[Karawolf]

I recently acquired a couple of elderly laps ( an NEC and a Gateway Solo...model #'s are currently out of reach...across the room...too dern lazy to git up). I installed brand new hard drives in each. Of course, they came nekkid, no OS. No prollem...got my trusty, if outdated, Windows 98 SE standing by. But WAIT!! These ole geezers only have...uhh...wha'd'ya'callem...OH, floppy disc...drives. hehehe. Remeber when they were actually floppy? But whar-the-heck-far-tarnation is the CD drive?! Hmmm...don't got one....neither o'them. But my Win98 is only on CD. Now, I'm no Mensa candidate, but this, in my picture book constitutes a delimma.

QUERY: how do ya fit a round peg (Windows 98 on CD) into a square hole (computer equipped only with the latest and greatest FLOPPY disc drive)? Does the acronym SOL come to mind?

[Advertisements]

Some laptops let you boot and install an OS from a network, also you could try using an external enclosure for a cd drive. Currently having a similar problem on a ibm T20 with a cd drive that only works when the laptop is sitting on its side.

[warriorscot]

Some laptops let you boot and install an OS from a network, also you could try using an external enclosure for a cd drive. Currently having a similar problem on a ibm T20 with a cd drive that only works when the laptop is sitting on its side.

[Samm]

Several possible solutions here :
First, use the floppy to format the drive etc.

Then either :
1. laplink the laptop to a desktop & copy files over to hard drive from the desktop machine.

2. Get an external CDROM drive

3. Get a 2.5inch IDE to 3.5IN IDE converter, remove laptop drive & connect internally to desktop using the converter, then copy win98 files over that way.

4. Buy a 2.5IN USB caddy. Place laptop drive in caddy & connect to desktop USB port, then copy across files. (this is probably your best option)