I Need Help With My Other Computer !!!?

Question

I Need Help i have another computer here at home and it has windows 98 and im tring to upgrade to windows XP, but heres the problem.... the CD-ROM drive dosnt work but i have a friend who can lend me one that dose.... the USB's dont work.... the LAN dosnt work and the Modem to..... other than that everything else works. The computer has a Floppy drive in it. Iv had Windows XP in this same computer with the same motherboard and everything. But it had a viris and wouldnt work so i had to change the Hard Drive. So now i have a diff Hard Drive... But the New Hard Drive is the same as the old cause the new one came out of a model like the one i have now. So if someone has a way thay can help me it would be nice and thanxs.

P.S. I Have another Hard Drive from an Old laptop case im on my new one right now. So is there a way i could use my Old laptop Hard Drive ?

Answer 1

Sure. Just plug it in. You might find that the pins are reversed on your old drive. Do not worry. Windows XP is a very advanced Disk Operating System, and is equipped to handle such an eventuality.

Answer 2

If you want to install XP on the hard drive that is currently in the computer, then I would recommend buying a new CD-ROM drive (or borrowing that CD-ROM drive from your friend). They are generally only about $20 these days. Swapping out the old CD-ROM drive and the new CD-ROM drive is very easy. Then you should be able to install XP using that CD-ROM drive.

Answer 3

I assume the computer is a laptop, a laptop drive will not work with a desktop computer the plugs are different.



For XP you will need at least:

Processor speed 1GHz

(500 -600 MHz passable if no music or video is to be played)

Memory 128 GB RAM



If the computer supports the old hard drive and it works you can use it. If the drive had a Virus on it you might want to run a special program that will wipe the drive (erase everything) before you install XP.

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Any of the following three methods should wipe the drive. You will need to install on a floppy disc if you can't boot from the CD drive. If you can boot from the CD drive, install it on a CD or floppy disc.



http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6142_102-0.html?forumID=5&threadID=194873&messageID=2115918

"You can find out the manufacturer of your HD and then attempt to download the formatting tool created by that manufacturer for their HD's. Most HD Manufacturers have a Zero Fill Low level formatting tool available to erase their HD products. This will clean any existing OS files from your system as well as any viruses other files etc.”



Darik's Boot and Nuke (DBAN)

http://www.download.com/Darik-s-Boot-and-Nuke/3000-2092_4-10165154.html

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=61951&package_id=58479&release_id=439240

DBAN will automatically and completely delete the contents of any hard disk that it can detect, which makes it an appropriate utility for bulk or emergency data destruction.



Active@ Kill Disk - Hard Drive Eraser (Free version/ $29.95 enhanced version)

http://www.killdisk.com/

Active@ KillDisk - Hard Drive Eraser is powerful and compact DOS software that allows you to destroy all data on hard and floppy drives completely, excluding any possibility of future recovery of deleted files and folders. It's a hard drive and partition eraser utility.

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If your computer will not boot from the CD-ROM, you will need to either upgrade the BIOS to boot from the CD or make Windows XP setup floppy boot disks.



Windows XP Home Edition Utility: Setup Disks for Floppy Boot Install

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&familyid=e8fe6868-6e4f-471c-b455-bd5afee126d8

The Windows XP startup disk allows computers without a bootable CD-ROM to perform a new installation of the operating system. The Windows XP startup disk will automatically load the correct drivers to gain access to the CD-ROM drive and start a new installation of Setup.



How to obtain Windows XP Setup boot disks

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310994





Floppy Boot Install of XP Procedure

1) Install CD-ROM Drive, make sure it works

2) Make floppy boot disks.

3) Insert XP install Disk in CD Drive

4) Insert floppy boot disks and start computer. The boot disks should load the drivers for the CD drive allowing it to read the XP CD.

5) At this point CD should read XP disc.

6) Format drive

7) Create only one partition on drive

8) Install XP



If you can boot from the CD



Reformat and install From a CD

(Read procedure for either install method required)

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/winxp/install.mspx

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313348





USB, LAN, Modem, Video, Sound

Windows XP may find and install all the drivers to get the above devices to run. It is best to determine the make and model of the video, and anything else that does not work after installing XP and to go to the manufacturer's site and look for the XP drivers in the manufacturer's support area and download and install them.



To find the make and models run “BelarcAdvisor”

http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html





How to Build a Computer

Step by step instructions with pictures text and video.

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/build-a-computer.htm



Hard Drives Installation + Jumper settings

http://www.harddriveupgrade.com/jumper_pins.shtml

http://www.helpwithpcs.com/upgrading/install-hard-drive.htm



CD or DVD Installation + Jumper settings

http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/461258

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6603_7-5118840-1.html



For issues related to disk capacity. Read

http://www.dewassoc.com/kbase/hard_drives/hard_drive_size_barriers.htm

Answer 4

to do a complete upgrade to win xp do this first update all drivers and then do a complete av scan then do another update to all drivers after that then do a upgrade by way of cd