Miscellaneous laptop discussions forum: Reformat laptop hard drive, reinstall OS, no CD-ROM

You didn't write:

1. What you have to work with.

Example -> Floppy, USB port, Ethernet, Serial, Parallel port.

2. No mention of what OS you want to install.

Procedures will vary.

3. No make/model means I can't pre-emptively note where to find drivers if you were to install some Microsoft Windows. Microsoft doesn't supply drivers for motherboard support items like the USB in most cases and certainly not the Video and Audio.

Best of luck,

Bob

There is a very arcane method of putting the drive into a desktop and FORMAT C:/S to get it to boot, then copy the WIN98 directory there plus any drivers you can imagine, but this involves removing the hard disk, some hardware skills, command line skills and an adapter like http://www.compgeeks.com/details.asp?invtid=HD-108

But this method is best just described as above and I can't offer any step by step method since the above is all a person would need if they were to do such. There are many hurdles here and on top of that, one wrong move and you start over.

Drivers are best collected from Toshiba's web site.

Sounds like fun.

My laptop computer hard drive went out. The cd-rum is not working. How could I setup windows xp

Replace the CD RUM (?) first.

It does happen. The test of the drive is simple. Try to boot the XP CD again. We don't need to install XP but I find its a good test.

If that works, look up XP UPPERFILTERS on google, remove those as well as the old boot SAFE MODE, remove all cd/dvd drives in device manager procedure. Reboot, retest.
Bob

Without tires. Sometimes you have to replace the missing parts.

Or it is like working on a car and you find you need a spanner. Not only you don't have a spanner but you may discover more about spanners than you intended. i.e. the tools to get the job done.
Bob