BleepingComputer.com: Portege m400 New HDD Install problem

Hi i have a Toshiba Portege M400 Model No. PPM41E-00H01CHK

I re-installed OS (Window Xp Tablet) from the recovery disk as it was running slow.

It has been hanging at the Toshiba Boot screen, showing Built in HDD Error and failing to boot.

When disconnecting the power and hdd and then re-connecting it occasionally booted but if shut down would fail to boot again so i figured the hdd was failing and bought a new one.

Now I can not install xp onto the new hdd. I am getting Built in HDD Error, this time however it goes past this message and will boot from the recovery cd to the install screen.

It then fails to install and gives a message about a faulty disk or bad RAID Configuration.

I have since found out that this is something to do with the portege m400 having a SATA HDD which is not supported by Xp natively and needing to install raid drivers beforehand.

I have read that the recovery disk should be able to boot to a new disk directly and do the configuration but i can't seem to get it working.


How can i install the OS onto the new hdd?

Thanks in advanced

Oli28

This post has been edited by hamluis: 27 March 2011 - 07:08 PM
Reason for edit: Moved from Internal Hardware to XP.

Reference: Product manual, http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/support/jsp/outFrm.jsp?ofId=AskIris&searchString=Toshiba+Portege+M400+Model+No.+PPM41E-00H01CHK&x=5&y=8 .

If you are using recovery disks that do not need a recovery partition...then you should be able to install with no problem.

If your tablet also contained a recovery/restore partition that had to be used with the recovery disks...it would seem that is your problem.

If you are using recovery/restore disks provided by Toshiba...any/all drivers needed for recovery/restore would be included in the recovery/restore process.

Louis

Hi thx for the answer,

So anyway my dad didnt want to wait for me to fix it for him and the laptop got taken to the shop and I paid £80 for the privilage.

Needless to say it came back with the old hdd in it and running all slow and lagging and then it decided to fail at the boot screen again.

(they were reccomended to us by toshiba (gultronics tottenham court road my experience with them is not good in the past b4 recommendation they tried to flog me a whole new screen unit when all i needed was an invertor)

anyway back to this...

on there report they said
"Refitted the HDD connected on the system board. Operating system installed. System tested working OK."

i don't know what this means tbh it doesn't make much sense.

So i will take it back complain and get a refund. but i still don't know whats wrong with it and obviously they don't either.

so the status is now the HDD aooarantly is fine and is installed with a working OS but it is still failing to boot or run properly.
(it was running for a bit but kept freezing and lagging)

any ideas?

thx for the help Oliver.

I don't know anything about tablets...but overheating is the first thing I think of when a system freezes periodically.

Afte that...it's a routine elimination of various suspects (hard drive, RAM, PSU, etc.).

And, of course, there's always malware.

Without error messages of any sort...my vote goes to overheating as the prime suspect.

Louis

So I don't think it is overheating because it happens when the computer is just switched on straight away plus I have just cleaned out the fan lastly its not hot.

This is also happening with the brand new HDD which i bought cause i thought it was an hdd problem first.

any ideas.

The shop was saying sata cable but i don't know about that plus i can't find a replacement online.

What does this SATA cable for a tablet...look like? Can you post a photo?

Louis

Hi, Thanks to anyone who helped in the chat room and suggested things. Turns out it must have just been a loose cable somewhere after a strip down to the motherboard and a rebuild it detected the new hdd and so far the install is working.

Nice work , keep us posted.

Louis

Ok Bad New folks,

So i started the computer up today and i got the same original "built in hdd error" message. I am at a loss as to what to do any ideas?

I suggest contacting the manufacturer, if there is documentation governing rreplacing the hard drive at the manufacturer's website.

Strictly my opinion...but tablets and netbooks were/are not intended to be long-lasting products or subsitutes for a full-blown system. Users who try to treat them as such are bound to have problems when they try to do things which can only be done with full-blown desktops or laptops.

Louis

So i am hoping that the cable btween the hdd and the motherboard has failed, any ideas where to find a part. nothing on ebay.

toshiba portege m400 PPM41E-00H01CHK

thx