Twinhead 9100cv users?

[hwhall]

Is there anyone out there using a Twinhead 9100cv or similar machine? I have one that I got from work with a wiped hard drive. Can't get it to boot. Did these use a proprietary sort of BIOS on the hard drive? Is there a restore disk for these?
--Wayne

[Terry Yager]

Not sure about the model #, but I see Twinhead laptops on eBay every day, usually really cheap.

--T

[hwhall]

Thanks for the reply. I've been looking on eBay off & on to see if I can find a working unit with bad screen. I've seen a lot of auctions for complete working ones, though. I can't help but think that this one ought to work, too, if I performed the correct magic rituals on it <g>.
--Wayne

[Terry Yager]

Sorry, I don't know any Twinhead-specific incantations, but perhaps some generic ones might help. Does it refuse to boot from a floppy disk? ...a CD? Does it display anything on the screen at all? If so, what does it say? Can you access the BIOS setup at all? Did you try using all the usual keystrokes to access setup (F1, ESC, F10, INS, etc.)? Is there a Fn (usually light blue) key in the corner of the keyboard (most laptops have one). If so, try holding down the Fn key and the coresponding function key with the icon for a display (shaped like a TV screen). That usually turns on the internal/external/both monitor. Oh yeah, did you try jacking-in an external monitor to see if it would display anything?

--T

[hwhall]

>Does it refuse to boot from a floppy disk? ...a CD? Does it display anything on the screen at all? <

On startup, I can hear it spin the hard drive, the small LCD panel shows it checks the HD & CD, then the floppy tries to read. Screen is completely blank, not even a shadow of a display (like when the lamp has failed). It will repetedly try to read the floppy until I put a disk in, then it doesn't do anything else at all. Booting with a bootable DOS or Windows floppy still stops at the floppy read. I've tried booting with the floppy drive disconnected but it doesn't boot any further than when it is connected. There are no beeps, either, by the way.

>Can you access the BIOS setup at all? Did you try using all the usual keystrokes to access setup (F1, ESC, F10, INS, etc.)? Is there a Fn (usually light blue) key in the corner of the keyboard (most laptops have one). If so, try holding down the Fn key and the coresponding function key with the icon for a display (shaped like a TV screen). That usually turns on the internal/external/both monitor. Oh yeah, did you try jacking-in an external monitor to see if it would display anything? <

Can't access the BIOS at all. Toggling the external/internal monitor makes no difference. Nothing shows on an external monitor, it doesn't even appear to be receiving synch signals (monitor doesn't try to run). I'd have already written it off as a hardware failure, except that I had a Compaq which I thought damaged until I put in a Compaq restore disk.

--Wayne

[Terry Yager]

Looks like you've pretty much covered basic troubleshooting 101. You seem to have as much of a grip on these laptops as anyone else. I can't think of anything else. Doesn't seem like the tube or inverter tho, or you'd prolly be able to see something on the (darkened) LCD, and certainly on the external display. Have you opened it up yet? Is the video on a separate card or on the mainboard?

--T (officially stumped)

[hwhall]

I have had it open and it looked like everything was one assembly, except for some modules like the floppy, CD, modem. Guess I'd have to get another unit to swap parts with, if I really want to know what was wrong. I don't see info on the Web about this model requiring special boot sectors or proprietary setup software, but I've been hoping it was something that simple. Thanks for taking the time to think about this with me!
--Wayne

[Terry Yager]

Does Twinhead make thier own, or is it a re-badge? Mebbe you could find info on it under some other manufacturer? (Try the FCC-ID #, it might point ya to another company which really made it).

--T

[rmx77]

i have the same laptop and it uses a standard bios press f2 when u turn it on also when i got mine it is missing the floppy and cd rom drive and the aol screen name and password i got from the guy when i got it only partly works i can only chat with it and if i try to go to a site sometimes it brings up the parental control thing and then when u click the acess the site thing it goes into site timed out or something and requires u to reset or go back and sometimes it wont even let u get off a main page without the page reset or go back thing and i cant even download drivers on it or download anything on it untill i have the floppy or cd rom drive also its batteryless what am i to do

[ahm]

i have the same laptop and it uses a standard bios press f2 when u turn it on also when i got mine it is missing the floppy and cd rom drive and the aol screen name and password i got from the guy when i got it only partly works i can only chat with it and if i try to go to a site sometimes it brings up the parental control thing and then when u click the acess the site thing it goes into site timed out or something and requires u to reset or go back and sometimes it wont even let u get off a main page without the page reset or go back thing and i cant even download drivers on it or download anything on it untill i have the floppy or cd rom drive also its batteryless what am i to do

I imagine there's a question in there somewhere. Punctuation would be useful.

[rmx77]

well its a long drawn out post, but its kinda all one long thing and an explanation ending with the question, what am i to do

[Sharkonwheels]

Hmmm...could it be possible that it's set to use the external video port?
Usually there's some crazy Fn key, plus one of the function keys to cycle between LCD->External->Both ?

Tony