I want to install NT 4.0 on my old computer. the problem is that the CD-rom does not have an ATAPI driver. So I can not install it. I think the only allternativ is to buy an new CD-rom with an ATAPI driver. And my bios can't see hard drives larger than 2GB on the old computer, and I want to know how to solv this.

You might be able to get a BIOS flash update from the motherboard maker's web-site. If you don't know the make/model of the mobo go to: http://www.motherboards.org/mobocop.html where you can find info on how to identify the mobo and get links to manufacturer's web sites. As for the CD-ROM, you say it doesn't have an ATAPI driver. Do you mean you need a DOS driver? NT4 has its own drivers so you don't need them for NT and an NT4 install CD is bootable, so if you can go into the BIOS and change the boot sequence you should be able to boot from the NT CD and install that way.

I would suspect your bios does support more then 2gig and the limitation you see is due to DOS and fat16. You don't mention what your plans are concerning dos 6.22 and windows 3.11. If leaving them you can easily get past the cdrom issue. Simply copy the i386 folder from the cd to the hard drive using windows. From a dos boot, within the i386 folder, run winnt/b and the floppiless install will begin. This will depend on you having available disk space.

There was never a BIOS limitation of 2 gigs. Older 486's had a limitation of 512 megs and older Pentiums had a limitation of 8 gigs. The 2 gig limitation is a from a FAT16 partition as wanderer said.

It is the bios. I have read it on the Hp hompage. I have the last bios produced for my old Com(HP Vectra VL 5/xx series 3) HP VL3 v gk 05.13 released 14.10.1997. Wich only suports 2GB disks. And I now that FAT 16 does not suport larger disks than 2GB, but Win NT 4.0 does. The CD-rom name is: Creative CR-581 CD-ROM It has 4x speed and it is one of the old CD-rom's were you connected it to the sound card.

Might be worth considering installing a Promise (or similar) controller card; provides a current bios function; will allow you to access larger drives; 2x2 EIDE channels. PCI is current standard, but ISA versions are still around? Cost around $35-40/£30-40??? On the other hand - can Compaq kit accept an add-in controller card, remembering that Compaq have always been very proprietry/restrictive in terms of what third-party (non-Compaq badged) kit can actually fit into their boxes? If not possible to add in the card, then I guess its drive overlay software... (EZ-bios etc.) Ughhh... Might be wise/easier to replace the CDROM with a more current model, that connects to to the Mobo? Sound card connection types are somewhat historical these days? Cost - around $25/£20 (if you shop around, or go to a discount-house/computer-fair??? NT allows upto 4Gig as fat16, and upto 4Gig as ntfs if created during set-up. If the ntfs area (i.e. the boot-partition - where the system files reside) is preconfigured/preformatted via another NT installation it can be 'noticeably' larger - if in an Extended partition location; or be a max of 7.8/8Gig, if the (Primary) C: partition. A 2-4Gig partition for NT is usually more than adequate for most low demand situations (SoHo/domestic?).

NT won't install with a drive overlay. It wants direct access to write. Drive overlays basicly act like a virus intercepting the int13 calls. I like your idea about the additional controller but I think you are right that compaq won't work with it. Might be able to just leave the existing system the way it is and just add another ide drive [preferably a old one not a new ata100/133 since I don't think it will work]. Use WFW [windows for workgroup 3.11] for partition and format. Copy the i386 to it as previously suggested and try to install. Compaq did everything they could to prevent you just dropping any old OS on your system so I would spend a lot of time and effort on this.