...
> OK, sorry for the OT post but I figured that someone here had to have had
> the same problem or close to it. We have a Gateway Profile 3 computer.
> (Yes,
> I know that it is crap but I did not order it). It has been passed around
> to
> several different users and started acting squirrely so I formatted it and
> went to reload XP. Found out then that the CDROM is bad. THis is one of
> those computers that are built out of laptop parts to make a slim desktop.
> The replacement CDROM is no longer available. I thought that I might be
> able
> to pick up a USB CDROM and boot to that. The only USB Boot option in the
> BIOS is USB FDD. Does anyone think that this will work even thought it
> will
> be a CDROM instead of floppy? GAteway of course has no idea.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Aaron
>
>
>

BoboTWG
Wed Jan 19 13:37:07 CST 2005

Great! Thanks, I was kinda wondering if a generic CDROM would work. I can
get one of those cheap locally and can test on one that I have here first.
Thanks again.

Aaron

"K.C. Dickson" <kcdickson@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:OJ6fAEl$EHA.1084@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> Although Gateway will not sell you a replacement CD, you can still find
them
> (ebay or such). In many cases it is just a standard laptop CD with a
special
> bezel on the front and an adapter on the back, you could take out the
broken
> one and put the GW specific parts on a genereic laptop CD-rom (after
taking
> it out I would look at the manufacturer and model and get as close as you
> can to it for a replacemement)
>
> I am speaking as someone who has actually replaced a Profile 3 CD this
way.
>
> Kevin D.
>
>
>
> "BoboTWG" <aaron.nospam@excite.com> wrote in message
> news:UQfHd.16369$_X7.15505@newssvr33.news.prodigy.com...
> > OK, sorry for the OT post but I figured that someone here had to have
had
> > the same problem or close to it. We have a Gateway Profile 3 computer.
> > (Yes,
> > I know that it is crap but I did not order it). It has been passed
around
> > to
> > several different users and started acting squirrely so I formatted it
and
> > went to reload XP. Found out then that the CDROM is bad. THis is one of
> > those computers that are built out of laptop parts to make a slim
desktop.
> > The replacement CDROM is no longer available. I thought that I might be
> > able
> > to pick up a USB CDROM and boot to that. The only USB Boot option in the
> > BIOS is USB FDD. Does anyone think that this will work even thought it
> > will
> > be a CDROM instead of floppy? GAteway of course has no idea.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Aaron
> >
> >
> >
>
>