HELP! Formating hard drive using a USB cdrom. Can it be done? 3

[mllo57]

I have a Dell laptop and I'm trying to format my hard drive.
I do not have a swappable CD-ROM drive, all I have available is an external USB CD-RW drive.Can it be done, using a USB external CD-RW?
I'm trying to load Windows 98 from my external cd-rw drive.
Pls. Help!!!!

 

[SESaskDFC]

Howdy:

In all probablility, NO.. USB would need to be recognized by the startup floppy and DOS doesn't have those drivers or ability.

IF, and that's a BIG IF, your BIOS has the option to boot from USB (and it would be the first I have ever seen), then you may get lucky !!

Murray

 

[edfair]

No. You could try another path though. Put all the install stuff into a directory on the hard drive. Copy deltree from /w/command to somewhere outside windows then boot to DOS and deltree the entire windows tree ,programs, and documents. Then install from the stored install stuff.
Close enough to a reformat install that you can't tell the difference. Ed Fair
unixstuff@juno.com
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[roamer1]

Actually, there ARE USB drivers for CDROMS and other Atapi devices in DOS.

I can't vouch for them yet- I am just trying it out myself to get my USB External to work off of a prompt for ONSITE file recovery & imaging purposes

http://www.opus.co.tt/dave/

Yer looking for DUSE 4.4 by PocketTech.

See the FAQS at PocketTech for install instruction "How do I use DUSE USB DRIVERS for DOS"

I don't know if you will get enough speed to install off the ROM. if it is slow or iffy I bet you can do it this way:

Do your setup and get through fomat and sys the drive from a floppy then Load the Win98 DIR off the ROM onto your drive and run the setup from there. PS if you are familiar with LAPLINK's old dos version (ll3.exe or comparable) use it on the copy for speed and error control.

Really let me know how it works- I am interested in this myself

-Bruce
roamer_1@yahoo.com

 

[Marcs41]

My laptop (toshiba) boots on USB !
Check the bios if there is a setting for it. The solution is out there.