Laptop Not Stable..pls Help

[Guest laptop]

Hi, I own a IBM thinkpad T41. This laptop does not comes with any installation/drivers cds nor winXP os cds. What it has is a built-in program that does the whole re-format itself and installs all drivers/utilities/winXP automatically(has a partition in the harddrive that stores all these).

Recently, the laptop always shut down on its own after having the blue screen, but i still managed to re-format the whole laptop without any problems. Until yesterday, the blue screen again came back and the same problem persists. However, this time i reformat, the laptop did not installs any hardware drivers but only winXP. I am still able to connect to internet using cables and not WIFI.

I suspect the hard drive is causing all these problems and was thinking of changing a new hard drive. Reason for changing is that i always run out of memory and partly because of the blue screen. This laptop is about 5 years.

My questions here is:

1.If i changed a new hard drive, i know that the core IBM stuff and hardware/winXP datas will be lost since its stored inside the hard drive. Lets say, if i changed a new hard drive, can i use another ORIGINAL winXP cds to install it? I have the laptop winXP cd keys.

I don't think i'm gonna go thru every hardware inside the laptop and diagnosed the problems.

What do you guys think?

*Buying another new laptop will be my last resort.

[fuzzy]

Hi, I own a IBM thinkpad T41. This laptop does not comes with any installation/drivers cds nor winXP os cds. What it has is a built-in program that does the whole re-format itself and installs all drivers/utilities/winXP automatically(has a partition in the harddrive that stores all these).

Recently, the laptop always shut down on its own after having the blue screen, but i still managed to re-format the whole laptop without any problems. Until yesterday, the blue screen again came back and the same problem persists. However, this time i reformat, the laptop did not installs any hardware drivers but only winXP. I am still able to connect to internet using cables and not WIFI.

I suspect the hard drive is causing all these problems and was thinking of changing a new hard drive. Reason for changing is that i always run out of memory and partly because of the blue screen. This laptop is about 5 years.

My questions here is:

1.If i changed a new hard drive, i know that the core IBM stuff and hardware/winXP datas will be lost since its stored inside the hard drive. Lets say, if i changed a new hard drive, can i use another ORIGINAL winXP cds to install it? I have the laptop winXP cd keys.

I don't think i'm gonna go thru every hardware inside the laptop and diagnosed the problems.

What do you guys think?

*Buying another new laptop will be my last resort.

Five years is a very long time for a notebook. My advise would be to get a new notebook to save you the agony of having to reformat your drive, blue screen and lack of memory.

[oralb]

you can change your HDD and re-install your windows, however you will need to know the drivers for IBM laptop devices, from sound card to video card to wireless access etc.

hence it is important to have the recovery discs

2 options:

- go to IBM (Lenovo) support site and download all the relevant drivers of your model (you can search by model and serial number)

- go to IBM service center (in changi) to borrow the recovery CD, though I dont know whether is this chargeable.

[chuberok]

Wat i understand, if u got the WinXP CDkey, u should be able to install XP using any Xp cd u can grab.

Pirated or not, ur XP would be orginal since u got a orginal CD key.

As for the drivers, i think like Oralb said, download them before hand and install after formatting loh.

Pardon me if i am wrong.

[IkuTube]

Wat i understand, if u got the WinXP CDkey, u should be able to install XP using any Xp cd u can grab.

Pirated or not, ur XP would be orginal since u got a orginal CD key.

Every installation WinXP CD comes with its unique CD key. You cannot use the same key with another WinXP CD.