System Recovery and Recovery Media

[Snipeston]

Fixing my wife's satellite l305-s5968. Getting the above error and have just replaced the hard drive and still getting he same error.

HD is showing in the BIOS.
Trying to load a clean copy of windows xp since I do not have the recovery software.
While loading xp it goes to a blue screen saying to check the hard drive for a virus and run check disk, but can't get anywhere to run either...

Thanks in advance!

[Snipeston]

Fixing my wife's satellite l305-s5968. Getting the above error and have just replaced the hard drive and still getting he same error.

HD is showing in the BIOS.
Trying to load a clean copy of windows xp since I do not have the recovery software.
While loading xp it goes to a blue screen saying to check the hard drive for a virus and run check disk, but can't get anywhere to run either...

Thanks in advance!

[Peter]

That error means it can't find a bootable device.

Try having your installation disc in the optical drive when you boot the computer. Open the boot menu (F12 on most computers when booting) and select the optical drive.

It's recommended that you use Toshiba recovery media. If you didn't create the recovery media yourself, you can purchase replacement media from Toshiba.

[Snipeston]

Would using the toshiba software be the only way? Or should I be able to load a clean copy of Windows XP to it? What does the toshiba software have something in it that is crucial for the operation of the laptop?

[Daopa]

Hello Snipeston.

You best route is to use the Toshiba Recovery medium. You ask why it is so . . . it will install all the required drivers that you would have to find on your own, doable but time taking. It will do this along the loading of the OS, XP in your case.

The stumping block would be if your HD is fried, in this case there is nothing to be done beside getting a new HD.

Should you install a bare XP, look for the folder called TOSAPINS, all your drivers are there but if you install a new OS, it will be erased. JP.

[Snipeston]

Old hard drive has been replaced with a new one cause I could not even get windows to load on it from the cd drive. So with a new hard drive you think the original software would be my best bet? Sorry for al the questions, I have only experience with desktops to this point and never have had a problem putting an os on a brand new drive. Thanks for all the help so far.

[Jerry_Lippey]

Satellite L305-S5968

Best to restore the hard disk to its original out-of-the-box contents using Toshiba recovery media. You can obtain them from Toshiba if necessary.

   Order Toshiba Recovery Media

See the section Hard Disk Drive Recovery using the Recovery media, which begins on p. 66 of the User's Guide.

   Satellite L300 Series User’s Guide

Then there will be umpteen Windows updates to install.