panasonic toughbook?

[ruthie]

Heres the problem, besides its a old toughbook!! Only came with a 4gb hdd...didn't know they made them! anyways have a new 40gb ide hd, want to clone drive to drive...i have the software to copy...cf-28 toughbook doesn't have a floppy or cdrom...don't want to go and buy ext. case just to copy also don't think i can usb stick it since in the bios it won't let me change to boot from external drive or read the stick...all i really need to do is get windows xp(i have disks) onto new drive then can transfer all other via usb stick just need to get that operating system on first...how else can you put programs etc on theses machines other than usb port>> any help to get the new hd working would help...if i put the new drive in toughbook can i get windows on to it from external hd or stick...

[Pollypurabred]

Try this link as it appears it has a good FAQ.

http://www.panasonic.com/business/toughbook/computer-support-faqs.asp

(hxxp://www.panasonic.com/business/toughbook/computer-support-faqs.asp)

[satchick]

You can make a bootable flash drive to install XP....


http://liliputing.com/2008/04/install-windows-xp-on-mini-note-usb.html

[ruthie]

Thanks for the info checked it all out... have an external cd rom drive that i got and works throught the usb port on the back....can't make it boot of the cdrom drive via usb port with the window cd in...just says no operating system... changed the boot in the bios and everything..that were i can't find any information on these toughbooks... does window service pack 3 make a difference only running 2 because of room on hd..is there anything i'm not doing should be easy just to hook up external cd rom with the new hdd inside the toughbook and load windows on but no go...it would be the same with the usb stick as well if i can't get it to boot from usb..is there anything else in bios i should check for turned on or off....need special cables etc to hook into the exact mp part of toughbook were the cdrom or floppy is suppose to go(if bought special)theres and extra port out the back looks like a straight circuit board thingy that something plugs into is that another kinda like usb thingy with different connectors? Pullin my hair out

[satchick]

I'm not too familiar with the Toughbooks.... One option is to obtain the original CD/DVD drive, or you can install the OS with the hard drive out of the machine using a 2.5" IDE to USB adaptor cable such as this one:

http://insidecomputer.stores.yahoo.net/usb20235hadr.html

It's also possible to do a network install (kinda slow)

http://www.networkcert.net/xp/install.htm#network

[Pollypurabred]

Found another link to discontinued Toughbooks which you can find below. This is the only that list a 4 GB HDD but is tagged as Toughbook 27. On that web page there is another product link that takes you to a support page.


http://www.panasonic.com/business/toughbook/discontinued-toughbook-products.asp

[ruthie]

Thanks for help...guess im going to have to buy an usb to ide adapter...lokked at the online way you still need a floppy boot disk if i read it right plus the computer is slow to begin with, if you say its slow id be there forever LOL.. Tryed everything and it won't boot from usb even tried the usb stick thingy last night no go at all... its a toughbook cf-28 and somehow got a 4gb hdd not the 30gb hd...thats what you get when you buy used..its a work computer but work doesn't care about the hd space..i do cause i need to load some programs re mapping etc to make my job easier... looked around and factory direct computer or something like that has an adapter for 24.99 then looked right beside it and a metal case is only 7.99....wish they had more stores not too many in canada. Thanks again..

[ruthie]

Ok bought an external hd case.....hooked it all up to my main computer did a full ntsf format..put windows disks in cd rom....went to put windows onit and after all the set up said drive not recongnized? tried every thing that i could find on the web to booting from that drive it will but theres nothing on it , then booting from cd rom then when it asks where to put it chose the drive and still said can't recognize it... tried the run way to t=do it / E:\i386\:F:\formatdisk\tempfile noreboot something like that then it says can't find drive etc again.... finally hooked it up to toughbllk and ran drive to drive program...take 3 hours, got lte still havent took hd out and put new one in to see if it runs...any ideas on why it wont put it on hd straight from my main computer and if it does work in toughbook can i run windows repair to make sure everything is on the existing windows...think its a bootleg copy and missing alot??? Thanks gotta work will try it later and still want to put windows full legal copy onto hd.

[Pollypurabred]

I would say that the first thing to do is to get your computer to recognized your new HDD. Read your documentation and see where your jumpers on your new HDD need to be to act as a slave.

I did see a lot of info of that last link I posted above about installing new image/driver on your HDD also Bios upgrades and such but of course you have to get it to boot first.

[pacodish]

Did you fix the laptop i got the same computer and I can help

[ruthie]

Round two....?????? Found a 40gb ide for 30 bucks!! great price...anyways its brand new...use drive image xml to load from 4gb to 10 gb hdd...hooked an external cd/dvd up to toughbool and loaded windows xp pro on and upgraded everything...now trying to clone 10gb to the 40gb....thats all the memory i need and then some...only need it for work...so pdf files etc programs would be great to have on just not enough room on hd...so tried drvimg again and it gives vss errors after a couple of hours...thats after trying to get it going half a dozen times tried xxclone..no go tried ghost...only loads it and cant use extra space unless u buy it(fine print) also tried eusas something no go either..should i try to reload windows xp repair??? then try...have the disks also can't load windows onto it just plain either same problem as last time with the external drive and windows thingy...pacodish thanks for reply hope your around this weekend as you have the same com!! Heres what i'm runnin...Panny cf-28p3jazdmbkb....xp pro. no internal/MP floppy or cd/dvd rom...everything through the 1 usb port...bios doesn't support booting unless its in the computer extra stuff MP slot...THANKS

[ruthie]

Bought a hub and tried to load with external cd rom boot.....ya problem it won't boot that way from bios has to be internal.....S#$t..tried re loading window xp pro...no difference...get I/O error when hit help it say maybe bad windows installation??? chequed to make sure windows shadow is running and the vsclone thingy in settings, registered the eaull32.dll like it said it worked fine..said to register eaull.dll as well but only have the 32.dll one. also said to cheque the vss.exe is running in task manager- yup its there...have chkdsk on both ----ok for both. need it to boot from the pe disk with these programs....can't understand why it worked last time from the 4-10gb...any ideas would help...not computer savvy enough yet to try the iso image thing seems confusing...might have to go that route and just get windows on and try to load the rest of programs from the backup i made before i started this fiasco...THANKS

[ruthie]

ok finally done...heres for those that have this problem...was going to buy the cdrom drives for the toughbook but went to tiger direct and tech there said to usb to ide it off desktop....had to buy two usb to ide/sata adapters($45 with tax for both)which is less then i was going to spend getting original cdrom with shipping etc. took hd out of laptop and hooked it into the ide side of the adapter , took the new hd and hooked it into the other adapter. plugged both into same desktop com. reformatted the NEW hd not the old one. Ran acronis home edition 2011 picking source and destination...Bingo loaded the 8.75gb of the 10gb hd onto the 40gb in 14minutes!!!!!!! 3 weeks of hell into 14 minutes...have two ide/sata adapters now but toughbook lives another day. Thanks to all who tried to help!! CHEERS

[Pollypurabred]

Yohoo!.......congrats. Glad you stuck with it.