Help! reformatting gateway laptop

Cameron203 · Post by **Cameron203** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 3:32 pm

I have created the recovery discs but they keep giving me errors in the console so I am now stuck with a reformatted hard drive and the recovery discs but they will not boot. Is the bios preventing a os boot disc? ANy suggestions? I have a legitimate serial but I am afraid if I have to download a bootable oem copy of windows xp media center edition it will no accept my serial since I have a gateway, any help is appreciated.
THanks

Sava700 · Post by **Sava700** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 3:43 pm

better off just downloading the ISO and doing a fresh install that way instead of the restore anyway.

Cameron203 · Post by **Cameron203** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 5:10 pm

Sava700 wrote:better off just downloading the ISO and doing a fresh install that way instead of the restore anyway.

I agree but how can I be sure the .ISO will work with my serial key since my serial was a bundled oem version?

YARDofSTUF · Post by **YARDofSTUF** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 5:17 pm

What errors are you getting? Are you using the recovery discs from the gateway to install the OS on the new PC you are building?

Sava700 · Post by **Sava700** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 5:22 pm

Cameron203 wrote:I agree but how can I be sure the .ISO will work with my serial key since my serial was a bundled oem version?

I can give you the ISO that will work

YARDofSTUF · Post by **YARDofSTUF** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 5:24 pm

Sava700 wrote:I can give you the ISO that will work

Probably a good idea if he goes that way, so he avoids any trashed builds out on the net.

Cameron203 · Post by **Cameron203** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 2:41 am

thanks guys no this is not for my newest computer.

Got a thousand things going at once. Just had a baby and selling my old computers and bringing in the new ones, clean installing all. Well while I was working on them my buddy brought his over too.....lol

Anyways heres the deal its a Laptop Gateway MX6956 had the system recovery console (which I know is crap) anyways I backed up the files tried to install with them keep getting errors about data missing. So I reformatted the hard drive and thought the recovery cds were bootable but they are not, I guess they have to be installed from the console, well since I reformatted the computer the console is no longer available. So I tried downloading some (probably corrupted) version of windows media center edition xp. Well this particular model has sata drives so I had to search the gateway database by serial number to get the drivers, I sucessfully booted with the dl'ed disc installed the drivers via F6, the hd formats and as soon as it gets to 100% i get another pop up this time it says insert the disk labeled Intel matrix storage manager driver into drive A press enter when ready well this model doesn't have a floppy drive so I have to use a floppy via USB, so I reinsert the floppy and hit enter and nothing happens. I mean nothing. Things to note instead of being the usual white color "press enter when ready" is shaded out in grey, and it doesn't even attempt to access the drive. It is not locked up becasue the F3 option to quit still functions.

Not sure what to do. I would appreciate the legit copy of Windows xp media center edition so I can rule out that.

Thanks for any help.

Cameron203 · Post by **Cameron203** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 12:12 am

bump for any suggestions I can't figure this out. I have never loaded a sata controller driver during a windows clean install other than in the beginning when it says to hit F6 to install other drivers. But this says that but also ask for an intel matrix driver after the formatting has taken place and windows goes to load setup files. I am stumped, any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

Sava700 · Post by **Sava700** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 8:34 am

Cameron203 wrote:bump for any suggestions I can't figure this out. I have never loaded a sata controller driver during a windows clean install other than in the beginning when it says to hit F6 to install other drivers. But this says that but also ask for an intel matrix driver after the formatting has taken place and windows goes to load setup files. I am stumped, any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

Yeah it should be simple.. hit F6 then when it asks for that driver which is this one:

http://support.gateway.com/support/driv ... =225927220

You run this and let it extract to a location on another computer.. then copy the directory it extracts to a floppy and when it asks for that intel matrix driver you've got it and it will load it and continue to install.

Cameron203 · Post by **Cameron203** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 10:11 am

Sava700 wrote:Yeah it should be simple.. hit F6 then when it asks for that driver which is this one:

http://support.gateway.com/support/driv ... =225927220

You run this and let it extract to a location on another computer.. then copy the directory it extracts to a floppy and when it asks for that intel matrix driver you've got it and it will load it and continue to install.

yep ive done that.
it is asking for a driver twice during install.
i hit f6 load sata achi driver, then i delete old partition create new format then it loads set up files then as soon as it does that i think its going to reboot and it asks for intel matrix driver to be put in A: then hit enter i do that and nothing it doesnt even light up the A: drive when i hit enter i have to hit f3 to exit no other button works

Sava700 · Post by **Sava700** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 3:05 pm

Cameron203 wrote:yep ive done that.
it is asking for a driver twice during install.
i hit f6 load sata achi driver, then i delete old partition create new format then it loads set up files then as soon as it does that i think its going to reboot and it asks for intel matrix driver to be put in A: then hit enter i do that and nothing it doesnt even light up the A: drive when i hit enter i have to hit f3 to exit no other button works

did you delete ALL the partitions when doing the install? Do NOT leave any small backup partition or anything...not needed.

Cameron203 · Post by **Cameron203** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 3:11 pm

Sava700 wrote:did you delete ALL the partitions when doing the install? Do NOT leave any small backup partition or anything...not needed.

I deleted everything.
I have formatted hundreds of computers, but I have never been asked twice for drivers during install. Only during the F6 process.

Sava700 · Post by **Sava700** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 4:08 pm

Cameron203 wrote:I deleted everything.
I have formatted hundreds of computers, but I have never been asked twice for drivers during install. Only during the F6 process.

well you should hit F6 then it prompts you for the drivers for the drive then it installs the rest of the OS then looks for the drive the drivers came from once again and thats it. Not sure how else to say it should work unless your floppy drive isn't worth a damn.

Cameron203 · Post by **Cameron203** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 6:38 pm

Sava700 wrote:well you should hit F6 then it prompts you for the drivers for the drive then it installs the rest of the OS then looks for the drive the drivers came from once again and thats it. Not sure how else to say it should work unless your floppy drive isn't worth a damn.

No I understand like I said have done this many times but never had a install ask me for the drivers at the end of the format. But I read the read me file attached with the gateway drivers, it states that it will prompt you twice. But the second time it prompts me it won't allow me to access the floppy drive.

Just to clarify not sure if I confused you earlier. I hit F6 during install it sucessfully loads the drivers and sees the hard drive I reformat the drive, then after the format windows loads setup files and I get hit with the intel matrix drivers in drive a: hit enter, I put the floppy in there and hit enter and nothing.

Sava700 · Post by **Sava700** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 7:34 pm

Cameron203 wrote: I get hit with the intel matrix drivers in drive a: hit enter, I put the floppy in there and hit enter and nothing.

how are you loading the drivers on to the floppy disk?

Cameron203 · Post by **Cameron203** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 12:04 am

Sava700 wrote:how are you loading the drivers on to the floppy disk?

I have manually loaded them and also used the floppy utility. Neither one works

Sava700 · Post by **Sava700** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 9:16 am

Cameron203 wrote:I have manually loaded them and also used the floppy utility. Neither one works

tried a different floppy disk? Made sure the bios settings are for that particular HDD setting and not another setting?

Cameron203 · Post by **Cameron203** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 10:52 pm

Sava700 wrote:tried a different floppy disk? Made sure the bios settings are for that particular HDD setting and not another setting?

Yes I tried several floppy disks. LoL bios settings on a oem laptop are limited, but yes I checked all.

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 6:56 am

In the BIOS, do have an option to set the SATA controller to legacy or IDE mode?

Cameron203 · Post by **Cameron203** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 10:00 pm

YeOldeStonecat wrote:In the BIOS, do have an option to set the SATA controller to legacy or IDE mode?

No.
Only options are system date and time, DMI event logging?, plug and play OS, Legacy USB support, large disk access, auto dim, battery auto learning, display selection, tv mode, quiet boot mode, internal LAN, wireless LAN, No execute mode mem protection, passwords, and boot priority. Thats it.

BOWTYE8 · Post by **BOWTYE8** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 8:59 pm

I have somewhat a newer gateway. I did a reformat and had your same issue. need sata drivers and had no floppy.

I ended up integraded the sata drivers into my windows CD.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Install- ... 7807.shtml

Something along these lines. XP booted fine this way with a copy of my oem windows xp now with the sata drivers integrated into the load process.

Might be worth a shot.

Cameron203 · Post by **Cameron203** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 9:57 pm

I have a floppy via usb and it works fine.

Anyways I fixed the problem, by installing vista on the machine it doesn't ask for drivers. Works like a charm, have no idea what caused xp not to load those drivers.

Sava700 · Post by **Sava700** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 10:05 pm

Cameron203 wrote:I have a floppy via usb and it works fine.

Anyways I fixed the problem, by installing vista on the machine it doesn't ask for drivers. Works like a charm, have no idea what caused xp not to load those drivers.

Vista has more built in OEM drivers for the install.. I hate to see you gave up I'd like to know the solution to your XP issue.

Cameron203 · Post by **Cameron203** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 10:18 pm

Sava700 wrote:Vista has more built in OEM drivers for the install.. I hate to see you gave up I'd like to know the solution to your XP issue.

Too many hours spent trying to figure it out, and it's not even my laptop, and with the new baby and all. I usually never would have given up...lol
But I tried everything I could think of, disabling and enabling all of about 8 options in gateways bios. I even tried loading other sata drivers, from intels website, as well as the drivers from gateway. All produced the same results, I would load sata drivers by F6 command it would recognize the drive then I would delete and create a new partition then format then it would go to load setup files screen be at 0% then go back to Please insert drivers for intel matrix storage into drive A: and I tried every key on the keyboard even in combination to bypass or get it to check the A: nothing only button that would would function was F3 to quit setup.

Sava700 · Post by **Sava700** » Sun Mar 15, 2009 9:29 am

Cameron203 wrote:Too many hours spent trying to figure it out, and it's not even my laptop, and with the new baby and all. I usually never would have given up...lol
But I tried everything I could think of, disabling and enabling all of about 8 options in gateways bios. I even tried loading other sata drivers, from intels website, as well as the drivers from gateway. All produced the same results, I would load sata drivers by F6 command it would recognize the drive then I would delete and create a new partition then format then it would go to load setup files screen be at 0% then go back to Please insert drivers for intel matrix storage into drive A: and I tried every key on the keyboard even in combination to bypass or get it to check the A: nothing only button that would would function was F3 to quit setup.

The only other solution I was going to say was to use nlite and slip stream the sata drivers into a new XP SP3 disk and then load it that way you won't need to boot from F6..that would have solved it but I didn't think about it till last night

BOWTYE8 · Post by **BOWTYE8** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 6:32 pm

Sava700 wrote:The only other solution I was going to say was to use nlite and slip stream the sata drivers into a new XP SP3 disk and then load it that way you won't need to boot from F6..that would have solved it but I didn't think about it till last night

Yep thats what it took me to get XP loaded on my gateway.( Nlite slipstreamed sata drivers into XPSP3) I was trying to load XP on it. It came factory with Vista. I did get XP loaded up but not enough support for all the other drivers. So I reformated back to Vista.

preatis · Post by **preatis** » Mon May 19, 2014 2:01 pm

BOWTYE8 wrote:Yep thats what it took me to get XP loaded on my gateway.( Nlite slipstreamed sata drivers into XPSP3) I was trying to load XP on it. It came factory with Vista. I did get XP loaded up but not enough support for all the other drivers. So I reformated back to Vista.

Boot to the BIOS
This is accomplished using the delete key as soon as you power up.

Go to the Authentication Tab.
Disable Secure Boot

Go two tabs over to the Boot Options.
The first line says Launch CSM, Hit enter and change it to say Always.

Go to the fourth line from the bottom and enable the Boot Menu.

Finally choose the Boot Priority Order that you want (optical disk drive first).

That is it. You will see, if you look under Optical Disk Drive Priority, that the name of your DVD drive now shows up instead of it being blank like before.

Now just save and reboot from the BIOS normally, and you should be on like a light bulb.

The Dude · Post by **The Dude** » Mon Jun 02, 2014 1:38 pm

preatis wrote:Boot to the BIOS
This is accomplished using the delete key as soon as you power up.

Go to the Authentication Tab.
Disable Secure Boot

Go two tabs over to the Boot Options.
The first line says Launch CSM, Hit enter and change it to say Always.

Go to the fourth line from the bottom and enable the Boot Menu.

Finally choose the Boot Priority Order that you want (optical disk drive first).

That is it. You will see, if you look under Optical Disk Drive Priority, that the name of your DVD drive now shows up instead of it being blank like before.

Now just save and reboot from the BIOS normally, and you should be on like a light bulb.

Reality check, this thread is from 2009, I think they've moved on by now. Also, a PC of that era will not have a UEFI BIOS so there will not be any Secure Boot Settings or CSM setting.

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Help! reformatting gateway laptop

Help! reformatting gateway laptop

Solution to the Problem RIGHT HERE