Before this post I did a search on 'Compaq fdisk', and I have read all of them yet I am still a bit confused. My problem/question; if I were going to install a new (bigger) HD into a standard PC (like a Dell, Gateway, home-built, etc. which I've done dozens of times), I would do the following after physically installing the hardware: 1. Boot from a standard Win98 startup disk with CD rom support, 2. Perform fdisk, 3. Perform format, and reboot 4. Insert Win98 CD and run setup. Now with a Compaq I also must install a special diagnostic partition that will allow me access to the BIOS (I believe) from a rompaq program which I have downloaded. At what point do I do this? After step 3, or before step 1? Also, I plan on doing this without a Qiuckrestore CD. Should I have any concerns? Thanks for your help.

For what is it worth. Compaq puts their ROM on the hard drive. There is no Bios to reset and I have a personal dislike of Compaq. You have to go to their website and download the boot file for your particular system. Good luck.

i suggest boot with a 98 bootdisk. if the bios can fit to a floppy then run the bios setup

As far as I know it is the F10 setup you download from compaq that makes the partition and installs setup on the HD. You don't have to do anything special. You can do it before or after you install the OS, or not at all. If you don't do it you'll need to boot from the rompaq disk to run setup. Anyway, that's the way it used to be.

Dave, I have to disagree with you on this one. I've got an Armada 4131T laptop myself. Philip, you need to go to the HP/Compaq website & find the download for the SETUP & DIAGNOSTICS program. Execute the downloaded file to create the two floppies. The Setup disk is bootable. Reboot with the setup disk & follow the prompts to create the small (3-MB) NON-DOS partition on your HD & install the setup & diagnostics programs. This needs to be done BEFORE you use fdisk to create your Primary DOS partition. The BIOS is actually on a chip on the system board, but the setup & diagnostics is the program to ACCESS the BIOS. I'd give you a direct link to the download, but since they merged the HP & Compaq websites, I don't know where anything is anymore. HTH Dave

By the way...the ROMPaq is actually a BIOS flash. Follow the directions EXACTLY if you decide to use it. It isn't necessary to flash the BIOS, unless it addresses a specific problem that you're having. Dave