I have a formatted Compaq Armada 7730 which i am tring to install windows 98 on, but i can't figure out how to get it to run the cdrom. I can boot with a 98 startup disk, but it does not install any cdrom drivers because i have to take out the floppy drive to put in the cdrom drive. I think i have the correct driver for the cdrom called CPQLTECD.SYS, but i'm not sure how to use it.

If you have access to a CD burner why don't you put the windows floppy files on CD. Should solve your problem.

The formatted computer will not boot from cdrom

Josh Check HERE

http://web14.compaq.com/falco/detail.asp?FAQnum=FAQ4860

With no option to use Floppy Disk Drive and CD-ROM Drive at the same time,first obtain a bootdisk for the Operating System being installed. Assuming Fdisk was used on the Hard Disk Drive to create a ‘container’ for the active partition, and that the Hard Disk Drive was formatted (Format C:) to prepare the partitioned area for Operating System storage. Start laptop with bootdisk and select: ‘Start PC without CD-ROM Support’ if the option is presented. Step 1: Install Command.com on the C:\ drive to make the Hard Drive bootable. At the A:\> prompt, key in: SYS C: Press: Enter. (A message with ‘System Transferred’ appears after this command is done. To check the Hard Disk Drive for the Command.com file, At the A:\> prompt key in: C: and press: Enter. At C:\>, key in: DIR, and press: Enter. Command.com should show up on C:) Step 2: Copy the oakcdrom.sys and mscdex.exe files from the bootdisk to the Hard Disk Drive C:. At the A:\> prompt, key in: copy a:oakcdrom.sys c: Press: Enter. Back at A:\>, key in: Copy a:mscdex.exe c: Press: Enter. A message: ‘1 file copied’ appears after each action. Step 3: Create the Autoexec.bat and the Config.sys files. At A:\>, key in: Edit Press: Enter. In the Edit program, key in: C:\mscdex.exe /d:mscd001 Press: Alt+F to access the ‘File’ menu. Press the A key to access the ‘Save As’ dialogue box. In the ‘Save As’ dialogue box, key in: C:\autoexec.bat Press: Enter. The info is now saved as the Autoexec.bat file. Next, press Alt+F to access the ‘File’ menu again. Press the N key to create a new document. In the new document, key in: Device=c:oakcdrom.sys /d:mscd001 Press: Alt+F to get back to the ‘File’ menu. Press: A to ‘Save As’. In the ‘Save As ‘ dialogue, key in: C:\config.sys Press: Enter. Info is saved as the Config.sys file. Press Alt+F and key in X to exit the Edit program. [Note 1: as an optional step, while creating the Autoexec.bat file, /L:X can be added to establish the CD-ROM Drive letter. For example, to create the Autoexec.bat file and establish the CD-ROM letter as ‘M’, the following entry is used: C:\mscdex.exe /d:mscd001 /L:M Press: Enter.] [Note 2: the autoexec.bat file can be checked using the following command at the C:\> prompt: Type autoexec.bat Press Enter. The config.sys file is checked the same way: Type config.sys Press Enter.] Shut down PC, remove the Floppy Disk Drive, and place the CD-ROM drive in the laptop bay. Start the laptop, and this time, boot to the C:\> prompt. Step 4: Install Operating System. At C:\>, key in: D: Press Enter. (Where D: is the CD-ROM drive) Now, at D:\>, key in: Setup Press Enter. Install Operating System.

Compaq has a ready made Softpaq for this purpose (SP9090.exe) found Here Follow its instructions.