ok, so my roomate was going to throw away his old laptop because he couldnt' get it to work and he had a new one, so he didn't need it. sceptre laptop, model N20U , http://www.sceptre.com/Support/FTP/S7300.htm

I decided that I would try to salvage it, and maybe try to use it in my car for tuning, when I get my wideband O2 sensor in. anyways, it's fucked up. It boots up properly, but it can't recognise the touchpad for mouse using, but when I use the keyboard to go into system settings (winblows 98) it has a "problem" with the PS/2 mouse port.

ok so I though I'll reinstall the drivers, maybe even the whol OS, only problem with that is that the CD rom drive AND floppy drive are not part of the main computer, they are both incorperated into some gay attachment piece that plugs into the bottom of the laptop. I's like a base for it. To the point... neither the floppy drive nor the CD drive works, I go back into system settings, hardware profile, and it shows under the "other devices" section "?! PCI communication device" which I'm sure is the base attachment, again the problem is I can't reinstall drivers because the base is what has the CD/floppy drives.

I also tried to plug in a usb mouse to make htings easier and it said "please insert windows 98 CD rom" , so this is just :ghey:.

However the power supply does run through the base into the main unit when they are plugged in, ie. I plug the power cord into the wall, then into the base attachment, take out the battery from the main unit, and attach the main unit to the base unit, the main unit will still turn on fine. However, when I press the open button on the cd drive it doesn't open, but I think that's just because it isn't communicating with the main unit, and might as well just be unplugged as it is.

I have the drivers for the base unit on my main computer, but I don't know how to get them to the laptop. The laptop has these available ports: USB, PS/2, modem/phone jack, LAN plug, what appears to be a extrnal device attachment plug for cd/floppy, that in no way can connect to any port on the base unit, and a PCI card slot.

help?


cliff notes:

-salvaged crappy laptop before it was trashed by roomate
-it keeps needing drivers to work properly
-only way to install said drivers is by floppy or CD rom
-only way to use CD rom, floppy is by installing drivers

what can be done?

 

USB flash drive?

 

oooh, good call, and I even have one of those, just gotta find it, lol

 

sounds like a pita, you can always try to remove the HD,attach to your PC and make it a primary drive and install the OS, and place it back on the lap top and hope it runs.

 

The OS is already installed. He just needs the drivers. Plus, you would need an adapter to get a laptop drive hooked into a desktop bay.

 

Fuck it. Go linux.

 

Damn Anti-Microsoftian......

 

lol, forget it, It just crashed while sitteing there doing nothing (BSOD), so I'm just gonna chuck it... right after I steal the memory out of it for my other ghetto laptop.

 

If you are really going to chuck your laptop, can I have it?
I want to make a digital picture frame and I want to salvage the LCD.

PM me if you want to work something out. Something simple, just chuck it in a box with some bubble wrap, and I'll send you the money via paypal.

- Frank

 

Blessing in discise, now you may make some money off your friends laptop

 

never expected that to happen. PM sent...

 

Hah, with my hardware skills, I'll be happy if I don't melt a hole in the LCD with a soldering iron.

 

good idea chod! let us know how it goes