driver files and formatting

onetopdog · Post by **onetopdog** » Thu May 30, 2002 7:04 am

My Brother had a Dell and of course like some do he has lost his RESTORE CD or SYSTEM CD. Now he has the blus screen all the time. An IE errors with all other kinds of program errors. I have copied the cabs folder to a cd-r and got his product key from the registry. I got it wrote down now. Now that I got the OS and Key off the hard drive. I am trying to figure out how to get all the drivers for the PC's devices on a cd-r so I can install them all after I format the HD. Can any one help? Or give more direction if I am not doing this right? Oh yes we are using Win98 and it might be Se not sure.

Actually I do not need is OS do I? I can use my copy of Win 98 just as long as I use his key when I asks for it RIGHT? This is legal isent it? The key is the key not the files ????????

The Dude · Post by **The Dude** » Thu May 30, 2002 12:45 pm

I have used different keys for the same Windows CD, shouldn't be a problem you have a legit key. Your best bet is to download the latest drivers off of the net. Even if you could locate them on the hard drive it could be quite a challenge installing them again if you don't have their install programs.

Norm · Post by **Norm** » Thu May 30, 2002 12:56 pm

This may help with drivers, but blue screens are usually hardware problems, or hardware driver problems. You should reseat all connections inside the PC too if you go for a format/reinstall

First, make sure you have "show all files" checked, and "Hide files of know types" unchecked in Start|Settings>Folder Options>View Tab

Copy the entire Windows folder to CD if it is small enough to fit. Delete temp, and IE temp files to make some room.

After windows is reinstalled, copy the windows folder you put on CD to a new folder (call it Drivers) somewhere on C: drive.

When you are installing drivers, point to c:\drivers\windows\inf

I did this, and only had one device I needed the driver disk for.
It may not have all drivers you need, but it will have many. Windows will also have plenty of it's own drivers as it installs too.

onetopdog · Post by **onetopdog** » Fri May 31, 2002 6:19 am

Thanks Norm.. I will try this soon. We live about 2 hours apart. And he is gone now for a month or so. He is in the Army. And a special thanks to you for your help in the past. You have replied to a lot of my questions here at SpeedGuide.

And for the other reply as soon as I get the pc here I will probablly try to figure out what kinda hardware is on it and go looking for drivers also.

THANKS ALL!!!!!!!!!