Installing Windows onto a laptop with no CD/floppy drive?

[Rip The Jacker]

Hey,

A friend of mine gave me his old IBM laptop. It currently has Linux installed, Debian I think. It doesn't have a CD rom drive, or a floppy drive... the only useful thing is a USB slot. It's really really old. Would there be any way to install Windows 98 onto it? Through a USB thumb drive or anything like that?

[zapjb]

Would the Bios allow booting to the USB? I don't think so. Hmm.

Heck I don't know.

I'll check back here to hopefully see the solution.

[backlash]

maybe u can hook up an external cd drive.

[lynx]

Does it have a network boot rom? If so, you could do a network install.

Alternatively, if it is still bootable you may be able to load the network install files that way.

Don't ask me for details of how it works though.

[Virtualbody1234]

Does the laptop meet the minimum requirements for Win98?

This link could help: http://ucsu.colorado.edu/~shaher/Bootable_USB.html

When installing Windows 98 you only need the Win98 folder from the CD and the Setup.exe from the root of the CD.

[clocker]

Don't ask me for details of how it works though.
I'd like details of how it works.:P

[Rip The Jacker]

maybe u can hook up an external cd drive.
My friend said he had tried that, and it wouldn't boot to the USB CD drive.

Does it have a network boot rom? If so, you could do a network install.

Alternatively, if it is still bootable you may be able to load the network install files that way.

Don't ask me for details of how it works though.
Er, a network install?

Does the laptop meet the minimum requirements for Win98?

This link could help: http://ucsu.colorado.edu/~shaher/Bootable_USB.html (http://ucsu.colorado.edu/%7Eshaher/Bootable_USB.html)

When installing Windows 98 you only need the Win98 folder from the CD and the Setup.exe from the root of the CD.
But how would I make the laptop boot to it? I don't know much about Linux, and I think it uses some seperate loader to start Debian, called Grub I think... Must do more research.

Thanks so far guys...

[Buffalo]

Could you take out the hdd from the laptop and use 2.5 to 3.5 IDE Hard Drive Cable Adapter Converter and load it from a pc :unsure:
http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=811539/

[lynx]

Buffalo's idea sounds best.

Fdisk the drive and format it with the /s option.
Then copy the contents of the W98 cd to the hdd, and make sure you've got any drivers for the chipset and network.

Now return the drive to the laptop, reboot and perform the installation from there. Install the chipset and network drivers and you can then load any missing drivers from the network.

[killuminati96]

Download an ISO and use a virtual drive, maybe? It would have to be an upgrade install and not a fresh install. i dunno lol You need to just buy an external dvd/cd drive.

[clocker]

i dunno lol You need to just buy an external dvd/cd drive.
Except his POS machine won't boot from a USB device.

I absolutely detest Win98.
My thumb drive at work holds UBCD/Techboot and I routinely use it to install drivers/apps/troubleshoot PCs...that is, until I hit a 98 machine which needs drivers to even see a flash drive.
How retarded can you get?