Am helping a friend with an IBM Thinkpad 1200 series laptop.Need to reformat and she does not have a recovery disc. There is a disc with drivers and Windows 98.Is there any reason I can't use a Emergency Start Up Disc-F Disc her drive-install Win 98-AND THEN use the driver disc to install any of the IBM Thinkpad specific drivers. I know IBM has a site for downloads. One says to use when installing without a recovery disc. Not sure how to proceed. Anyone with experience that has dealt with this that could give me some insight would sure be appreciated.Thanks for any and all assistance.

First, I'd like to thank you so much for posting the model number. Most don't. You bet, you can do a generic install--most of the Thinkpads I've owned, I never even HAD the original software (used). You found the IBM site, that is half the battle. Did you find the "driver matrix" page? This page lists all the drivers you need, for different models, in handy chart form. Here's the general page: http://www-306.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=TPAD-MATRIX and then here: http://www-306.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-4L4NTP Here's a general page for the i-1200: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/product.do?doctypeind=9&doccategoryind=0&operatingsystemind=49979&template=%2Fproductpage%2Flandingpages%2FproductPageLandingPage.vm&brandind=10&familyind=50263&machineind=0&modelind=0&partnumberind=0&subcategoryind=0&validate=true ---------------- Now, you confused me. Do you have TWO cd's? 1-Windows98, and 2-drivers? What exactly does it say on it/these? What kind of setup do you have, that is, do you have a CDROM only, a swappable cdrom/floppy, or an external floppy bay, or just what? --------------- -------------- """One says to use when installing without a recovery disc. Not sure how to proceed""" Are you talking about a boot disk? You might post the link where you found that. --------------- If you look arount IBM's site, (its huge and complicated), you should be able to eventually find what you need, including the hardware and the users manuals, if you don't have them. Also, you should find some tutorials/papers, things like "Considerations for installing Win....etc" that give you hints and tips for installing. Here's a page showing "supplemental install files" that have things like your display controls http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-4X2GYM Here's something called a "setup guide" for that machine, I did not read it: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-4L3QVC Unfortunately, under "OS installation" all I found was reference to "ME"

Have a usb disk drive that is connected to the computer. There is an internal CD Rom. I am concerned that if I use a windows emergency disc to get to dos where I can choose to install generic cd rom drivers that after I Fdisk that if for any reason I can't get back to the a: prompt so that I can switch to a e: prompt so that I can install Win 98Se that I would be unable to get back to any a: prompt as I would not have use of the usb disk drive as I would have wiped out the usb drivers that I would need to use floppy disc. I do have one disk that has Windows 98 and Device drivers on the same disc (one disc) If I am able to install Win 98, I could then use the disc with the device drivers to get Thinkpad up and running. Then it would be necessary to go to IBMs site (have found Matrix and know which one to use) and download and install updates. Thank you for all the sites to look at with regards to this process. Much more to it than I thought there would be. Appreciate any other ideas. Steve

I'm a little confused by your first question: """Have a usb disk drive that is connected to the computer""" I assume this is a FLOPPY? Is it factory, or aftermarket? I assume that you don't think it will boot? Have you tried it? TELL ME please what exactly is this CD that you have? What does it say on it? You might pop this cd in your computer and browse it a little, and see if there is a \win98 folder on there, with a whole bunch of .cab files. Sounds to me like it is indeed an installation disc. By the way do you have the CD key for this system? That CDROM in that thinkpad should be bootable, IF IF the CD that you have is bootable, and IF it is an installation CD. IF that is true, you should be able to boot and install, fdisk, and format, right from that CD. I would "try" it first!!! You may or may not need to set the boot order in the bios first. I didn't "read the book"--on most Thinkpads, you access the bios (setup) by starting with the machine OFF. Press and HOLD the "F1" key and CONTINUE to hold "F1" while turning on the power switch. IF the CDROM is bootable and IF the CD you have is a legit install disc, you should not need to worry about an "A" prompt, or installing drivers for the CD. This should all be taken care of. Here's a few things to test: Try booting (from a cold start) with the CD you have. IF it boots, IF IF it is a generic Windows disk, it should boot to an A: prompt (even though it is a CD) type dir and the (ENTER) key. This will show you that it's booted to the cd and the files that are there on the boot section. type fdisk/? and the (ENTER) this will confirm that the fdisk program is present. type format/? and the (ENTER) This will confirm that format is there. If not, find the CDROM "letter" Try D, E, F, and R. After you find it, type cd win98 and (ENTER) you should see X:\Win98 for a prompt, where X: is your cdrom. NOW type format/? and (ENTER) If this is a legit Windows disk, "format" should be there. Now, a few things: You may not need to fdisk. Depending on what is wrong with the computer, and so on. Will it boot to Windows at all? If so, and IF you do not have the CD key, you can view it in Windows, even in safe mode. There is also way to get the key out even in DOS. DO NOT fdisk or reformat UNTIL you have a legit Windows key. Hang in there, this may not be as bad as it seems, hey I managed to figure it out.

Hey Name, Boy do I appreciate all the effort that you have gone through to assist with this situation. There is one disc. On the disc is listed "Windows 98" and Device Drivers. I am back on my computer at home so I won't have time to try some of your suggestions until later tonight or maybe tomorrow. I will write back and let you know how I have progressed. Sounds like you may be right in being able to access dos commands even though it is coming from the cd. It is a "legit" CD. It came when the laptop was purchased from the school. Each teacher was able to purchase one. All was previously installed on the computer and no recovery disk came with it. Have had problems with the usb and printer. Tech at HP said it might be best to reformat. Said problems should be taken care of with a reformat. Way too much "garbage" on the computer. Read somewhere that it is wise to reformat every so often. I have an XP machine at home and have reformated two or three times over the past couple of years. Runs well. I will write back soon as to how I've progressed. Do really appreciate your insight. Steve Bell

And I appreciate you being forthcoming--there are waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy too many people who get on here and say "I can't format my laptop, what's wrong" They wonder why some of me get cranky. It "sounds" like what you have is a legit so called Windows OEM cd, and if so, that is 4/5 of the battle, right there.