Author Topic: Adding USB Storage Device to Win98 W/O Driver? (Read 2451 times)

melarky · « **on:** October 04, 2005, 03:22:36 pm »

I just recently got an old touchscreen computer (probably for a jukebox project) that has Win98 installed on it. The catch is, the system does not have any external storage devices (like floppy disk, CD, DVD, etc...), only the internal hard drive. It does have a USB port on it, but because it's running Win98, I can't install any external drives because they require a driver be installed, and as I stated above, don't have any way to install a driver since I don't have any external storage devices.

Does anyone have any suggestions about how I could add a device to this computer (doesn't have to be a permanent solution, just enough to at least install drivers for other more permanent solutions). All of the USB Pen Drives I've looked at require a driver for Win98. Am I just totally stuck?

Harry Potter · « **Reply #1 on:** October 04, 2005, 03:24:11 pm »

If the thing has a Parallel port, you could get/make a cable and connect it directly to another PC. Win98 has that software installed by default.
On win 98 it should be called 'Direct Cable connection'. I'm pretty sure it also works with a null-modem cable over serial.

Grasshopper · « **Reply #2 on:** October 04, 2005, 03:31:06 pm »

Does the BIOS allow you to boot from a USB pen drive? If it does then it should be possible to install DOS onto the pendrive. You could then boot into DOS and copy the driver files from the pen drive to the hard disk using the command line.

Tiger-Heli · « **Reply #3 on:** October 04, 2005, 03:50:08 pm »

Got a CD Drive (or Floppy) from another PC you could install in it temporarily?

whammoed · « **Reply #4 on:** October 04, 2005, 03:56:06 pm »

or pull the hard drive out, put it in another pc, copy files, and replace

melarky · « **Reply #5 on:** October 04, 2005, 03:58:32 pm »

I'll have to tear it apart, it's in a funky case because it was originally used for health care stuff. Here is a link to exactly what I got:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Panasonic-LCD-touch-screen-mini-computer-BIG-18-GB-HD_W0QQitemZ8702968453QQcategoryZ80193QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I just got it yesterday, and had not planned on ripping it apart if at all possible, but it looks like that may be the only way.

Stingray · « **Reply #6 on:** October 04, 2005, 04:01:28 pm »

Quote from: bosss7 on October 04, 2005, 03:24:11 pm

If the thing has a Parallel port, you could get/make a cable and connect it directly to another PC. Win98 has that software installed by default.
On win 98 it should be called 'Direct Cable connection'. I'm pretty sure it also works with a null-modem cable over serial.

It does. I used to install software this way all the time when I was the admin of a lab of Win 95 PCs that had no removable media drives.

-S

melarky · « **Reply #7 on:** October 04, 2005, 05:17:12 pm »

Quote from: Stingray on October 04, 2005, 04:01:28 pm

Quote from: bosss7 on October 04, 2005, 03:24:11 pm
If the thing has a Parallel port, you could get/make a cable and connect it directly to another PC. Win98 has that software installed by default.
On win 98 it should be called 'Direct Cable connection'. I'm pretty sure it also works with a null-modem cable over serial.

It does. I used to install software this way all the time when I was the admin of a lab of Win 95 PCs that had no removable media drives.

-S

I'm arraid I'm too much of a novice user to understand this option completely. What exactly would I need to do this? Do I need a serial port on the computer (don't think here is one, there is a RS232C port, but I don't know what that one does, I think it's something to do with modems if my google search was correct).

SirPoonga · « **Reply #8 on:** October 04, 2005, 05:51:11 pm »

DIs that port a 9 or 25 pin serial port like your pc has?

IF so, you should be able to connect two computers together. You'd need a null modem cable (whoich you can get a serial cable and a null modem adaptor).

http://www.airborn.com.au/rs232.html

or using the appropiate radioshack part numbers
26-264
26-1496
26-117
26-152
26-269
26-240

melarky · « **Reply #9 on:** October 05, 2005, 11:32:40 am »

I took it apart last night, and it had laptop parts in it. I went to staples, radio shack, and best buy looking for a 2.5" to 3.5" adapter so I could hook the hard drive up to my desktop, but none of them had one, so I ordered one off of ebay (I'll have to wait a week for it to come).

I have no experience with this stuff, so I'll throw this out there, do you think it would be bad to upgrade the operating system when I hook it up to my desktop? I am not sure if that would break the touchscreen ability (I'm guessing it has a driver for it, but I'm not sure). Is there a way to extract the driver so I can re-install it on a new operating system? Is there a way to make an image of the current hard disk, then play around upgrading OS's etc... and then if it doesn't work out, reload the image onto the disk? I'm sorry if these are basic questions, I just don't want to break the thing.

SirPoonga · « **Reply #10 on:** October 05, 2005, 01:24:18 pm »

Quote from: stew_bidasso on October 05, 2005, 11:32:40 am

Is there a way to extract the driver so I can re-install it on a new operating system? Is there a way to make an image of the current hard disk, then play around upgrading OS's etc... and then if it doesn't work out, reload the image onto the disk?

Yes. I can't think of any free imaging tool right now, but norton ghost would have the ability to do that.

I suggest not using a newer OS. What's the system specs? I am doubting it is something that is big enough to make an upgrade worthwhile.

melarky · « **Reply #11 on:** October 05, 2005, 02:00:03 pm »

it's Pentium II 266 MGhz with 64 MB RAM. I don't want to put XP on it, but maybe like Windows ME or 2000 or something so I don't have to worry about dirvers and such not working with 98...

I have an old computer with windows 2000 on it in my garage, I wish there was a way to hook that hard drive up to this computer and see how well it does... I could only find a converter for 2.5" to 3.5" (not the other other way around).

Harry Potter · « **Reply #12 on:** October 05, 2005, 02:25:35 pm »

Quote

there is a RS232C port, but I don't know what that one does

That's the Serial port (or COM1 port). SHould be a 9 pin connector. You can get null modem cables from any good electronic stores and there's plenty of guides on how to network PCs on the World Wide Wait.

shmokes · « **Reply #13 on:** October 05, 2005, 02:34:31 pm »

Those are pretty low specs to be running Windows 2000 on, and Windows ME is a steaming pile of crap. Anyway, if you were to install Windows 2000 on the drive while it was plugged into another keyboard and then hook the drive back up to the original motherbaord there is a VERY good chance that it wouldn't even load Windows at all.

Jess-- · « **Reply #14 on:** October 06, 2005, 04:13:54 pm »

if this was mine I would get hold of a USB network adaptor, put the drivers for it onto the hard drive plus a copy of the windows 98 cd (by plugging it into another computer) and then once the hard drive was back in the little computer I would transfer everything via network.

melarky · « **Reply #15 on:** October 07, 2005, 12:51:56 pm »

I got something like this on its way:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Laptop-IDE-2-5-To-3-5-Hard-Drive-Adapter-Converter_W0QQitemZ5814925918QQcategoryZ41993QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I think I'll hook it up to my desktop, copy over the driver for a wireless adapter I have hanging around, then use that wireless adapter to connect to the internet and install any other drivers I may end up needing...

I'm not very experienced with networking, will I have problem hooking up this Win98 machine to my wireless network, when my desktop is running XP? Does that make a difference?

Harry Potter · « **Reply #16 on:** October 07, 2005, 01:05:34 pm »

Look man, in all honesty, you'll be lucky if you get Pacman running at 100% on that thing. I'd use it for internet only. A touch screen would be cool for interacting with Cheesecake.

melarky · « **Reply #17 on:** October 07, 2005, 03:52:29 pm »

I think it should handle playing mp3s no problem, I remember playing mp3s on my old pentium 60 back in the day. I got this for a jukebox project, not an arcade (already built my arcade, the wife wants a jukebox to go with it now).

Harry Potter · « **Reply #18 on:** October 07, 2005, 03:54:32 pm »

My bad. Should have read the posts. DOH!

In which case i'm quite jealous! I might just sneak into your house and steal it.....

Jess-- · « **Reply #19 on:** October 10, 2005, 09:09:24 am »

cant help thinking that this machine having touchscreen and wireless network would be ideal for remote control (via vnc etc)


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