Anyone have a CTX EzBook Laptop computer?

[Jüš† ä gü¥]

The problem is as follows. My assumption was that no one in their right mind who manufactured computers would store important BIOS information on the hard disk. (I know, I know....bad assumption, but this was back before I realized Compaq did this too, and maybe some others......I guess I just didn't foresee that some manufacturers could have such foolish ideas/implementations)

Anyhow, it is/was a great computer, and I love it. The only problem is that I fdisk'ed the thing when I saw a partition I didn't know what it was. It turns out that partition included things such as power saving operations, all of the laptop battery using features/etc..... which the BIOS used. Now, whenever I start that computer, it gets to a certain point and stops. (At the boot phase). It does this to notify me that that critical partition is missing and informs me to use this one utility (included on a CD that came with the computer) to fix it. Then I have to just press the space bar to continue----it makes a loud beep and continues and the OS loads fine.

The problem is that I DID use that utility----and MANY TIMES under many configurations. The utility has some sort of inherent bug/flaw in it and always has a fatal error instead of restoring my special partition.

If someone else has the same or similar model CTX EzBook computer and did not fdisk the entire drive (in other words, that special partition is still there), if you know how to, would you kindly make a file on your hard drive which contains all of the raw bytes contained in that partition and then link me to it? It is easy enough for me to do a hack job and write those bytes to the raw sectors on disk myself, but I need the raw bytes that are supposed to be in that partition. I can just use debug.exe to write the raw sectors onto disk from somewhere else on disk. Who cares that it will fudge up my operating system? I can always simply format all of the other partitions and then reinstall my OS.

BTW, this computer is no longer supported by the manufacturer, which is why I cannot ask them for help. (In fact, to my knowledge, CTX doesn't even make computers anymore. They just make computer monitors.)

[Wolfreakyn]

If you've been here sorry, but it looks like what you need.
http://www.ctxintl.com/sts/manuals/n...expansion.html

[nukes]

Have you tried LLFing the drive or at least removing all the remaining partitions before you start. It probably needs to start at a certain sector or something.
Failing that I can't really help apart from suggest a way to make an exact copy of the partition.
Use a Linux live-cd and back it up with partimage/partimg and then it will make a copy of the raw bytes of the contents. This can then be restored by you using a similar technique. that way there is no need gfor anyone to buy expensive software to do it.

[Jüš† ä gü¥]

Originally posted by nukes
Have you tried LLFing the drive or at least removing all the remaining partitions before you start. It probably needs to start at a certain sector or something.
Failing that I can't really help apart from suggest a way to make an exact copy of the partition.
Use a Linux live-cd and back it up with partimage/partimg and then it will make a copy of the raw bytes of the contents. This can then be restored by you using a similar technique. that way there is no need gfor anyone to buy expensive software to do it.

Problem was that I had accidentally ERASED that partition though

BTW, Wolfreakyn, that link was close to what I needed. Searching around there a bit more, I found that you use susdisk with the -p150 switch.

After much frustration (anytime you do anything slightly NOT as in the steps I am about to give, it gives you an error message "Something went wrong" and aborts. Quite helpful, eh?) I finally got it to work right.

Here is what you do. (if you have a CTX Laptop computer and my same situation described above)

1: Make an MS-DOS bootable floppy disk and put fdisk.exe format.exe debug.exe on it.

2: Copy the file susdisk.exe from the utils directory on the accompanying CD ROM that came with the computer onto the floppy.

3: With the computer off, insert the bootable MS-DOS floppy into the drive and boot up. Use fdisk to delete any and all existing partitions. (There must be NONE)

4: If fdisk is incapable of removing something (Trust me....it IS incapable sometimes if you have weird partitions or used other tools before), then you will need to use debug.exe to wipe clean your hard disk. Hopefully you won't have to do that though.

5: Run susdisk as follows
susdisk -p150
You NEED that -p150 switch (no space between p and 150). The susdisk utility documents the -p switch, but the 150 is mentioned nowhere on any of the accompanying media. Found the -p150 needed based on some perusing on the site Wolfreakyn listed above.

6: Now turn off the computer, then you can boot back up again off the floppy and use format.exe to make your other partitions you want, and then use the Windows install CD to install Windows.

[courseican]

I, too have a CTX that I have fdisked and been trying to re-format. I got the laptop from a friend that said it "has a boot problem", but I got none of the disks with the laptop and I just know the SUSDISK file is the one I am missing. I fdisked the cdrive with no problem, and using a Win95boot diskette have been trying to format the newly partitioned c drive. Each time I try though, the laptop makes it to 10% format then will not go any further. Is there anyway I can get a copy of the SUSDISK without having the CD that came with the laptop?
Thanks in advance for any help you can give me!

[LordKwiKSilva00]

hmm, i havent had this prob with my CTX EZbook 700 series lappy runnin at 200mhz...of course i upgraded the hard drive from a 1.3 gig to a 4.1 gig, but from what you are sayin, it shoulda been affected...i have fdisked mine 4 or 5 times with no problem...btw, if you dont fix it and you decide you want to sell it, LMK, i will gladly take it and all add in cards off ya hands to use as parts for my lappy(mine has a broken hinge, need to replace it, and i need more ram, etc...) but LMK when you get a chance, via pm here on techimo or email at LordKwiKSilva00@hotmail.com

thanx,
Brian

[emelisauskas]

I too am trying to resurrect an ezbook. However like others do not have the original disks that came with the laptop.

Can anyone email me the files necessary to gen a bootable disk? Have already formatted the hard drive and dead in the water!!!
emelisauskas@hargray.com

I am assuming that the original ezbook came with Win95 as there is only a 1.6gig drive available. I have upgraded the memory and footed the bill for a rebuilt battery. Would really like to get this back up and running for my daughter.

HELP!!!!!

[kb7sei]

I had the same issue you guys did.. I found this with google.

http://www.ctxintl.com/download/driv...700E%20Series/

This is for a 700E, but it has the SUSDISK.EXE program in there...

http://www.ctxintl.com/download/driver/notebook

Has the drivers for other models available.

It worked on my 700E, so hopefully it will help you guys get going as well. I had a fun time of it, I don't have a floppy drive. I used a Win98 boot CD and burned the SUSDISK.EXE on a CD-RW.

[slaine]

Originally posted by Jüš† ä gü¥

1: Make an MS-DOS bootable floppy disk and put fdisk.exe format.exe debug.exe on it.

2: Copy the file susdisk.exe from the utils directory on the accompanying CD ROM that came with the computer onto the floppy.

3: With the computer off, insert the bootable MS-DOS floppy into the drive and boot up. Use fdisk to delete any and all existing partitions. (There must be NONE)

4: If fdisk is incapable of removing something (Trust me....it IS incapable sometimes if you have weird partitions or used other tools before), then you will need to use debug.exe to wipe clean your hard disk. Hopefully you won't have to do that though.

5: Run susdisk as follows
susdisk -p150
You NEED that -p150 switch (no space between p and 150). The susdisk utility documents the -p switch, but the 150 is mentioned nowhere on any of the accompanying media. Found the -p150 needed based on some perusing on the site Wolfreakyn listed above.

6: Now turn off the computer, then you can boot back up again off the floppy and use format.exe to make your other partitions you want, and then use the Windows install CD to install Windows.

Ive been trying to find out how to do that for about a year!

[Swade22]

I just received an EZbook 700 and it will not boot up. It shows on the screen "invalid system disk, Replace the disk, and then press any key". I have already gone into the bios and switched it to boot from the CD, however it won't boot from the cd. Is this series laptop not able to boot from a regular cd such as XP or win2k? it recognizes the hard disk as the 1.6 gb drive, but its like the drive is wiped clean and doesn't have an OS. Any assistance you can provide would be appreciated.