This laptop is a Dell Inspiron 3800 with no CD rom drive, only a floppy drive. I have tried making Dos boot disks to try to get USB support in Dos so that I can start installing windows XP from my flash drive plugged into it. So far nothing I have tried has gotten it recognized. Then again most of the things I have tried are based around USB CDrom drives.
2007-04-06 17:10:09 · 11 answers · asked by Joey R 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Laptops & Notebooks
This laptop is a Dell Inspiron 3800 with no CD rom drive, only a floppy drive. I have tried making Dos boot disks to try to get USB support in Dos so that I can start installing windows XP from my flash drive plugged into it. So far nothing I have tried has gotten it recognized. Then again most of the things I have tried are based around USB CDrom drives. I sort of dug myself a ditch by uninstalling the OS that was on there.
2007-04-06 17:25:09 · update #1
Windows XP requires either a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive in its normal form. You'll really need at least 128MB or RAM also and honestly it'd be painful to run at that or its bare minimum requirement of 64MB. I would stay with Windows 98 on that level of machine.
2007-04-06 17:16:09 · answer #1 · answered by Michael B 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That notebook tops out at 512MB RAM. You would need to purchase the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM (your choice) that slides into the media bay. You have USB and should be able to use a USB CD-ROM drive to install XP from. Based on what you've said ..... apparently there's something wrong with the USB which prevents it from recognizing devices? That part you've written seems a bit confusing.
Quite frankly, you're wasting your time and money attempting to upgrade this machine to XP. Especially since you can't go above 512MB RAM (and the video alone will use 32 or 64 of that, depending on the chipset) That would leave XP with just over 400MB Ram to run with ...... Possible but far from ideal.
When it's all said and done, for a few hundred dollars more, you can buy a brand new machine with either XP or that dreaded Vista.
2007-04-06 17:30:20 · answer #2 · answered by mrnaturl1 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the only way you can do this is to copy the i386 folder to the hard drive via a network port ( do you have a usb port? then get a portable cd rom ) boot to the floppy then run the install from the hard drive BUT even stripped xp ( using nlite ) it will slow you laptop to an unacceptable crawl as with 512mb of ram and i'll assume an old 486 or early 586 pentium 2 or 3 processor it will not be worth the install of xp
2016-04-01 01:35:15 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
OK here's the real deal..
From what I read, you have some type of OS already working on your laptop Yes/No
If there is an OS. Download the I386 Folder to the harddrive
from the USB.... run the install from that location....
Before he install, remove all execess programs to free HD space....free up as much HD space as you can. Strip OS to the Min.....
XP will over write your windows folder and install... When it reboots to continue installing the files will already be on the HD.... Following me....
This is all based on that the laptop has the HD space to do this and have meet the min specs to run XP...
No OS....I think you can get an old win95 on floppies get USB support drivers install ....do the above....
On the Side... Look for BIOS update.. There may be an update that will load USB support from within the BIOS setup..
Anywho worth a shot... Hope this helps.....
2007-04-06 18:11:15 · answer #4 · answered by oneliteranight 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you really want to use CD-Rom in this pc then ok otherwise I will not suggest because new computer are coming with USB 2 and new configuration. Using old computer you may face problem.
Take the Computer name and model go to shop tell them you need DC-Rom they will give you nice advise if there is any available you can use then buy. You can setup by the information enclosed with the CD-Rom you purchased. You will have to attach USB cable with the computer and electric.
Hope this may help you.
nihon94@yahoo.com
2007-04-06 17:17:08 · answer #5 · answered by Ari 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
get the CD ROM for it, but it originally came with only 64 m of ram which XP won't like if it will even run at all.
2007-04-06 17:18:01 · answer #6 · answered by ben e 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if there is no cd rom drive, the machine is not likely to have the guts to run xp
2007-04-06 17:18:01 · answer #7 · answered by nuff 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What version of operating system do you currently have installed? Do you have Internet access? Maybe you could download an upgrade.
Give as much more info that you can think of to get a better answer.
2007-04-06 17:22:22 · answer #8 · answered by L J 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if you have a network with another pc, you may try to share the cdrom from another pc.
if the laptop is "old" as you say, check to see if you can run xp.
2007-04-06 17:17:12 · answer #9 · answered by Ron Guilmet 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
get an external usb cd drive
2007-04-06 17:14:25 · answer #10 · answered by ninjapanda500 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋