# Old Gateway needs os



## Rol87 (Jun 2, 2007)

hey, 
 I got this old Gateway E-4200 that has no OS. I have this CD that has xp on it but I dont know how to install it on the gateway. When I put it on this computer a screen comes up and asks if i want to install xp. I know that you have to mess around with the BOIS but I dont know what to do.


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## freaksavior (Jun 2, 2007)

http://www.theeldergeek.com/xp_home_install_-_graphic.htm

thats how to do a clean install of xp..........hope that helps


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## Ripper3 (Jun 2, 2007)

The E-4200, so, 450MHZ P3, 256MB of RAM, similar to that?
Windows XP will run, but won't run very well.
I'd go for a lightweight Linux distro if I were you, or an older version of Windows.
Windows 98 will run well, but without support, or much of it, from programs, it'd be a dead-end me thinks.

For the Linux distro, I'd say, Damn Small Linux, Puppy Linux, Ubuntu Lite, etc. Small and simple distros.

And about messing with the BIOS, not necesarry. What you will need to do is mess with the installer a little, but it's simple enough.


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## freaksavior (Jun 2, 2007)

wow, didn't think about that one........hmm you could get 2000!?


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## aximbigfan (Jun 2, 2007)

Ripper3 said:


> The E-4200, so, 450MHZ P3, 256MB of RAM, similar to that?
> Windows XP will run, but won't run very well.
> I'd go for a lightweight Linux distro if I were you, or an older version of Windows.
> Windows 98 will run well, but without support, or much of it, from programs, it'd be a dead-end me thinks.
> ...


 if this guy doesnt know how to install xp, i seriusly doubt he could use linux.


chris


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## Ripper3 (Jun 2, 2007)

aximbigfan said:


> if this guy doesnt know how to install xp, i seriusly doubt he could use linux.



True, but I was giving him the benfit of the doubt, and every way I thought about writing it, just sounded rude and obnoxious. 
"Hell no, don't bother installing anything! Just don't touch it! Leave it alone!" was how I first imagined it 

He probably could USE linux, and something like DSL is simple enough (when you insert and boot from CD, it gives you a few seconds before automatically booting the live CD, and then you're on the desktop within about 30secs in most cases. From there, it's kinda idiot-proof)


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## acousticlemur (Jun 2, 2007)

aximbigfan said:


> if this guy doesnt know how to install xp, i seriusly doubt he could use linux.
> 
> 
> chris



LOL


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## Rol87 (Jun 2, 2007)

what should I do then? When i start the computer and I insert the cd nothing happends? it just says that no os is found


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## Rol87 (Jun 2, 2007)

Whats a bootable CDROM?


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## aximbigfan (Jun 2, 2007)

rol87, why dont you get a new dell pc, they are nice and cheap...

chris


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## Rol87 (Jun 2, 2007)

aximbigfan said:


> rol87, why dont you get a new dell pc, they are nice and cheap...
> 
> chris



I dont need a new computer I just want to try to help this old gateway.


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## aximbigfan (Jun 2, 2007)

Rol87 said:


> I dont need a new computer I just want to try to help this old gateway.



i see......

ok, this is how you fix it.
1. un plug computer
2. drive to best buy with computer
3. tell "geek" squad to fix it
4.  leave.....


chris


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## Rol87 (Jun 2, 2007)

aximbigfan said:


> i see......
> 
> ok, this is how you fix it.
> 1. un plug computer
> ...



Lol the name does says it all "Best Buy" I might just do that
well here is a pic of what the screen says:


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## freaksavior (Jun 2, 2007)

wow!!! thats slower than my dads old pii

dude, forget about it. if it's that slow, it's not worth evening worth trying to load an os on it.


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## zekrahminator (Jun 2, 2007)

Dude, Pentium 2's belong at the dump with the rest of the recyclable garbage. 

I think Dell's having a 23rd anniversary sale, might want to take advantage of that. Consider the Gateway dead as a doornail.


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## Rol87 (Jun 2, 2007)

would it be worth upgrading ?


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## aximbigfan (Jun 2, 2007)

Rol87 said:


> would it be worth upgrading ?



NO!!!
 it uses proprietary parts, all OEMs do, just get a new one.

chris


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## Rol87 (Jun 2, 2007)

can the case be used for another motherboard?


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## lordlatte (Jun 2, 2007)

Someone should just be blunt about all of this, the short answer to all of this is "put the beast aside, go find a new computer". a p2-266 with 128 megs of ram (probably 72 edo crap, which is getting expensive to upgrade). The p2 itself could be upgraded (maybe, depends on the mobo) up to maybe 450. Graphics wise, it may have an agp 2x slot, but probably onboard, upgrading would be somewhere between impossible and pointless. Say you upgrade it to its fullest, we're talking a computer that would be slow on windows 2000. Finding all the old drivers for 98 is a pain, and sometimes impossible. The rest of the parts, hard drive (way too small for today, and maybe not even ide, which is already old in itself), cd rom, psu. All useless. You can get cases for nothing, and chances are, that one doesn't support atx anyway. Are you seeing a trend? I can see you're a little new to computers, but that would be not only difficult to get working, but pointless. Black friday I picked up a p4 3.2 (around 15x as powerful as yours) and 512 ram (4x yours), that computer was 200. There is no reason to upgrade that, or even invest time in it. The fact that you can post on this board says you have another computer, I'd stick with that one.


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## acousticlemur (Jun 2, 2007)

if this is what it looks like

http://www.computech1.com/pages/products/preowned/gateway_E4200.htm

then yes it will support a ATX motherboard.


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## lordlatte (Jun 2, 2007)

you should stop with the false hope, even if it supports atx, you can getter better cases (still not good cases, but better than that, those were designed like giant tank-like pressure cookers) literally free after mail in rebates.


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## Sovereign (Jun 2, 2007)

acousticlemur said:


> if this is what it looks like
> 
> http://www.computech1.com/pages/products/preowned/gateway_E4200.htm
> 
> then yes it will support a ATX motherboard.



I had one of those not too long ago! A friend of the family needed a cheap PC so I gutted it and transplanted an Athlon XP setup inside! A standard ATX mobo, an XP 1700+ CPU, 512MB of memory, ATi Rage 128 Ultra GL AGP video card and your basic PCI cards all installed and ran without issue in this case as it is fairly standard ATX specifications and layout.

If you want to try your hands at upgrading this PC, I've got an ABIT Pentium 3 (SLOT 1) mobo, Pentium 3 500Mhz CPU + HSF, 256MB PC100 SDRAM (4 x 64MB) and an ATi Rage PRO 8MB AGP video card I could send your way. Just pay for shipping and it's yours. Want something better but don't want to spend an arm and a leg? Try this combo : P4 2.4Ghz, Intel i845G Mobo, 1GB DDR RAM, 64MB nVIDIA Geforce AGP video card @ $159. I've bought items from this company before and can vouche for them. That should give new life to that old Gateway and for not a whole lot of money to boot!

If your not comfortable working with PC hardware, take the advice that a few members mentioned earlier and just get rid of it and get yourself a new HP or Dell!


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