Cannot Install Windows Millennium Edition on Computer with Only One Removable Drive (306761)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
This article was previously published under Q306761

SUMMARY

Some laptop computers have only one drive bay. Either a CD-ROM or a floppy drive can be in the bay. When you are upgrading to Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me), you can start the computer and use the CD-ROM drive. However, if you are installing Windows Me on a formatted hard drive, the drive bay is needed for a boot floppy disk. This article explains how Windows Me can be installed on laptop with one bay and a formatted hard drive.

MORE INFORMATION

Create a Boot Disk

You need a Microsoft Windows 98 boot disk. To create a boot disk, follow these steps:
  1. On a computer with Windows 98, click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
  2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
  3. Insert an empty floppy disk in the floppy drive, and then on the Startup Disk tab, click Create Disk.

Add a System to Formatted Hard Drive

  1. Shut down the laptop, and then install the floppy drive. See your laptop's documentation on the correct method of replacing the CD-ROM with the floppy drive.
  2. Start the computer. When prompted, click Start computer without CD-ROM support. Note where the diagnostic tools are loaded.
  3. At the command prompt, type

    SYS C:

    and then press ENTER. This makes the C drive bootable.
  4. At the command prompt, type

    EDIT

    and then press ENTER.
  5. In the Edit program, type:

    mscdex.exe /d:mscd001

  6. Press ALT+F, and then press the A key. In the Save As dialog box, type C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT, and then press ENTER.
  7. Press ALT+F, and then press the N key.
  8. In the new document, type:

    device=oakcdrom.sys /d:mscd001

  9. Press ALT+F, and then press the A key. In the Save As dialog, type C:\CONFIG.SYS, and then press ENTER.
  10. Press ALT+F, and then press the X key to exit the Edit program.
  11. At the command prompt, type the following lines. After you type each line, press the ENTER key

    COPY OAKCDROM.SYS C:
    COPY <drive>:\mscdex.exe c:

    where <drive> is the drive with the diagnostic tools noted in step 2.
  12. Turn off the computer. Replace the floppy drive with the CD-ROM drive. See your laptop's documentation for the correct method of replacing the floppy drive with the CD-ROM drive.
  13. Start the computer. The computer should start with CD-ROM support. Insert the Windows Me installation CD-ROM.
  14. At the command prompt, type

    <drive>:

    and then press ENTER, where <drive> is the CD-ROM drive.
  15. Type the following

    SETUP

    and then press ENTER.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:9/28/2004
Keywords:kbhowto kbprb kbsetup KB306761
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.