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Compaq nc4010 - Install XP with no CDROM or Floppy 3

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gavm99

gavm99

IS-IT--Management
May 18, 2004
809
GB
Hi all,

I have a Compaq nc4010 laptop which does not have a CDROM or Floppy.

I can't use a USB floppy as the BIOS does not recognise it.

What is the easiest way to get XP installed?

The hard drive is easily removed so I can drop files on to it.

I was hoping I might be able to do this to get a working install of DOS along with i386 folder so I can them start setup but I haven't managed to do this successfully yet.

Any ideas anyone?

Thanks.

Gavin Moorhouse

Interested in my personal blog?
 
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You could potentially initiate the installation from another computer that does have a CD-Rom , after its copied the files and reboots the first time, turn off the machine and put the hard drive back into the original PC. The drive should boot up and continue with the install normally.


You could also try to format the Hard drive with the /S switch from another computer's command prompt, and then copy the contents of the Windows Install CD onto it.

Put it back in and it should boot to a DOS prompt, after that it is conceivably possible to run the installation.



----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.
 
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Hi,

Ok so I tried the install and then putting the disk back into the laptop after the reboot stage but it simply doesn't do anything, just has the black screen with the cursor in the top left.

Format /s option isn't valid so I can't do this?

USB CDROM definatly not recognised in the BIOS.

Further ideas anyone?

Thanks.

Gavin Moorhouse

Interested in my personal blog?
 
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I find it very strange that you have a USB post yet BIOS doesn't support it.

Have you acutally gone into BIOS to see if USB is represented?

I have seen laptops from the factory with USB disabled in BIOS (why I'll never know) but if that's the case you'll need to enable USB in BIOS.

Have you checked your BIOS level then checked with HP.com to see if they offer a later version?

anyway good luck

sam




 
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Format /s option isn't valid so I can't do this?
Click to expand...

It is too a Valid switch as evidenced by one of Linney's links.

Which is going to be your best bet.

Where exactly did you try to run the format command from?



----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.
 
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can you try format drive: /s

e.g format a: /s


vacunita

it is strange that when you ask format.exe for all it's parameters (in an XP machine) it doesn't show the /s like it did in 98,2K and ME. did they remove the copy system files option??

Code: 
C:\Documents and Settings\mscallisto>[b]format /?[/b]
Formats a disk for use with Windows XP.

FORMAT volume [/FS:file-system] [/V:label] [/Q] [/A:size] [/C] [/X]
FORMAT volume [/V:label] [/Q] [/F:size]
FORMAT volume [/V:label] [/Q] [/T:tracks /N:sectors]
FORMAT volume [/V:label] [/Q]
FORMAT volume [/Q]

 
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USB CDROM definatly not recognised in the BIOS
Click to expand...

The nc4010 is newer than the Evo n800v, and the n800v supports USB floppies and CD-ROM drives. I know because I used to work with that model all the time. Although it's possible the nc4010 doesn't support USB the way the older n800v did, both are of similar design so the chance of that is unlikely.

As it was suggested, perhaps you don't have the USB setting properly set in the BIOS. If you look under the Advanced menu, there should be an option to turn on "USB Legacy". Also, check the boot order to make sure the CD-ROM shows up as the first boot option.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Einstein
[tab][navy]For posting policies, click [/navy]here.
 
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Hi all,

Ok here is where I am at:

1) USB is supported, as cdogg pointed out it need enabling in the BIOS - thank you so much for this.

2) So now I have a CDROM I can use. The problem I have now is the mega slow copy speed without using SMARTDRV. What I did was use a bootable DOS CD and load smartdrv. I then put my XP CD in and winnt.exe. The files copied across and it then wanted to restart. After the restart it simply tried to boot from the hard drive and couldn't, it was like the files which were copied had disappeared??

Any ideas anyone?

Thanks.

Gavin Moorhouse

Interested in my personal blog?
 
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Using a win 98se2 bootdisk from bootdisk.com you should be able to format c: /s, I seem to recall that with the XP format command you can't sys a partition. Once you have the formatted drive copy the contents of the i386 directory over and run the setup from the hdd.

Btw any reason why you can't simply boot the xp cd up? if you're able to boot the dos cd then you should be able to boot the xp cd as well?

If worse comes to the worst I can always send you a dvd drive for the NC4010 (I gave my old 4010 to my mother who has since broken the lid bracket, so the laptop is coming back to me at some point). I think I even have the stupid USB\Power cable and the external caddy for it somewhere.

Let me know, I am only in Essex and could get it to you early next week.

Simon

The real world is not about exam scores, it's about ability.

 
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Hi Simon,

If I use the bootdisk I can't format the C drive. The reason I can't do this is because when I type in format C: /s it tells me that it is invalid media

I can't run the XP CD because without SMARTDRV it will take all weekend. If I use SMARTDRV when it reboots after copying the files it doesn't do anything, it just sits at a black screen with the cursor in the top left.

Thank you for the offer of the drive but I am still hopefull of getting this resolved, I am sure I am close!!

Any other ideas?

Thanks.

Gavin Moorhouse

Interested in my personal blog?
 
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It sounds as if the latest attempt at an install created an NTFS partition, hence the invalid media message from the DOS format command. Use DOS' FDISK to delete any existing partition.

Linney's earlier post contains a link that shows step-by-step what you are trying to do. Have you looked at this?

Guide: Install Windows without a CD-ROM or floppy drive
 
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Gavin,
I am confused about the use of SMARTDRV here. SMARTSDRV is a utility that can and should be used when running in DOS to speed up disk access.

However, when you boot directly from the Windows XP CD, you bypass DOS altogether eliminating the need for any DOS-based utilities such as SMARTDRV. Windows XP setup will use much, much more efficient 32-bit protected mode drivers for hardware I/O.

Are you accustomed to running the Windows XP setup for installation? If not, it can seem like it's taking a long time at first but shouldn't take you more than 5 minutes to get to the first setup prompt.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Einstein
[tab][navy]For posting policies, click [/navy]here.
 
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Hi all,

Ok here goes with the replies:

FDISK - I also suspected this and I have wiped out the partition. I have now managed to format using the /s switch and currently I am in the process of copying the i386 directory to the disk.

I have tried that guide but experienced many problems described in this thread.

SMARTDRV - I defiantly need to use this. I think it is because I am using a USB CDROM. I have installed XP many times and the initial load screen can take a few minutes but on this machine without SMARTDRV you can leave it for hours and never get to to the Welcome to Windows setup screen.

I hope all that helps.

I am waiting for the i386 directory to finish copying to the newly formatted disk (which is in another computer at the moment) and then I will put the disk back into the laptop and attept to boot into DOS and then run winnt.

Thanks.

Gavin Moorhouse

Interested in my personal blog?
 
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Gavin,
If you boot into DOS to start the Windows setup, then what you're doing makes sense.

But...

What I'm trying to say here is that using DOS shouldn't be necessary at all. You should not have to go to a command prompt in order to run the Windows setup. Instead put the Windows disc in the USB CD-ROM drive, turn off/on the PC, and when you see the prompt "Boot from CD..." press any key to initiate it.

It should run at full speed the entire time, because the Windows XP setup uses a more efficient method to access memory and the hard drive as opposed to booting to DOS first.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Einstein
[tab][navy]For posting policies, click [/navy]here.
 
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I totally agree with you!!

The problem I have is that when I do that it gets to part where it wants to reboot your machine (after copying the install files, before the GUI starts) but when it reboots nothing happens at all.

It just sits there will a black cursor in the top left.

Thanks.

Gavin Moorhouse

Interested in my personal blog?
 
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To wrap up the Format /S issue. Yes it appears that support was removed from the Windows Platform I believe starting at Windows ME. Why they chose to do it? I don't have the foggiest.

A Win98 Boot disk should still allow for it.

Anyway and back to the Problem at hand,

It would seem the setup is hanging. Usually this is caused by some problem with hardware or even RAM memory.

Are there any Ram sticks you can remove from the PC?
This thread had a similar issue and removing the Ram stick helped it get past the black screen and continue installing Windows.




----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.
 
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Hi all,

I have a final wrap up for this thread.

After the fdisk I then tried to use smartdrv to run the XP setup from the disk but this would not work.

So I went back to very begining and used my USB CDROM and ran the XP setup straight from the CD and guess what?! It worked!!

Laptop is now up and running.

Thank you so much to all responses.

Gavin Moorhouse

Interested in my personal blog?
 
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