[fiLmNut]

I have an Asus Eee PC 701SD.

Specs here: http://usa.asus.com/Eee/Eee_PC/Eee_PC_701SD/

In a nutshell it died. This forum and many others said it was a toasted HD. Since I was unable to proceed past the F8 screen (Agree to Terms) for installing a new Windows. Yet, I was able to install Ubuntu and it works like clockwork. I ask, what does this imply about the HD's state and would you assume I could attempt installing Win XP again, now that it's been flushed (So to speak) while installing a new OS.

So grateful for you guys.

fN.

[saikee]

You can try to install Xp again. It is a common fault if a system file is corrupted an operating will not boot. MS Windows seem to have a lion's share of this.

[fiLmNut]

The main question is: What does this indicate about the Hard Drive's state...

Does anyone have an intuitive guess to answer the question with something more specific to go on?

This happened the same way with three separate XP discs, on a fully formatted drive.

[saikee]

It sounds your hard disk is in a bad state that Xp installer has found it hard to work with. Normally the installer will conduct a check and if the disk cannot be reliably read and written it can refuse to carry out the installation. This is common with MS Windows.

Linux's foot print is a lot smaller as I managed to install everyone in a 5Gb partition. It certainly less intensive on the outer tracks of the hard disk which a MS Windows apparently does until it wears them out with bad sectors.

Your problem should disappear if you replace the hard disk which is dirt cheap nowadays.

[fiLmNut]

As far as I know, you can't replace a Solid State Drive.

Netbook specs again: http://usa.asus.com/Eee/Eee_PC/Eee_PC_701SD/

I think the RAM is the only thing that can be replaced.

[saikee]

Originally Posted by fiLmNut

As far as I know, you can't replace a Solid State Drive.

Netbook specs again: http://usa.asus.com/Eee/Eee_PC/Eee_PC_701SD/

I think the RAM is the only thing that can be replaced.

A SSD has exactly the same format as a 2.5" SATA hard disk. You can change a SSD in exactly the same manner you can change a hard disk. Any Linux can clone a hard disk for you. I have installed in my 120Gb SSD with Windows and Linux in any combination I want.

[TerryNet]

I have not been able to figure out how I can change the SSD in my Acer W500 tablet, nor how it could be taken apart safely to replace memory or the wireless adapter or anything else. According to the specs fiLmNut's netbook is even smaller. What is the procedure for replacing the SSD in that netbook? (Or in my tablet, if you know?)

[saikee]

Think tablets use a smaller SSDs. I was talking about the normal size 2.5" SSD that fits into the standard 2.5" SATA hard disk bay of all the laptops. Tablets are not designed to be opened up freely as a laptop.

[fiLmNut]

Suffice to say, my Netbook has a Solid State Drive, meaning not a disk, the memory is virtual and exists on the components on a circuit board. There is no Harddrive. To replace it, is to buy a whole new Netbook I'm afraid. The Memory is changeable through the bottom access panel, however.

[DaveBurnett]

Are you sure that picture is the hard drive not the internal memory card.
I think the drive is Eee PC 701SD http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...738uFc08UTyCIq

[fiLmNut]

It's just a stock photo to illustrate the point being over looked.

[lewmur]

Originally Posted by fiLmNut

The main question is: What does this indicate about the Hard Drive's state...

Does anyone have an intuitive guess to answer the question with something more specific to go on?

This happened the same way with three separate XP discs, on a fully formatted drive.

Normal XP discs won't install on a PC with a SATA drive. You have to have a special XP disc with SATA drivers. Try googling "Installing XP on SATA drives." The Asus site should have the drivers and how to install them.

[DaveBurnett]

Yes they will. If the drivers aren't already built in, you can slipstream them.
Many PC with SATA drives don't even need the SATA drivers as the controllers will let you treat them as IDE.
There are also versions of the XP install CD that lets you load the SATA drivers from USB when you press F6 during the install.

[lewmur]

Originally Posted by DaveBurnett

Yes they will. If the drivers aren't already built in, you can slipstream them.
Many PC with SATA drives don't even need the SATA drivers as the controllers will let you treat them as IDE.
There are also versions of the XP install CD that lets you load the SATA drivers from USB when you press F6 during the install.

Only if you know how to "slipstream".

As to the "many PC", the Asus eeePC isn't amongst the ones that treat SATA as IDE.

The "pressing F6" is the usual method use with the Asus, but I didn't feel the need to try to explain how to do it because that method should be explained on the Asus site which one needs to visit anyway to get the drivers. Just about all XP install discs show the option to "Press F6 if addtional SCSI drivers are needed" when the CD first starts to load. But unless you have done as I suggested and google about XP and SATA, you aren't likely to know that.

[fiLmNut]

I had XP on this Netbook for five years, re-formatted many times. This re-format I wasn't so lucky. Before throwing it out, I tried Ubuntu, and it worked great. So... What does this imply about the Hard Drive's state? XP would get as far as the F8 Agree to Terms screen, and go no further, and no, the Fn button is not locked, or similar.