Removable Drive for Laptop

[rory 0]

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=96300&CatId=1204

 

If I have a laptop (new withing last year) and its CD Drive is shot, I need something to reload windows so I need a drive that is recognisable in DOS. Will a drive like this with a IDE CDROM installed, be recognised as a CD drive in DOS on a modern laptop using the USB connector, its a Dell Laptop, not mine cant remember the model off hand.

 

Thanks

 

Rory

[Thomas 0]

The dells support USB on start up to a limited degree. I'm assuming you can't boot into windows at all right now?

[rory 0]

Yes he can, but we want to reformat it also.

 

Rory

[Thomas 0]

If you can get me the dell laptop model, I'll check if the bios in it supports USB on startup, if it does then you're golden.

[dusan 0]

hi

no dos usb drivers

so for you its best to take hd out and use hd adapter for 3.5" hd

and xcopy windows to wintmp partion on hd on desktop and install hd back to notebook

boot on dos floppy cd to wintmp and start install from hd

 

that is one way how i do it or , scsi , parallel , network

 

dusan

[Thomas 0]

http://www.bootdisk.com/usb.htm

 

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=10215

 

Also some bioses will support booting from USB devices, which would include an external CD-Rom.

[rory 0]

hi

no dos usb drivers

so for you its best to take hd out and use hd adapter for 3.5" hd

and xcopy windows to wintmp partion on hd on desktop and install hd back to notebook

boot on dos floppy cd to wintmp and start install from hd

 

that is one way how i do it or , scsi , parallel , network

 

dusan

 

Id think it would be easier just to copy windows over the network then boot to dos with a floppy, but can you install windows XP from the hard drive? Ive never done it like that, only me & 98.

 

thanks

[Thomas 0]

You can do it from the drive itself. Just copy the /i386 folder to the drive and run the installer. It works alright, but it doesn't do a reformat.

[rory 0]

thanks, will look into it. I am still waiting to find out what laptop model is it

[rory 0]

Hi Thomas, okay actually it is an HP not a Dell, my bad:

HP Pavilion ZT1000 Series

 

Rory