You may have an Admin/Config Setup Password set. I can't help you with that, but there is a Parallel Port cable for the floppy only which will allow both drives to be connected together. This link will take you to 2 Utility Setup Disks programs for both types of W-XP. They will let you start with a floppy drive and these diskettes, and then prompt you for your W-XP CD at the proper time to finish the OS install

http://search.microsoft.com/results.aspx?mkt=en-US&setlang=en-US&q=utility+setup

This is just an afterthought : i do not understand this.

 

If you see this in the bios ;

AND you use no bootfloppy ;

AND there is no bootable partition on your harddisk since you deleted those ;

the laptop should boot from cdrom !

 

I have just tested that on my C600 and it works.. (i had a 2nd -empty- HDD lying around so that was easy to test..)

I agree, a bios password is probably set..

 

Does hitting F12 at boot show a one-time boot menu that allows booting from cdrom ?

 

Alternatively, you could take the harddisk out and put it in another laptop

that will allow booting from cdrom and partition & format the disk, and copy the cdrom

contents on it.

 

Or do the same using a cheap 7 USD, 2.5"-to-3.5" converter to hook up

the disk to a pc..

 

You can put the disk back in your laptop : now you should be able to start the setup

after booting from the W2K floppy disks.

 

NO F12 One Time Boot menu on a CPiA.

Hi,

 

No pwd's what so ever set. :( If only I had the parallel cable from somebody... :). Thanx for the quick response and the link!!!

Because the CPU is PII350MHZ and there is only 256MB RAM and 7GB HD I think I'll install W2K with SP4. Are there any disk sets for that OS?

 

Reg,

 

Ernst-Otto 

Hi,

 

Jez, I also supposed that it would start from cd if there were no floppy inserted and no partition in HD but NOT!

It really looks that there would be some kind of BIOS pwd set but the bios says that no pwd's set. Interesting...

 

How can the possible PWD's (other that hdd) be resetted in this Dell model? I mean not in bios. Are there any special buttons under the surface etc???

 

Reg,

 

Pasi

 

Hi,

 

Still no BIOS pwd set.  No F12 availe at boot. I have to consider that HD takeout as an option...

 

Thxxx for the quick answer!!! :)

 

Reg,

 

Pasi 

Sorry guys,

 

There was an admin pwd set but no one seems to know what it is. Resetting the pwd may be difficult or is it?

I was also lucky because my colleague was able to find a suitable cable  for the external floppy drive.

 

Anyway for the future purposes it may be useful to be able to reset the admin pwd so if you have anysuggestions how to do that I would be more than thankful about the advice.

 

Reg,

 

Ernst-Otto

 

Hi,

 

for the BIOS password you can look in the FAQ.. you need to prove ownership.

 

The W2K floppies you can download here.

 

Good news you found the cable !

Rijko, you may not be aware of this but there is a file on the W2k available by browsing called Bootdisk, which has two sub-folders called Makeboot and Makeboot32. They will make the same two floppies; the latter is the one to use for any modern computer from 2000 upwards

Check your Private Mesaages at page top

---

leduke30 wrote:

Rijko, you may not be aware of this but there is a file on the W2k available by browsing called Bootdisk, which has two sub-folders called Makeboot and Makeboot32. They will make the same two floppies; the latter is the one to use for any modern computer from 2000 upwards

---

No, The W98 OS is a two way system; it can use APM OR ACPI. On the dell laptops of that period, you need APM with W98 only. W2K and W-XP are both ACPI only systems so do not run that registry file

Thanx,

 

It seems that there is still hope with the BIOS pwd too. :)

 

What do you think -> is it recommended to run RUN_ME.REG in W2K environment too? The regfile comes with the BIOS update floppy.

 

Reg,

 

Ernst-Otto