Can't install Windows on HP laptop

[Ronin]

Computer: HP Pavilion notebook n5130

Operating system: Windows 98/ME

Would someone be able to tell me how I can successfully install either Windows 98 or M.E. onto this laptop without being confronted with the PC Card (pcmcia) Wizard?

If I attempt to install XP, it'll go right through. Unfortunately, this laptop deosn't have 128Mb of memory to accommodate Windows XP.

Any suggestions would be appreciated immensely.

[cookin chef]

I might be wrong on this considering I haven't touched a Laptop in a while. I think that is very normal for winme/win98 to show the PCMCIA wizard during the loading and setting up. I believe you should be able to cancel that and continue on with the loading.

This is a link for drivers for all windows O.S.'s for that model of laptop.

http://h20004.www2.hp.com/soar_rnote...1698en_US.html

[Ronin]

Unless I'm wrong, but I don't recall cancelling being an option. Also, what is it that I'm suposed to download from that link you've provided?

[techs]

The pcmcia wizard only appears if you choose portable/laptop installatiion. Try installing as Typical and I don't believe you see the wizard.

[Ronin]

I've tried to install under PORTABLE and TYPICAL, and both display the pcmcia wizard. Now, if I were to use my original of Windows 98SE, which has the holographic face, then it installs just fine. If I install Windows XP onto this, then it installs fine, too. Oh, I also tried cancelling out of the pcmcia wizard, and that didn't help.

[imagoon]

All you need to do is to just do the wizard. All it asks you is: Are you installing windows from a device on the PCMCIA bus? Most likly no. Then it will ask: "Scan autoexec.bat for old 16-bit drivers?" Say yes. Then its done.

~Chris

[Ronin]

Ran through the wizard, and every attempt results the same:
unable to write to drive c:

Is there any way around this, or can I disable this?

Oh, what if I copied Windows onto the hard drive, then installed it from the hard drive?

Would anyone know how to do that?

What's the DOS command for copying from cd to hard drive?

[mrl1te]

So, are you trying to install from a PCMCIA Device?

If so, it may need the drivers to continue loading properly. I have setup several OEM Preinstalls and run them on laptops. Whenever I was prompted with the wizard, I would just follow the prompts and it would continue.

Copying files to the HDD will have no effect. If windows detects a PCMCIA bus whether it has drivers or not, it will then opt to run the wizard. No way around it unless you install to another desktop and then xfer the OS and resetup for the Laptop MB and hardware.

[DonJ]

What's the DOS command for copying from cd to hard drive?

from the C:\ prompt, type:
copy d:\*.* c:\install

...where d is your CD rom. This will install all files on the CD to C:\install directory. From there just run setup.exe.

Also, a lot of people like to copy all of their .cab files to C:\cabs...or, to C:\windows\cabs...or, to C:\windows\options\cabs.

Go here for parts breakdown for your Pavilion Notebook. Click on List All Parts. It says your memory is 144 pin SDRAM SO-DIMM, 133MHZ or 100MHZ.

With the prices nowadays, there is no reason not to have a ton of memory in your unit. Check out
PRICE WATCH ® Under the Memory heading, click on Notebook. Then click on 256MB HP...going for around $30 or so. You can also perform a Search from their website for "hp n5130" and lots of options come up.

[Ronin]

I know this critter has a built in modem with a port located on the top, right corner. I don't know if it's referring to that. If it is, I wonder how I could remove the pcmcia device, so this annoying wizard doesn't appear.

What I find truly amazing is that I wasn't bugged once during the installation of XP on this laptop. Go figure.