John Dulak wrote:
DJW wrote:
Snip
One other thought I have a flash/jump drive would it be possible to
copy the win 98 installer CD to it and try to install with it. What
would be the a prompt I need to type in to get the USB to load? When
things were working it was D drive. In the boot order can I add drive
letters or is that just for IDE bus's items?

DJW:

You can get access to a USB flash drive from a DOS boot floppy if you
load the drivers for it.

In your DOS config.sys file you need these lines

device=usbaspi.sys /w /v
device=di1000dd.sys

The /w switch causes the driver to pause so you can connect a USB device.
The /v switch causes the driver to give verbose messages.

And, of course, you need the referenced files on the boot disk as well.

Archive files that contain the drivers:

usb_dos_drivers.zip
http://www.toolsthatwork.com/downloa...os_drivers.zip

hd352u_dos.zip (The page is in Japanese but the file nanes are in English.)
http://www.driver.novac.co.jp/driver...d352u_drv.html


If the boot floppy has FDISK and FORMAT on it, and the flash drive has
the Win98 install files on it you could then partition/format the HDD,
copy the install files to the HDD and them reinstall from the HDD. Don't
know how the install program would react to installing from the flash
drive.

HTH & GL

John


Thanks John, never too old to learn something, just what I needed to get
an old laptop going again
DJW how are you getting along?