Hello, everyone, I really, REALLY hope someone can help me with this. Recently, I just purchased a used laptop with no operating system. But here's the deal -- the laptop has one of those slots where you can only use a CD-ROM or a 3.5 DISKETTE drive separately -- there's one slot, and two drives that goes into that one spot. (I hope I'm describing this right. Let's say it like this: Instead of the CD-ROM and 3.5 Drives being in separately slots, they go into the SAME slot.) This means I have to take out one drive to use the other one -- can't use them both. Here's my problem. I'm trying to install Windows 2000 from the CD-ROM. But the problem is, I can't LOAD THE CD-ROM DRIVER. For whatever reason, it's not taking. I recently downloaded the Ultimate Boot Disk for Win2k. They came in 4 disks, kind of a Windows2k setup disks, and I ran it through. The thing is, when it's time to continue the setup, I need to use my W2k in my CD, but I CAN'T use the CD-ROM because the setup process is still reading files from the 3.5 DISKETTE! When I just switch the 3.5 for the CDROM, it doesn't work. I get absolutely nothing. Not only that, but the setup tells me it "can't read my CD-ROM" and that's because I don't have it in the slot! Man, I know this all sounds confusing. Imagine how i feel! I got this new laptop that I'm dying to use, and I can't even put in an operating system! By the way, it has NO operating system -- no ms dos, NOTHING. Thanks to anyone who can help me. if anyone needs any clearing up, let me know. I'll try to clear it up. All I can say is, what a mess this is. It's been 3 days since I got the laptop! Thanks everyone.

Just wanted to add: I CAN'T access my ms-dos command prompt.

Have you tried setting the BIOS to boot from the CD-ROM and booting directly from the W2K CD? This would keep you from having to swap drives. Many laptops use proprietory equipment. It may be necessary for you to get the CD drivers from the maker of the laptop, if you can. There is an option in the W2K setup to load additional drivers, such as SCSI. Possibly you can load the CD drivers here. Hope this helps.

If not you may need to install DOS fully from floppy disk in order to get the CD drivers on then copy the relevant files from the CD (I386 for intel etc) to the C drive and install from there.

My Think Pad does not have A floppy disk drive and I am planning on fresh install Win 2000 with formating C drive. Will I need DOS CD drivers or my Bios startup: A>CD>C will take care of that. Don't want to format first to find out that could be a problem IBM site clames that they don't have DOS rivers for CD.. Thank you Edward...

Dear friends, I got a laptop - TOSHIBA Satellite 1730, Windows Me was pre-installed in it. I installed Windows 2000 Professional( Chinese version). But I couldn't open Windows Me, I want to format the hard disk. How can I do it?