ReactOS on older notebook: doesn't work...

[loki1985]

hi folks!

i tried installing ReactOS 0.2.4 on my old notebook (a compaq one, it has about 200 MHz and 64 MB RAM).

i just extracted the binaries to C:\ReactOS (which is on a DOS partition, there is a NTFS win2k partition before it, but DOS doesn't see it of course).

when starting boot.bat or aboot.bat, it load drivers until ide.sys or fat.sys (dunno right now)... then it stops.

i tried both starting from DR-DOS 7.03 ignoring/skipping everything in autoexec.bat and config.sys, and as well i tried booting from some DOS bootdisk. both didn't work, same problem.

is it possible that such notebooks are not well supported?

months ago i tried with 0.2.3 i think on some really old notebook (a 486 with 90 MHz, 16 MB RAM)... same problem.


with best regards,

---loki

[Gasmann]

when starting boot.bat or aboot.bat, it load drivers until ide.sys or fat.sys (dunno right now)... then it stops.

Do NOT use boot.bat, it's not working. Either use the freeldr bootdisk or install it with the iso.

is it possible that such notebooks are not well supported?

It is possible, but I think it should work with freeldr.

months ago i tried with 0.2.3 i think on some really old notebook (a 486 with 90 MHz, 16 MB RAM)... same problem.

If you tried it the same way, I understand

[loki1985]

ok, i downloaded the FreeLoader image and extracted it.
i think the file "freeldr.img" now must be written to disk via some diskimage tool, right?

after that, will it autodetect the path where ReactOS is installed? or do i have to configure it somehow?

and will it work even if may first partition is NTFS?

[jnolles]

ok, i downloaded the FreeLoader image and extracted it.
i think the file "freeldr.img" now must be written to disk via some diskimage tool, right?

after that, will it autodetect the path where ReactOS is installed? or do i have to configure it somehow?

Yes, but you don't have to configure it. I suggest using WinImage to write the diskette image.

and will it work even if may first partition is NTFS?

No, it won't

[GvG]

i think the file "freeldr.img" now must be written to disk via some diskimage tool, right?

Right. Google for "rawrite"

after that, will it autodetect the path where ReactOS is installed? or do i have to configure it somehow?

You have to configure it somewhat. After you write the image to a floppy you'll find a file "freeldr.ini" on the floppy. Edit that. Based on your info I think you will have to change "SystemPath=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\ReactOS" to "SystemPath=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\ReactOS" (i.e. change the partition number)

and will it work even if may first partition is NTFS?

Yep

[loki1985]

hurray

thanx for that .

[loki1985]

tried it yesterday using the freeloader bootdisk....

when trying with yesterdays latest version from reactos.csh-consult.dk it boots up, but hangs after "initializing disk.sys". i.e. the harddrive seems to do something, but nothing happens.

when i replaced it with the official binaries of 0.2.4, it didn't even come to the "initializing ..." state, but immidiately printed something like "error: in 0, 0, 0" or something like that, all numbers were zeroes... additionally it said something about that there is no error description, and printed some numbers (mem offsets i think) of ntoskrnl.exe...


any chance to get it working?

i think the problem may be some exotic hardware inside the compaq notebook.

[loki1985]

*push*

[uniQ]

Try an ISO of the latest CVS @ ReactSoft.com?

-uniQ

PS. I wouldn't be suprised if it is Compaqs fault, I've worked with them and they seem to have the propensity for screwing things.

[Jaix]

loki1985 wroote:

months ago i tried with 0.2.3 i think on some really old notebook (a 486 with 90 MHz, 16 MB RAM)... same problem.

I tried to boot the latest QEM image on the reactsoft.com site and decreaced the memory until it didn´t work anymore, and it stopped on 24M, does somebody know if 24M is needed or configured for doing so?

If 24 M is the lower limit for ReactOS it will not be an alternative to really old computers.

[loki1985]

my notebooks RAM is exactly 64 MB, so that shouldn't be the problem...

[tommy44306]

i installed reactos on an old p 133 notebook...i have found that the easyway to do so... is to use the win98 boot disk let that format the hardrive then install reactos without having react format the hard drive...for some reason reactos still wont install correctly on a notebook if u have reactos format the drive

[josh_k3]

I have the same problem as described by loki1985 (hangs at "initializing disk.sys" hd-led on)

The system is an old Dell Vectra P133, 96 meg

used the 0.2.5 boot-iso


Any workaround for this problem??

--
josh