Laptop without cd or usb and need to install software - how??

[blackduck]

I have a Compaq Armada 4160T laptop which is currently running Win95 and has pcmcia slots and fdd and about 3gb hdd, but no usb ports or cd.

How can I install other software? (I do have a pc with cd burner, usb, network card, win98)

For travel I'd like to use it for internet (email). I also want to download my digital pics, but will need to get them out again later (will be too big to email).

I have found out I can purchase a pcmcia card with 2 usb ports attached, but will need win98 installed. External cd burners need usb and min win98 but are fairly expensive anyway.

I dont want to spend much on an old laptop but want to make use of it. Your ideas and help would be greatly appreciated. Where do I start??

 

[GrowingHaze]

I happen to have the same delima with my used laptop. In order to install programs I purchased a PCMCIA ethernet card and transfered the programs I wanted to install to the hard drive via my router. If you aim to install a program on a cd, use "Daemon Tools" to mount an iso of the cd. To create the cd, i'm not sure if daemon tools can do this. If it can't, go to download.com and search for an iso maker.

Of course, this doesn't address the problem of reinstalling windows, if that is what you need to do. Never faced that task without a cd drive. In theory, you can boot up via your network, but that is beyond my expertise. Hope this helps!

-Growing Haze

Gates giveth, Gates taketh away.

 

[edfair]

I've resolved is several ways using DOS. Laplink, parallel port zip, and DOS based network. Others have used interlnk/intersrv.
You can also put the drive on your other machine long enough to put the install stuff on it.
You might want to look at the PCMCIS network/modem cards. Think thery were $80 but not sure they will have 95 support.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[rclarke250]

geta pcmcia network card...share the cdrom drive from the desktop,put cd with software in the cd drive on desktop,on laptop navigate to the shared drive and start the install. this will only work for programs that don't need the cd in to start the program. Or look for an old pcmcia backpack cdrom drive on ebay,I have one and it still works good.

 

[Blujacket]

I use a Parallel-Port Iomega Zip100 drive and 1 disk to copy the install .cabs from the Win95 CD to the hard drive. Win98 requires using 2 Zip100 disks, more than 100MB worth. I keep hoping to get a good buy on a Zip250 PP drive.

I also have a Parallel-Port CD-ROM in a case that can accept either a hard drive, CD drive, or Zip drive [all IDE devices]. They're slower than a USB drive but quite usable.

 

[NADIAZIPPER]

Theer are also pcmcia usb cards, buy one of those for $100 then you can buy any external drive you want, and you can always use your external drive for any future machine

 

[blackduck]

Thanks for all the advice, I went with the pcmcia network card option and got hold of a second hand one. So now I have a network card in the win98 pc and pcmcia network card in win95 laptop with a crossover cable in between.

I am unsure if either are setup properly. The seller told me windows would just pick it up automatically, and I would see the laptop as another drive on my pc.

I dont know what to do next, could anyone help with where to go from here?

thanks heaps.