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Computers - 6/9/2011 3:28:14 AM

Termyn8or

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Joined: 11/12/2005
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I am buying a new harddrive for one of my laptops. they are taking about booting from a stick and all this shit and executing code or some shit to break the security MY harddrive has against me. The manufacturer is shit, the drive is shit and actually the laptop it came in is shit. The only goddamn thing it has is a nice big screen and wifi.

So I don't care. Let the cam rot, fuck the sound because it sounds like an AM radio.

I need this thing for work, and that's all there is to it. PDF files and shit, fast access. It's a Gateway MG1. I had no idea how bad a piece of fucking shit it was when I bought FOUR of them, and I had no idea how shitty Vista was. I want no part of Vista. It won't let me into MY OWN sendto menu. This is bullshit.

Two of the four laptops are OK.

I want all drivers for XP. What is the most efficient way ? If this shit keeps up I am going to find out how many grains of gunpowder it takes to shoot through all of these motherfuckers.

Drivers. I have already been locked out of MY harddrive, and half of it by Vista in the first fucking place. I ain't putting up with it. I'll find a way to make the fucking house insurance pay off if I have to and buy a MAC. Nothing can be worse than Vista.

Access denied my ass. A piece of lead might just prove my point.

Advice, new in 2009 as a refurb, so what, about 2008, 7 ? I want all the drivers and Gateway disavows all knowledge of these things.

I zm never buying a preloaded systen again.

IN VISTA, I need an ACURATE ASSESSMENT OF what exactly is in this garbage, so I can use it at work, for the web and mainly PDFs. I don't care about anything else. The camera can go snap itself and Gateway and Bill Gates can do something much more interesting with themselves.

I don't have time for this shit, especially now.

T^T

Post #: 1

RE: Computers - 6/9/2011 6:58:21 AM

pahunkboy

Posts: 33061
Joined: 2/26/2006
From: Central Pennsylvania
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FR, vista works fine for me.

I do not know the most efficient way to do your tasks.. sorry.

(in reply to Termyn8or)

Post #: 2

RE: Computers - 6/9/2011 7:41:08 AM

flcouple2009

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Joined: 1/8/2009
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Same here, Vista running on both machines and everything is just fine.

You don't have a spare drive and operating system you can toss in the laptop and see what happens?

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Post #: 3

RE: Computers - 6/9/2011 7:44:01 AM

mnottertail

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Uh, thinking about what is happening here I would search for bios and hardware prom updates, I am liking the shit outta that for the culprit, based on behavior.

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Post #: 4

RE: Computers - 6/9/2011 7:46:31 AM

Lucylastic

Posts: 40310
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have you gone into how to change permissions on vista Termy?
It drove me batshit on seven, I never used vista
Im not keen on seven cos its shitloads less efficient than my old XP was
even tho the machine I have is four times "faster" and three times more ram.
Mind you Ive broken seven more times than I can count
it doesnt like opening folders with more than 40,000 files in it, useless POS
My bad

Preloaded is bad unless you just wanna turn it on andplay
I wanna get inside and preloaded shit is like wearing five condoms and expecting to feeel something

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RE: Computers - 6/9/2011 11:14:54 AM

SternSkipper

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Did this all start because you got a deal on a SATA drive or something? And it won't recognize the new drive?

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Post #: 6

RE: Computers - 6/9/2011 12:42:17 PM

Termyn8or

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Joined: 11/12/2005
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FR

OK, it only asks for the HDD primary master password when the HD is in it. Otherwise it will boot Linux from CD. Any time the HD is in it, even though excluded from the boot list it nags for the password and won't boot. It has nothing to do with Vista because it never gets to Vista. I just don't want Vista for a bunch of other reasons.

I've looked into unlocking the HD online, a search for the model number in Google (WD1600BEVT) reveals that I am not the only one with this problem. Apparently there is a program you can boot from a stick and put in the master password to get into the drive. However this fix doesn't apply to Gateways, it was for Acer or some other(s). This thing won't boot off anything as long as that HD is installed.

Now a Festerin' Frigital 160GB can't be much more than fifty bucks, so I'll toss this one in the trash where it belongs. Now the problem is going to be drivers. Now don't forget, I have two other HDs in identical machines that I could easily clone, especially since these laptops have two HD bays each. Some of the selling points were that, the big display and the FULL keyboard, meaning it has the numeric part on the right. None of this screwing around to use certain keys. The only drawback in these things is sound that is rival to that of an AM radio in a 1973 Dodge van. But I don't really care.

But for example if I hook up a scanner or save a pic from the net, I want to send it to the program I want. Between the image editor(s), Adobe reader, Automan and Force32 it will work for me. As shitty as the sound is I don't even know if I care if it has sound.

The copy of XP I have can be registered hundreds of times, that is not a problem and I would just install it, let it repartition, reformat and eerything, but it won't boot with the HD in it, from anything. That means the XP CD(s) as well.

This MF is really a PITA. What's more it never worked right. I bought four of them and this one sat in the box for a long time. Try to tell that to them. Just like me, I do something and six months later peopole try to get over "It broke the next day, but I didn't call you for six months because.....". I don't buy it so I can't very well expect them to buy it. It happens to be true this time but that and ten bucks'll get you a twelvepack.

I know the issue is going to be drivers. My XP is build 2600 IIRC and it generally won't even run right without a service pack. I can deal with that. But the drivers, just for the display, network cards, things like that. What are my chances of getting the dual layer DVD burner to work ? I'll be happy if it burns CDs at all. The sound is so shitty it's not worth more than three minutes of my time. The wireless would be nice, but if it'll connect through the ethernet cable that would work well enough.

Enough for now. It's hard to go through all the dead ends I've run into trying to get this @^#@^ working. (getting hard to remember everything I've tried) But for me, it's pretty much settled, it either runs on XP or it gets the boot. For now, I must go think about something else.

T^T

(in reply to SternSkipper)

Post #: 7

RE: Computers - 6/9/2011 1:30:25 PM

Missokyst

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Joined: 9/9/2006
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Why do you have a password in the bios? Did you put it there?
A password in windows is easy to break. There are disks all over which will allow you to override windows passwords. But a bios password is something you can reset on the motherboard. I have done it on desktops but not laptops (my eyes suck!).
Look up the specs on your laptop and check this out
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000235.htm

As for drivers for converting a Vista into an XP... hard to find unless the Vista is a Home Premium or Ultimate. You can try regular vista drivers but you are likely to get a BSOD once the system is loaded.

Good luck

_____________________________

pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding ~Gibran, Kahlil

“The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.”
― Bob Marley

(in reply to Termyn8or)

Post #: 8

RE: Computers - 6/9/2011 2:33:42 PM

Termyn8or

Posts: 18681
Joined: 11/12/2005
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It seems the password is on the drive. No drive, no password prompt. And I definitely did not put it there.

T^T

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Post #: 9

RE: Computers - 6/9/2011 3:59:21 PM

flcouple2009

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Term,

You've got a memory stick? Just figure out what drivers you need and download them from the net onto the memory stick using one of the other computers.

Change the drive, load XP, install the drivers from the memory stick.

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(in reply to Termyn8or)

Post #: 10

RE: Computers - 6/9/2011 4:03:34 PM

Termyn8or

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Joined: 11/12/2005
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"Just figure out what drivers you need "

Yeah, the fun part. The only thing I do have going for me though is that I have another one. I can probably get some details in device manager.

I'm still not buying another preloaded computer. That might cramp my style when it comes to laptops, but oh well.

T^T

(in reply to flcouple2009)

Post #: 11

RE: Computers - 6/9/2011 4:18:30 PM

SternSkipper

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So, bottom line is you got used gateway laptop and the existing HD has a password. AND the original owner (the one with the password) passed away?

Sounds like you're headed to best buy to buy a HD for a hot gateway

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Post #: 12

RE: Computers - 6/9/2011 4:20:09 PM

SternSkipper

Posts: 7546
Joined: 3/7/2004
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Better Idea ... Just load linux

< Message edited by SternSkipper -- 6/9/2011 4:27:32 PM >

(in reply to Termyn8or)

Post #: 13

RE: Computers - 6/9/2011 4:38:23 PM

Termyn8or

Posts: 18681
Joined: 11/12/2005
Status: offline

"So, bottom line is you got used gateway laptop and the existing HD has a password. AND the original owner (the one with the password) passed away?

Sounds like you're headed to best buy to buy a HD for a hot gateway"

No, they were refurbs bought from Global Computer. I called the refurb company and they disavow any knowledge of any passwords, saying that they do not put them in. Well neither did I.

A search for the HD model number will reveal that this is not the only time this has happened. (WD1600BEVT) There just doesn't seem to be any way to boot past the thing, short of physically pulling it out of the machine.

I just happened to look at it and the manufacture date is August 24, 2008, I wonder if it has a three year warranty. If so maybe I could send it in and get a new one ? That would take a while of course so I will have done something else about it, but these things do have double HD bays (which I haven't seen in alot of laptops) so maybe as a secondary drive for storage ?

I have a bad aversion to Western Digital, I lost alot of irreplacable data, more than once. I had about 30% of the old blowout.com on one. That's why I usually have two or three harddrives in a computer anymore. If I have my druthers, I buy high end Maxtors or Seagates. Not the cheap ones.

T^T

(in reply to SternSkipper)

Post #: 14

RE: Computers - 6/9/2011 9:03:17 PM

Missokyst

Posts: 6041
Joined: 9/9/2006
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http://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd/

Thats a password reset.

Windows Vista basic does not downgrade to XP. Windows Premium or Or business premium will. Depending on your version, you can get a restore disk from Gateway for about 18 bucks and it arrives in about 4 days. A clean reinstall overrides any password.

Unless it is on the Bios

_____________________________

pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding ~Gibran, Kahlil

“The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.”
― Bob Marley

(in reply to Termyn8or)

Post #: 15

RE: Computers - 6/10/2011 9:18:12 AM

pahunkboy

Posts: 33061
Joined: 2/26/2006
From: Central Pennsylvania
Status: offline

If nothing works then unplug and take it upstairs- open the window- and make sure it drops on cement. If wont fix it- but you will feel better since you regained control of it.

(in reply to Missokyst)

Post #: 16

RE: Computers - 6/10/2011 12:15:35 PM

flcouple2009

Posts: 2784
Joined: 1/8/2009
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Is it actually an issue with a western digital aspect of the hard drive or with the gateway software?

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Post #: 17

RE: Computers - 6/10/2011 1:22:03 PM

Termyn8or

Posts: 18681
Joined: 11/12/2005
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This is only a part of the search reasult(s), and just wd1600 brings up " BEVT password" in the google dropdown.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1405170

Their solution is a program loaded from a stick or whatever. This is not possible in this particular case because it will not boot past that password, even with the HD excluded from the boot menu. It won't boot MEPIS and it won't boot from the XP install CD, I suppose I could try copying the MEPIS CD to a thumbdrive, but even if it would work, how do I make that bootable ?

My loathing of Vista is really a separate issue, while I will do my damndest not to load Vista on it, it seems nothing is going on this HD. And once unlocked, it's already loaded anyway.

All I did in BIOS was to check see if there was an option to disable the camera. It wasn't there, so I changed nothing. The only reason for disabling the camera was the symptom - sometimes it would shut down when it was just about done booting. When it did boot there was no control panel for the camera, like in the other three of the exact same model. The rest of them were fine, Vista or not. They at least worked.

T^T

(in reply to flcouple2009)

Post #: 18

RE: Computers - 6/10/2011 6:56:05 PM

Missokyst

Posts: 6041
Joined: 9/9/2006
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Same model?
Just format the piece of crap OS drive and clone one of the others onto it.
You can get an external usb enclosure like this: http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-2-5-ATA-Laptop-Hard-Drive-USB-External-Enclosure-/390321102861?pt=PCC_Drives_Storage_Internal&hash=item5ae0f3600d
Put in the drive from your current computer and plug it into the usb of another computer. Format the drive.

Then use cloning software to copy the OS from that working laptop onto the new drive. Casper has a decent one free for a 30 day trial, you only need it for one time use.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Termyn8or

This is only a part of the search reasult(s), and just wd1600 brings up " BEVT password" in the google dropdown.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1405170

Their solution is a program loaded from a stick or whatever. This is not possible in this particular case because it will not boot past that password, even with the HD excluded from the boot menu. It won't boot MEPIS and it won't boot from the XP install CD, I suppose I could try copying the MEPIS CD to a thumbdrive, but even if it would work, how do I make that bootable ?

My loathing of Vista is really a separate issue, while I will do my damndest not to load Vista on it, it seems nothing is going on this HD. And once unlocked, it's already loaded anyway.

All I did in BIOS was to check see if there was an option to disable the camera. It wasn't there, so I changed nothing. The only reason for disabling the camera was the symptom - sometimes it would shut down when it was just about done booting. When it did boot there was no control panel for the camera, like in the other three of the exact same model. The rest of them were fine, Vista or not. They at least worked.

T^T

_____________________________

pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding ~Gibran, Kahlil

“The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.”
― Bob Marley

(in reply to Termyn8or)

Post #: 19

RE: Computers - 6/10/2011 7:04:02 PM

Missokyst

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Joined: 9/9/2006
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Uggh. Based on what I read on that ubuntu page you might be screwed.

_____________________________

pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding ~Gibran, Kahlil

“The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.”
― Bob Marley

(in reply to Missokyst)

Post #: 20

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