Win 98 re-install

[GB_Nomad]

Hi, I have a laptop with a USB CD-RW..no other cd-rom is with it... I want to scrub the hard drive and reinstall win 98 but I'm afraid win 98 won't have the drivers I need to run the CD-RW and when it asks me to put the win 98 CD in (it won't be there). Can you take me through the procedure to reinstall win 98 (using f-disk and all that) and advise me about the cd-rw. :)

[Theoran]

Here are some tutorials for fdisk and reinstalling 98. As far as the CDRW goes, I'll let someone more knowledgable answer that question. :)

How to Delete a Partition (fdisk) (http://www.cybertechhelp.com/html/tutorials/deletepartition.shtml)
How to Create a Partition (fdisk) (http://www.cybertechhelp.com/html/tutorials/partition.shtml)
How to Format a Partition (http://www.cybertechhelp.com/html/tutorials/format.shtml)
How to install Windows (http://www.cybertechhelp.com/html/tutorials/reinstallwindows.shtml)

[GB_Nomad]

Hmm...maybe I won't risk it then...but it will need XP on it sooner or later and I will still be lost on whether I can use a USB cd-rom during the formatting and installation. =)

[Spider]

Hi GB_Nomad,

If you want to test if Windows has the right driver for your CDRW
then get the BIOS set for boot sequence order.
A,C,D
or
A,D,C

As long as A is the first check. Then insert and boot off of the floppy
and you will be asked (pretty quickly) DO YOU WANT CD SUPPORT,
select 1 (or start computer with CD-ROM support)
the floppy will take care of the rest.

Eventually (floppies are slow) it will be done and you'll have a black screen
with the cursor flashing at A:\>_

Stick in your Windows CD and wait till it stops making noise
(spinning/little light goes out). Type at the prompt (A:\>_) d:
and hit enter. If the prompt doesn't change to D:\>_
try typing cd d: and hit enter.

Once you have the prompt showing D:\>_ type dir and
hit enter. If you get the folders and files list spitting out then you
definitely have the driver for the CDRW on the bootdisk and your
good-2-go with any CD you have to use.

Now all this is relative to what type of laptop/notebook you have.
Some have a swappable bay that can only take a device at a time.
If you can hotswap the devices you'll be ok, or if the floppy drive
is a permanent device then again it shouldn't be a problem.

[GB_Nomad]

Hi
Win 98 doesn't have the driver for the cd-rw.
:confused:

[Spider]

Originally posted by GB_Nomad:
<STRONG>Hi
Win 98 doesn't have the driver for the cd-rw.
:confused:</STRONG>
Ok, is this cd-rw something you bought? If so then did it
come with a CD/Floppy?
Was the cd-rw included with the laptop? If so do you have
backup CD/Floppy with the cr-rw driver?

[GB_Nomad]

Hello :)
Yup..it was bought and only came with a CD.
No...it didn't come with the laptop.
Laptop Model = Toshiba 300CT!
Drivers are on the CD.

[Spider]

Originally posted by GB_Nomad:
<STRONG>Laptop Model = Toshiba 300CT!
Drivers are on the CD.</STRONG>
Ok, what model and make is the cd-rw?

[GB_Nomad]

Hello :)

CD-RW = (LG) MD5B-USB

:)

[Spider]

Ok, here is how we make a custom boot disk to hopefully
include your usb device. Windows has a lot of drivers but
they don't have yours included in the Win98 boot disk
config.sys
We are going to edit config.sys as well as add the cd-rw
driver to that boot disk.

Put your boot disk in the floppy drive
open Notepad and load the config.sys file from A:
look for the [CD] line and at the bottom of the
drivers list add this
device=onstrwdm.sys /D:mscd001 so that you
should have something that looks like this in config.sys
[CD]
device=himem.sys /testmem :0ff
device=oakcdrom.sys /D:mscd001
device=btdosm.sys
device=flashpt.sys
device=btcdrom.sys /D:mscd001
device=aspi2dos.sys
device=aspi8dos.sys
device=aspi4dos.sys
device=aspi8u2.sys
device=aspicd.sys /D:mscd001
device=onstrwdm.sys /D:mscd001

Now I'm going on onstrwdm.sys as your driver name
because that is what DataFab tells me is the name of your
driver. If the name of the driver (blahblah.sys) is different
you have to insure that is the exact call you make from
config.sys so if blahblah.sys is the driver you have on your
CD then the line in config.sys would be
device=blahblah.sys /D:mscd001
I'm sure you get the idea...

Now however you like to copy...copy the driver on to A: in the
root(fancy name for right-up-front-and-not-in-any-folders) of
your boot disk.

Give it a whirl(tech-talk for test the boot disk to see if you get
cd-rw recognition).

DataFab tells me your latest driver is version 5.0 I don't
know what version you have on your CD but if it is a
lower version I suggest going to DataFab (http://www.datafabusa.com/mobilestoragedrivers.htm) and get 5.0

I am assuming this is your device
http://seafoods.hypermart.net/images/md5b_usb_burner_dvd.jpg

Edited because of a rogue smiley-face

[ 19 January 2002: Message edited by: Spider ]