Laptop Dilemna

tomED

Ok here goes.....

I have a laptop - it hasnt got a floppy drive... The os has died - there's no way of getting it running again - however I can still browse files when i boot up with a bootable cd (win98 setup)

I want now to get the machin on a network so i can transfer files over to another machine....

However, each utility I have used to do a network boot gives me the same error.... Either can't write to the floppy drive, or cant write to the CD.....

Any suggestions what i can do to get these files off the machine over a network???? THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!

talos

try knoppix

tomED

Will this work with fat32 drive?

tomED

partition even!

cyclopath2001

>>I want now to get the machin on a network so i can transfer files over to another machine....<<

Here's one way: (Assuming the laptop hard drive is a standard 2.5inch unit)

1: Buy or borrow a 2.5inch hard-drive enclosure with a USB connector.

2: Remove the hard drive from the laptop.

3: Mount it in the enclosure.

4: Connect to another machine & transfer the files.

You could then format the drive & make it bootable, copying on whatever's needed (e.g. MSCDEX) to get it to mount a CD and allow you to reinstall the OS. You could also copy over the OS install to the hard disk before putting back into the laptop.

Instead of formatting the drive, you could try and fix the fault. It may just need a FDISK -MBR to get it sorted.

Ciaran500

You don't install knoppix, it just runs off the cd and it should be able to read fat32.

tomED

cyclopath2001 wrote:

>>I want now to get the machin on a network so i can transfer files over to another machine....<<

Here's one way: (Assuming the laptop hard drive is a standard 2.5inch unit)

1: Buy or borrow a 2.5inch hard-drive enclosure with a USB connector.

2: Remove the hard drive from the laptop.

3: Mount it in the enclosure.

4: Connect to another machine & transfer the files.

You could then format the drive & make it bootable, copying on whatever's needed (e.g. MSCDEX) to get it to mount a CD and allow you to reinstall the OS. You could also copy over the OS install to the hard disk before putting back into the laptop.

Instead of formatting the drive, you could try and fix the fault. It may just need a FDISK -MBR to get it sorted.

Thanks for the hint - thought about it - but not worth the invesment - prefer to loose the data.

The fault is unfixable - trust me - i've done everything imaginable!

tomED

Ciaran500 wrote:

You don't install knoppix, it just runs off the cd and it should be able to read fat32.

Ill give that a try so!

Tom

Hagar

Get a bootable cd with pc anywhere and a parallel to parallel or usb to usb and port of the data. Once your data is safe you can re do your laptop.

tomED

talos wrote:

try knoppix

Absolutely excellent!!!! Thanks a million for this.... got me out of a hole.

All I have to hope for now is that the HDD doesn't die..... she's making a lot of horrible crunching noises!

Tom

Zaltais

You've probably already sorted it with Knoppix, but came across this today which may be of interest...

The Muppet

Maplin do a 3.5 to 2.5 inch ide cable which would have allowed you put your laptop drive into a desktop pc to allow you backup your files. I got mine a while ago now and i think it cost around €8.

Capt'n Midnight

interlnk / intersvr can be used to with a serial cable.

if the PC only has a serial port and can boot to DOS and has MODE.COM then you can can reverse copy intersvr over the cable.

PCa
intersvr /rcopy

PC with no FDD / CD / USB / NIC etc.
at the DOS prompt

MODE com1:2400,n,8,1,p
ctty com1

If you don't have mode it might be possible to generate small com file to change the serial port settings using COPY COn SER.COM using ATL+numeric

The Muppet

Capt'n Midnight wrote:

=

If you don't have mode it might be possible to generate small com file to change the serial port settings using COPY COM SER.COM using ATL+numeric

should that command not be " COPY CON SER.COM "?

Capt'n Midnight

from http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/~feeley/cours/ift2240/doc/assembly/int14-0.html

rough first pass - the xor/sub's are cos you can't type in a 0 at console easily
later passes would use easier to type alternatives - NOT TESTED

-a 100
0CB0:0100 xor ah,ah
0CB0:0102 mov al,a3
0CB0:0104 sub dx,dx
0CB0:0106 mov ah,4c
0CB0:0108 int 21
0CB0:010A

which becomes the next line - STILL NOT TESTED
Echo 0õ░ú)Ê┤L═!)Ê0Ê0÷ > broken.com

pass 2
XOR AX,AX
XOR AL,A3
XOR DX,DX
XOR AH,4C
INT 21

one byte longer, but if you can use KEYB to choose different country more are typeable esp with KEYB BR
1└4ú1ÊǶL═!Ê0Ê0÷0