Can I use an external CD drive with a Windows 98 boot disk?
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Thread: Can I use an external CD drive with a Windows 98 boot disk?

  1. #1
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    Jul 2002
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    Can I use an external CD drive with a Windows 98 boot disk?

    When a boot disk has CD support, does that apply to external CD drives? I need to install Windows 98 off of a CD onto a blank HDD in a laptop that does not have a CD drive. Therefore, I have to go get an external CD drive and boot off a Windows 98 floppy disk that has CD support, but I'm screwed if CD support only applies to internal CD drives. Simple question, really Thanks for any help!

  2. #2
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    Stiltzkin, is it a usb or PCMCIA card cdrom? What type of laptop is it?

    boots

  3. #3
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    it would be much cheaper to buy a program called drive copy.
    it comes with a laplink ppl port connector and the necessary software to transfer the win98 folder to the laptop.
    i've done it many times

  4. #4
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    In response to number 1: I don't know what the drive is since I haven't gotten it yet (I'm going to borrow it from an organization when my friend finds it), but the laptop looks to be a Texas Instruments Extensa 515 (it's very old). In response to number 2: Actually my external CD drive will be free since I'm only borrowing it

  5. #5
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    if the laptop is very old, i'd make sure win98 would even fit on the harddrive and there was at least 32 meg of ram.
    win 98 takes up close to 170 meg of drive space, before you even install any programs

  6. #6
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    doesnt all this depend on whether the bios for the machine supports it or not? On the one machine I have, The last reformat I did, my internal was fried so I used an external to boot and load win xp. (from the age of it, i would assume it doesnt tho)
    Last edited by toolooopy2; August 10th, 2003 at 07:54 AM.

  7. #7
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    Stiltzkin, here is a link to the drivers available for your notebook:

    http://www.acersupport.com/notebook/html/e510_dl.html

    Here is the specs:

    http://www.acersupport.com/notebook/...5ds_specs.html

    Yes it would be possible to load and OS with a PCMCIA card cdrom but I wouldn't put anything higher than win95 on it and like kjanx said that would depend on the what the laptop has for hard drive and memory.

    You'll need the serial number from the laptop to download the main set of drivers. Get ready for some dos work. You might want to check out bootdisk.com to see if they have a boot disk that might work for you. If not we'll get you going. In case your wondering, Acer acquired the mobile computer part of TI a few years ago.

    boots

  8. #8
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    Been a few years since I used an external cd via PMCIA, but as I recall none of the regular boot disks would work since you need the stuff for the PCMCIA in addition to the CD drivers. Most of the really old laptops like that would not allow you to select boot from CD in the bios setups either.

    I found it to be easier to just pull the laptop hard drive out and plug into an adapter plug and connect to my workbench desktop to do what I need.
    Last edited by OPOVET2; August 10th, 2003 at 04:09 PM.
    If you think AOL sucks just try MSN to see really bad service.

  9. #9
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    It can be done because I've done it...on an old 486 laptop using an equally old external CD drive. It took like what seemed forever...couple of hours...but it worked.

    The CD drive has to be connected before you start the laptop. There should be a floppy with the CD drive which "installs" it on the laptop. Then the CD drive can be accessed from the A: prompt and Windows installed.

  10. #10
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    Jul 2002
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    Alright. Considering the statistics of this laptop, I'll probably end up letting it keep Win 95, but I'm still going to reinstall the OS which means that all the external CD info (which I have been sufficiently supplied with) still applies. Thanks for the help!

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