<--iNT13-->
Group: Members
Posts: 10
Joined: June 2004 |
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Posted: July 15 2004,08:16 |
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Re: "Compaq"
I'm sure I've posted this before... 
Most old Compaqs have the BIOS (or extended BIOS) on a hidden Primary partition (fdisk type code 12). Check your Compaq. If it is meant to have one you can download the "softrom" packs from the web. The 'softroms extract to floppies. Boot your box from tomsrtboot (or similar), delete all partitions, create a new DOS partition table (or run "fdisk /mbr" from a DOS boot disk). Reboot from the first Compaq floppy, 'it' will see the empty disk and give you the option of creating a 'Diagnostic Partition'. Do so.
After following the directions on the Compaq floppy series:- partition the rest of the drive as desired, make a partition active (bootable) - NOT THE FIRST PARTITION.
Install you OS as you will - just don't put your boot loader on HDA1.
You''ll find the Diag partition useful - amongst other things, you can set the boot order there 
Similar schemes are used for the mighty IBM PS/2 series
I've successfully installed to "loaded" from hda1 - 4 with FAT16, FAT32 and EXT2 in the process of installing to old laptops without CDROMs.
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