problems installing on Compaq Armada M300

misterphil · 07-06-2005, 04:12 AM

Hi
I have just started a new job in a school - in a cupboard there is a box of 3 compaq armada m300s, a single power lead, a battery pack (cylindrical) and 4 PCMCIA CD drives.

The laptops have all had their disks wiped by the corporate donors.

I have read threas:
Disk error on 98SE clean install

but the prob is that we don't have any docking stations. Any ideas anyone on how to get them working again?

Thanks

**Detah** · 07-06-2005, 07:47 AM

I am not sure I understand your issue.
Do you have an operating system CD for each laptop?
Is the goal here to install the OS?
Or are you wanting to install some hardware (CDROM drives)?
Do they have floppy drives?

Stu_computer · 07-07-2005, 12:50 AM

First, you need a floppy drive to use the win98 startup disk to boot them. An external CD drive won't be recognized until driver is loaded and there isn't one (wiped hd). If you don't have the external floppy drive, you can't do it this way.

The alternative is to pull the HD's, buy a 2-to-3 1/2 IDE adapter at a computer store ($10), and format/s the HD's in an available desktop, copy Win98 folder from CD to folder of samename on HD, then reinstall HD's and continue from there. (fyi-this is called a flat install.)

For all the bother, you'd likely be better off paying the computer store to do the formating/copying.

This is the link for the software and drivers page

07-06-2005, 04:12 AM	#1 (permalink)
misterphil Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1 OS: xp / linux	problems installing on Compaq Armada M300 Hi I have just started a new job in a school - in a cupboard there is a box of 3 compaq armada m300s, a single power lead, a battery pack (cylindrical) and 4 PCMCIA CD drives. The laptops have all had their disks wiped by the corporate donors. I have read threas: Disk error on 98SE clean install but the prob is that we don't have any docking stations. Any ideas anyone on how to get them working again? Thanks

07-06-2005, 07:47 AM	#2 (permalink)
Detah TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: from IL; now in KY Posts: 647 OS: Win98SE/XP My System	I am not sure I understand your issue. Do you have an operating system CD for each laptop? Is the goal here to install the OS? Or are you wanting to install some hardware (CDROM drives)? Do they have floppy drives? __________________ Ich kann auf Deutsch helfen. Mach ein' post und PM mich. Peebs85 kann auch Deutsch. If I help you, please donate to upgrade our outgrown server. I will donate my time to helping you for free, but the server is not free. Please send donations to Jason Connors (TSF owner), 4410 Grandwood Lane, New Port Richey, FL 34653. Even if its only a dollar. Thank you.

07-07-2005, 12:50 AM	#3 (permalink)
Stu_computer Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,459 OS: Windows	First, you need a floppy drive to use the win98 startup disk to boot them. An external CD drive won't be recognized until driver is loaded and there isn't one (wiped hd). If you don't have the external floppy drive, you can't do it this way. The alternative is to pull the HD's, buy a 2-to-3 1/2 IDE adapter at a computer store ($10), and format/s the HD's in an available desktop, copy Win98 folder from CD to folder of samename on HD, then reinstall HD's and continue from there. (fyi-this is called a flat install.) For all the bother, you'd likely be better off paying the computer store to do the formating/copying. This is the link for the software and drivers page Last edited by Stu_computer; 07-07-2005 at 12:55 AM.