Ok so I have finaly got this laptop that my dads friend gave him to take a OS install and got it up and running agian. Had to fined a OS disk for windows XP cus it wouldint take windows 7 retail disk. Also had to do a BIOS update and press F7 so it would take the install and not give me the blue screen of death. So now its up and running windows XP but now it wont let me install any service packs. Every time I try to download it the download stops installing. I will download it and start installing and just quit. The computer dusnt freeze up, just the program stops installing.This laptops has been fighting me the hole way. I realy do not like laptops, there are just too many things that can go rong with them. So if anyone has had this prob or could get me going in the right direction I would realy love it. I also went to the website and downloaded all the drives to make sure it wasnt any probs there. The laptop is a Toshiba Satellite M45-S2692.

service packs are just accumulated updates theres nothing stopping you installing them one at a time using windows update, just do a few at a time, could just be a bad install, it can happen without rhyme or reason had it happen myself plenty of times and the easiest way is to just start afresh.

theres also a possibility youve got malware if you downloaded the install disc from someone you dont know

Yea I think im going to make the 6 disk from microsoft for windows xp and do a hole re-install with those. Right now I cant get windows updates to run, thats why I was trying to install service packs.

six discs? .

Yea I dont know were I seen that 6disc thing, I seen it going threw miscrosoft website but cant seem to fined it now. Can I use this pack from Miscrosoft on a CD to do a re-install of the Windows XP were I can type in the Key during install or after?

Download: Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 1 Utility: Setup Disks for Floppy Boot Install - Microsoft Download Center - Download Details

Most of the patches in windows update replace things. A fully up to date copy of windows XP still only takes up 1 cd, not 6.

And try not to use that floppy install, I've never even seen it attempted, nor know if it works.

to use that you would need a full install disc also, thats just for getting the real install disc to be useable have you got one

Well got one for an old Dell computer, but then i tryed getting one off the net. Yea its not good to do, but Im useing the windows key on the bottom of the computer. But now that I know it will run windows XP and I can get it to intall, I will prob just tell my dad to pute out the $30 and get the disk from toshiba.

Well we ended up ordering the recovery discs from toshiba and they dint work. After it installed it, it would freeze on the final setup right after it boots up and goes into windows for the first time. After that I contacted toshiba about the prob and they are sending more disks. Well when those get here I will try those and then if that dusnt work I will prob ask for a refund. But for right now, I got linux mint to work. Linux mint seems to be very nice and simple to work with. The one thing I dint like about the linux was it was too hard for me to download drivers and installing programs like flash player. But with the linux mint, its prity much all automatic.

try creating a partition to avoid first ten gb of the hard drive and install to that theres a very good chance its the drive thats at fault, or try testing the drive with a boot disc