Installing New Hard Drive Without Original Windows disk for Compaq Presario 5700n

A friend of mine had problems with the hard drive on her computer. And it was making all kinds of noises and on occasion it would not find the operating system. I am assuming and did assume that the hard drive was on its way out the door.

I went and picked up a new Hard Drive for her and began to install it. After looking countless times we could not find the original windows 98SE anywhere in her house. So I took the Windows 98SE that came with my computer and installed it into her new hard drive.

Obviously it would not have the drivers that she needed and I think I have hunted all of them down. But before I go and sit in front of her computer and really get all into it. I have some questions...

She has the recovery disk for the computer. But I tried to use that and it looked like it was going to work and then after some time it would reboot to the same screen it started with when I booted from the Recovery CD. Am I doing something wrong. Can I install Windows from the recovery disk or no... If I can please someone explain to me what I am doing wrong.

If I cannot install windows from the recovery disk. Please someone fill me in on things I need to know and do and obviously install to get windows to run correctly when using the Windows disk from my Dell.

I had installed it and things seemed to be ok at first except for sound. But I found the sound drivers, the modem drivers, and I believe all other drivers needed.

I got onto the internet with it once. And her main concern was finishing her final paper for school. Well she tried to get on the internet a few days later. After I had taken a break from working on it anymore. And it could not find the modem when she tried again.

I was trying to figure alot of things out and went on this site and did some research. I came up with a few things that I will list below. Please let me know what I am missing out on.

I DL the following drivers, apps, etc...
Sound Card
Video Card
Modem
system ROM ( Bios )
Windows Diagnostics
USB drivers ( not sure if I need them ) It seems to know it is there. I don't know...

Anyway before I go back there. Can someone here give me advice on all steps I should take to get this thing in working order. Other than her buying a new computer. She is basically on a very strict budget being a full time student and working just to make ends meet. And she basically just needs the computer for School work until May and the internet.

Thanks for anyone who could help. I am sorry I made this a whole long story. Just figured I would lay it all out.

Please IM me at noemailaddys@allowed.com
Or reply here...

Thanks
Scott

[Jerry K]

Compaq Presario 5700n Drivers for Windows Page

Setup and Install Instruction Page

Note: Click the Product Information link on left side of screen and you should see links on next page for instructions on using the quick restore disk.

simply upgrade to XP Pro the drivers are on there

Not everyone can just upgrade to Windows XP and the drivers will be there automatically; it may take off more drivers than help the situation.

[Gillie]

Jerry,
Can I upgrade to XP pro from win 98se without reformatting the hard drive?
We have a video adapter problem. On the reload of 98 se from the recovery disks it doesn't see the actual video card. it thnks it's a generic vga pci when it is actually an nvidia, at least that is what compaq/HP say. When I ran the driver update exe from their sight it never upgraded the card, I suppose because it didn't see the card as an nvidia card. What do I need to do to get the correct card "seen" by the device manager and then load the correct driver? This is a compaq 5900Z

[Dolphin]

Let me make u another long story then.

as far as i can tell, u already have win98SE installed. and neither does the sound card and video card and modem and USB are installed now take it one at a time. start with sound card that's what i usually do. if the sound card came on-board the motherboard there should be a code at the startup screen when it starts detecting the hard drive and cd rom. now pause it there. in the buttom there is a code the last line copy that code to the search engine. u should be able to find the sound drivers and everything else that is on-board. if is not on-board then it sould've come at least with a box the name of the sound card is there is u lost the disk download the drivers here until u installed the sound video and USB and modem. now setting up ur modem after is installed. there should be directions on how to set up ur modem if ur using a 56k if is ethernet then as soon as the card is installed and u plug the cable in u should have access to the internet. if everything is working and it just stops working it could be a broken cable or a loose cable. but as far as i now there is no need to buying a new computer. if u have troubles not with the configuration of the modem but with the service contact the service u hired they should be able to help u.

Hope this works.

[ana_jan]

this is rather old theme, but always actual. I would like say some interesting and helpful things about format HD, installing win98. Win98 F(ile) A(llocation)
T(able)32. My opinion that is fairly commodious file system. When I to install win98, useing start up disk (boot floppy). Somethings you can do step by step. This disk contains generic CD-rom drivers, which you can use when running setup again. on the other side start up disk allow to load very important drivers Himem.sys; EMM386.exe; DOS, drvspace.sys.
After you can make a choice to install win98 from CD.
Only one sentence: oky bios, graphic card, BUT: modem or sound card? that is the question! My (many time) experience: first install sound card and drv for it, and than network card. Especially if it has speakers.
ana_jan