Old computer boot from CD

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strategist333

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Hey everyone,
I recently dug out an old computer from my attic and decided to see if it still worked (I found an old hard drive (1.5 GB) and decided to replace the 540 MB hard drive... yeah, it's 1995-old). The new hard drive has Linux as its OS (but it's locked, not that that matters); the problem is that their is no option in the BIOS to check for CD-ROM first (I'm trying to install Win2K); all the BIOS allows me to choose is "A: then C:", "C: only", or "C: then A:".

Do any of you know of a way to boot by CD using a floppy or some uploadable program in Linux? Does formatting my hard drive allow the CD-ROM to somehow be triggered (no OS maybe?)?

Please reply if you have ANY way to help; thanks!

In case this is useful:
PhoenixBIOS Version 4.04
AGOURA release 1.17
CPU: Intel Pentium 75 MHz
RAM: 24576K
Hard Drive: 1624 MB
CD-ROM: 4x(?)
 
nope

you need to use a floppy boot up then install another OS, make sure you clear the linux off that hard drive first cause windows will NOT do it
 
well you want to get rid of linux and put win2k on there correct?

if so, linux has to go, or be re-installed later, unless its on a separate drive, in which case you will need to install a boot loader after all this is done so you can choose which one to boot from(dual boot setup)

which also means you need to boot up into something that you can run the install routine on the win2k disc from the CDROM, which means the boot floppy needs cdrom drivers too, linux isnt gonna let you run the setup routine on the win2k disk
 
oh ya one other little detail, I dont think win2k will fit on that 1.5GB hard drive, someone else know how big win2k is?WinXP is around 2GB's.
 
24MB, ya it will run, maybe, it will suck and hardly be usable though

they probably recommend 128mb or more, even with 256mb it sucks

my advice, learn to use the linux thats on it, or put a different flavor of linux on it, it will run ok with that, more RAM would be good though, at least 32mb anyway

simm's are dirt cheap, I have a bunch,want some?
 
I found NT bootdisks, downloading them right now, thanks. As to linux, I'm not sure I want to learn how to use it, and at least if I remember right, it's not a user-friendly interface for first-time users... I don't think I want to invest more money on this machine though, thanks for the offer though

And besides, if all else fails, I could install NT 4.0.

Thanks for all your help! I'm reply if the boot disks don't work.
 
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