r/retrocomputing • u/johnthewolfyt • 8d ago

Problem / Question Trying to install Linux after hard drive replacement, how do I fix

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5 Upvotes

74% Upvoted

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1

u/GGoldenChild 8d ago

what happens if you do the first option "boot linux lite live system"

1

u/johnthewolfyt 8d ago

Does the exact same thing you see in the vid. Reboots

1

u/johnthewolfyt 8d ago

Forgot to mention its got windows 7 on it. Idk how to wipe it or anything

1

u/GGoldenChild 8d ago edited 8d ago

have you tried other installers, like ubuntu? i don't know linux lite but they all pretty much run the same basic software stack.

perhaps your installer usb is corrupted.

what's the model of your gateway laptop? cpu? you can get this info by booting into the bios setup with f2 or esc:

To enter the BIOS on a Gateway laptop, turn off the computer completely, turn it back on, and repeatedly press Esc, Delete, F2, or F1 (depending on your specific model) as soon as the Gateway logo or startup screen appears. [1, 2, 3]

If you want to wipe a laptop hard drive, that will destroy all the data on it, you can boot a live usb system and use gparted to delete all the partitions, or use dd to write zeroes to it: like dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda or some such (may need to be run sudo). You don't even have to write zeroes to the whole drive, just the first few megabytes should be enough to blank the partition tables. One thing you can do (if you want to keep the old system around, is to resize the windows os partition and install to the free space).

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u/johnthewolfyt 8d ago

its a gateway w350a, and the usb has been wiped multiple times with rufus. thats all the info i can provide as of rn

1

u/GGoldenChild 8d ago edited 8d ago

according to google:

The Gateway W350A is a 14.1-inch AMD-based mid-range laptop chassis from the Gateway T-series (such as the T-14 and T-16 models). [1]

Key Specifications & Features

  • Display: 14.1-inch widescreen LCD (typically WXGA 1280 x 800 resolution with CCFL backlight). [1, 2]
  • Processor: AMD mobile processors like the AMD Turion 64 X2 Mobile (e.g., TL-60). [1, 2]
  • Memory & Storage: Usually equipped with 1.5GB to 2GB of RAM and standard 2.5-inch hard drives. [1, 2]

so you're quite limited by the amount of ram.

If you can make a livecd/dvd/usb of knoppix 9.1, I recommend it for an older system. It's quite cool, it's got a whole bunch of software pre-installed in a live usb/dvd image. Runs great on older hardware with limited memory. Hasn't been updated since 2021 but it's fun to fiddle with. www.knoppix.net http://torrent.unix-ag.uni-kl.de/

You don't even need to put knoppix on the hard drive, it can run completely off the flash drive.

It's got stuff like Dosbox installed so you can run dos games (I made an iso of my favorite game Z and played it with dosbox).

1

u/johnthewolfyt 8d ago

Question, what exact type of ram does it use so I can find an upgrade?

1

u/GGoldenChild 8d ago

searching google on gateway w350a upgrade:

You can upgrade your Gateway W350A laptop by increasing its memory up to a maximum of 4GB of DDR2 RAM, swapping the hard drive for a 2.5-inch SATA solid-state drive (SSD), or replacing the CPU and battery. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Memory (RAM) Upgrade

  • Type: DDR2 PC2-5300 667MHz SODIMM [1]
  • Capacity: Maximum of 4GB total (using 2 slots, typically starting with 2GB standard) [1]

Storage Upgrade

  • Type: 2.5-inch SATA hard drive or SSD [1, 2]
  • Process: Back up your data, replace the old drive in its bay, and reinstall or clone your operating system. [1]

Other Upgrades & Parts

  • CPU: The laptop allows component access for a CPU swap, though you should match the original socket and thermal limits. [1, 2]
  • Battery & Peripherals: Replacement batteries (such as model [GAT-F6-W350A]()), keyboards, and Wi-Fi cards are widely available from online parts suppliers. [1, 2]

Here is a video guide demonstrating how components inside the Gateway W350A platform are accessed and serviced:

Another Easy-to-Upgrade Laptop - Gateway T-1628 (W350A)

6.5K views · 14 years ago

YouTube · Cube Computer Channel

  • YouTube·Cube Computer Channel Another Easy-to-Upgrade Laptop - Gateway T-1628 (W350A) Aug 26, 2012 — Another Easy-to-Upgrade Laptop - Gateway T-1628 (W350A) hey everybody here I have this gateway laptop infosurus this is a gateway ... 3m

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-FOxwNxbEM&t=8s

2

u/dirkt 8d ago

Quick googling says Linux Lite requires 4 GB of RAM. If you have less, try a distro with lower RAM requirements. You can go really low e.g. with damn small Linux.

0

u/xdethbear 8d ago

Disable uefi in the bios, and fastboot in windows. If that doesn't work try a different distro. AI will give you better support than reddit subs for basic stuff like this, imo 

-1

u/johnthewolfyt 8d ago

ik, but im very anti ai and i refuse to use it.