Formatted Laptop need help!!

Hobson · #1 July 20th, 2004, 05:30 AM

I recently bought an old laptop so i could play my old DOS games but the person i bought it from formatted it before i got it and there is no Operating System on it. I called the guy and he said i will need some disk to do it but he lost the ones that came with the laptop. So what should i do to get Windows 98 on this laptop... Also included with the laptops specs it said " MultiBay Expansion Base: Provides two additional MultiBay device bays as well as integrated Ethernet and port replication" does that mean i could hook like road runner up to it.... The laptop is a Compaq LTE 5300

**degsy** · #2 July 20th, 2004, 04:50 PM

Welcome

You need a Win98 CD.

You may be able to get one from ebay or second hand.

If it has an Enthernet Port then you should be able to plug it in to your Broadband connection.

Hobson · #3 July 20th, 2004, 05:38 PM

You can't download windows 98 off the internet since its an old OS or can you just its illegal? Also its alright to use any win98 cd what about all the drivers ont he computer how will they get installed like sound card and stuff?

**degsy** · #4 July 20th, 2004, 05:43 PM

Hi,

Obviously, we cannot recommend or help you with illegal software.

Have a look around local computer stores to see if they have old copies available.

If the drivers are not on the Win98 CD then you can try the Compaq site or general online drivers/manufacturers sites.

Hobson · #5 July 21st, 2004, 08:24 AM

I have a windows 98 SE cd i found that came with an old compaq persario (or however you spell it) that i had years ago... if i installed that on the laptop would it work correctly?

renegade600 · #6 July 21st, 2004, 01:23 PM

most likely it will not have the drivers for the laptop. However if the os cd was used in another computer that was upgraded to a newer version of windows then you cannot use it.

Hobson · #7 July 22nd, 2004, 01:38 AM

"However if the os cd was used in another computer that was upgraded to a newer version of windows then you cannot use it."

Why can it not be used?

And will i be able to find any driver i need online?

**Miz** · #8 July 23rd, 2004, 07:42 PM

Compaq Recovery CDs do not contain everything needed to reinstall. They rely on data on a hidden partition on the harddrive of the system it came with.

Compaq's Quick Restore CDs do contain everything needed but they are system specific also.

System specific means that Compaqs have a BOMID and some critical BIOS information on the harddrive, information that is restored by the Recovery/Quick Restore CDs. They are not restored when you use a Windows installation CD. The BOMID and the BIOS data are system specific. If you use a Compaq disk on any system not identical to the one it came with, the chances of the computer booting after the install range from slim to none.

Yes, you can usually find drivers online. You'll need to know the manufacturer's name and model number of the device you're getting drivers for.

Since it says it has an integrated ethernet, that's what you need to connect to either a cable or DSL modem. If you only have a dialup connection, you'll need to buy a modem. Make sure you buy one for a laptop, they are about the size of a credit card and are inserted into a slot usually on the side of the computer.

You could call Compaq and see if they can send you the Quick Restore CDs for your particular model. The "Recovery" CD won't do you any good since the drive has been formatted and the hidden partition, along with the data on it that the Recovery CD depends on is most likely gone. The CDs won't be free and it may be they don't still stock them but if you can get them, it'll save you a lot of headaches...and time.