External CD-ROM on Laptop and using the Restore Disk

[TheFanatic]

I have an older VAIO laptop that doesn't have an internal CD-ROM or Floppy. I need to wipe the HD and start over. I have the original restore disk, but I'm wondering if the machine will recognize the external CD-ROM after the HD has been formatted in order for me to reload the OS?

 

[adkmom]

Hi-

Is it possible for you to browse the restore CD to see if there's a CD.exe or similar file on there somewhere?

I have an Inspiron 2100 from Dell & I have the same setup- floppy & DVD that interchange within an external bay. I did a restore with the CD set as first drive in the BIOS (CD,HD,floppy,network) & it ran fine- no floppy needed. Just told it to run with CD-ROM support during setup.

No way to email Sony on this?

Mom

 

[razled]

Be carefull as this is the very problem I am having I have a dos driver for my pcmcia cd rom but it dosnt work now I have a blank hard drive and unable to see my cd drive.
Ensure you have the correct drivers by reststarting in dos and seeing if you can see the cd before you start, ie try installing the dos drivers before you format the drive.
good luck

 

[TheFanatic]

First, the Sony Support site SUCKS!!!!

I found one place on the web that said that the restore disk would work with an external CD-ROM as long as it is a Sony CD-ROM, but it wasn't an official site. Whoever designed the site couldn't spell very well, so I'm looking for som corroborating evidence. I have a Sony External ROM, but I'm concerned as to whether or not this guy knows what he is talking about.

Another option on that same site was to copy the System Recovery Disk to the HD and restore from there, but how is that possible since one of the first things the Restore Disk does is wipe the HD?

 

[razled]

how big is your hard drive, you could try a partion manager and partion manager and partion your hard drive, copy the restore disk to the new partion and do the restroe from there.

 

[TheFanatic]

I actually found that I can use the Sony CD-ROM to do this, as long as the CD ROM is a Sony, and mine is. I'm heading home for the weekend, so I won't get to it till Monday....

thanks for the insight...