install win98 on linux laptop, no cdrom

[pilla]

i did not do fdisk, i formatted it using windows computer management.
How do I fdisk the E drive (laptop drive)?

I did FDISK\STATUS and it displays only one partition information which is the actual C drive and not the E drive
Does it mean that there is a problem with drivers?

 

[dclive]

IDE won't have drivers - you should simply see it. If you don't see it in FDISK, I suspect there's another problem.

http://www.mdgx.com/secrets.htm#FDISK-S has lots of fdisk info.

If you run FDISK, you cannot select another disk, and show information on it to verify it's the 5GB or whathaveyou 2.5" disk?

 

[pilla]

fdisk is not displaying this disk information at all.
I think I am ready to quit....
Thanks for all your help DCLIVE.

 

[dclive]

If you're using a USB enclosure, that's why it isn't seen by the DOS disk. DOS doesn't see USB devices. I'd thought you were directly connecting this to your machine with a 3.5" -> 2.5" IDE adapter. If not, do so, and you'll be able to see the disk.

 

[pilla]

I cannot use the IDE adapter. My desktop does not have a built in floppy drive and so cannot boot from floppy.
I should be able to boot with the USB enclosure I just need to figure out the drivers.
Thanks
P

I found this link, now have to figure a way to edit config.sys and autoexec.bat
http://oldfiles.org.uk/powerload/yes.htm

 

[dclive]

I'd suggest you find a desktop with a floppy drive and a 2.5" <> 3.5" converter and use that to format the HDD; much easier.

That said, Bootdisk.com has a suggestion, again: http://www.bootdisk.com/usb.htm; you could try those suggestions.

 

[pilla]

I tried the 2.5 - 3.5 converter like about a week back. Have an old desktop lying around.
When I connected the laptop hd using the converter it would say Drive 1 not found, drive 0 not found and would sit there... is it because I am not booting from floppy?

When it did not work I returned the adapter and bought the usb enclosure.

 

[dclive]

That sounds like your BIOS isn't set to autodetect or the drive wasn't hooked up or wasn't getting power. I'd suggest you'd have gone into the BIOS and confirmed the HDD was seen by the BIOS.

 

[pilla]

Little progress.
Bought an IDE adapter and hooked up the hd to an old desktop (this has floppy drive).
It displayed A:\>SYS C:
Did A:\>SYS C:
After a min or so it said something like transffered files or computer
Took out the HD inserted into the laptop and booted, displays the old error
GRUB LOADING STAGE1.5
Grub Loading, please wait....
Error 17
After doing SYS C do I have to fdisk and format?
If I format after doing SYS C won't I loose all the data? I mean the 386 folder and the other files copied by the sys command...
Thanks

 

[dclive]

Try FDISK /MBR c: and tell me what happens when you do that and then reboot.

 

[pilla]

I'll try it out tommorow morning around 10.30 am EST, will let you know then....
Thanks for all the help.

 

[pilla]

tried A:\>FDISK /MBR c:
Says Parameter format not correct - c

I also tried FDISK /CMBR c: but the same error message "Parameter format not correct - c "

I can do A:\>C: and it goes to C drive and I can see all the files

 

[dclive]

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000175.htm

....should be helpful.

 

[pilla]

i did A:\>FDISK /MBR put the hd in the laptop and it does not load from GRUB... have C:\>
Will try the install now. Thanks a lot.

Install started and it said smartdrive does not exist. I thought maybe the install will be slow without it so hit contnue. Hopefully it will not affect the performance later...

 

[Slikkster]

It won't affect it later, but it will slow down your install. The only thing that message was telling you was that the floppy didn't have smartdrv.exe on it. Your Win98 install will certainly have smartdrv.exe.

 

[pilla]

Finally completed the windows install. Machine is up and running.
Thanks a lot DCLIVE, without your help I would have given up long ago and this laptop would have been on ebay.
Thanks again
P