Lost factory installed drives when I replaced hard drive

[Jerry625]

When my hard drive bit the dust I replaced it with a new hard drive. I then formated the new drive with Windows 98se. (which installed ok). Now I find that all my hardware drives are missing and I do not know how to get them reinstalled. I tried to boot Compaq Recovery Disc to see if I could use it to restore back to "when shipped" condtion but I cannot boot the cd restore disc . I am promped that the "BOOTCAT.BIN" is NOT and valid "WIN32" application.Can anyone out there give me the "KEY" as to how I can boot-up this restore/recovery disk ? I am trying to restore my Compaq Presario 5000 desk top. Thanks for any info .
Jerry

 

[traycee]

Since it's a compaq. Just go to compaq's website. Click no software and driver downloads. Under enter a product number type in presario 5000. In the list that appears click on your compaq presario 5000 model. The actual model number is usually on a sticker on the side of the case. Click on your operating system. And you'll find all of the drivers for your computer listed there. Just download what you need and install them. If you can't even get on line, use a friends computer and burn the drivers to a cd and then install them into your computer. Personally, for what its worth, I think you are better off without installing compaq's cd and just went with Windows 98SE. This way, once the drivers are installed, you have exactly what you need.

 

[Jerry625]

Thanks for the sugestion Traycee. I had considered that as a possiblity but really as a last resort. I concur with your comments on only installing the necessary drivers . I still am interested in finding out how one can find a way to overcome this "bootcat" & bootbin" bottleneck and hope one of guru,s on this great web site could possibly explain how this could be done or why it can,t . Thanks again for your taking time to help and I will use your solution when this thread expires to page 5.
jerry625

 

[edfair]

You may be able to load the "as shipped" drivers from the restore CD. They will be on the CD somewhere, usually in a driver subdirectory.
Normally you would go to the device manager, system, device, specific device, properties, drivers, change driver, and point to the location of the files on the CD.

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

 

[Jerry625]

Thanks edfair but the real problem is just that! I CANNOT boot the restore disk. The boot requires a "BOOT BIN" program to open it and when I attempt to start the boot I get the prompt that this is not a " VALID WIN 32 APPLICATION" Therefore I am unable to boot the Compaq recovery disk at all. I need to find a way to bootup this disc . Any suggestions to get this done ?

 

[edfair]

Assuming that your SE installed correctly, and that the IDE controllers are working correctly, and that the CD is recognized, you do not need to boot from it to load the drivers from it, just point there when you update the drivers.

If the stuff isn't available from SE, then use your emergency boot disk to gain access to the CD and copy (xcopy would be better but you'll have to point to the program) the driver stuff (if available) to the hard drive.

Hope you understand. And there is always the possibility that things won't work that way and you'll have to figure out another way. One of which is using another machine to transfer drivers to floppy. Or to use that other machine to download the drivers to floppy. Assuming, once again, that that hardware is available.

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

 

[Jerry625]

Thanks again edfair. I am a complete dunce when it comes to MS DOS commands. Do you know what commands I need to use to get this accomplished . I have both "D" & "E" CD drives and both worked when I installed windows 98se. When I go into the MS DOS and use the command "xcopy" (without the " ")
I get this response - "Invalid number of paramaters". When I type in "copy" I get "required parameters missing". What commands should I use to see if I can boot this Compaq Recovery CD ?? Thanks much for your input.
Jerry625

 

[edfair]

In the DOS mode and assuming that the drivers subdirectory exists on the CD and that you are using the emergency boot disk with fat16 or fat32 C: drive:
c:\windows\command\xcopy d:\drivers\*.* c:\drivers\ /s /e /v

The same command would work from command prompt boot off the C:.

Then would be a matter of pointing to the c:\drivers\specific_driver_directory\ to extract from.

Once again, I don't know that the drivers will be stored like that. It is speculation on my part.


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

 

[micker377]

AS an aside, was the original drive Win 95? If so, that could be the reason for your "errors". That file you are having trouble with is probably a 16 bit program that the new 32 bit system won't recognize.

 

[Jerry625]

tracee,ed & micker. The original drive was formated windows 98se.Now, using eds MS dos commands (by bootup using my original start-up disc I made when I got the machine & using option 2 "startup machine with cd rom support" I sucessfully got MS DOS to FILE "BOOTCAT.BIN" & "BOOTSECT.BIN". However I still get the same results when I attempt to boot the Comapc rescue & recovery disk. I get this reply "D:\BOOTCAT.BIN is not a valid WIN32 application". (same thing when Bootsect.bin is clicked).So! I appreciate your input gentlemen and maybe you can continue to steer me towards the finish line.

 

[Jerry625]

Dah! Doh! Dumb#^&@(!!!! Just in case you guys who took the time to help me droped by to visit again, I wish to tell you that the problem is resolved (somewhat) !! When the light bulb came on, I realized that that Compaq Rescue & Recovery CD disk will not do me any good at all as ALL the data was on the hard drive that died. Hence I will have to individually download those missing drivers. Found a great place to do this.

http://www.freedriverdownload.com.

Thanks again to you all for the help.

 

[edfair]

I think that the stuff was on the CD but was just unavailable from a lack of the tools to access it. That is the advantage of being in the business, most of us have the tools and the determination to get what we want.
Of course it could be a bad CD and all efforts would have failed.

Glad you got it sorted.

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

 

[garebo]

What you could have done, i think, is install win 95, use it to get your drivers, then put them on a cdrom and reformat and install win 98 and use the drivers.
Or install win98 or 98se upgrade from win 95.
Or, easier, just go to HP website and get the drivers for your compaq machine, lol.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips