Laptop with only a serial port, how do you format?

000 · 07-06-2007, 08:12 PM

I'm dealing with a very old laptop. It has no CD drive and only has a serial port. How do you format this thing? Is there a way to go from a USB device such as an external DVD player/burner to this serial port? If so what is required?
Can you interface a normal computer through the serial port and if so could I format the drive that way?

Thanks for any help.

kfc469 · 07-06-2007, 08:30 PM

you could open up the laptop and take the hdd out of it then put it in another computer to reformat/ reinstall.

000 · 07-06-2007, 11:47 PM

Thanks kfc469, that seems like the most practical way to go.

kfc469 · 07-07-2007, 01:01 PM

I don't know what size hdd they used in that age of laptops, but if it's a 2.5", then you will need something like one of these to hook it up to a desktop: USB to IDE Adapter, USB to IDE Cable, USB 2.0 to SATA IDE Cable, USB 2.0 to SATA IDE at TigerDirect.com

kwinkle · 07-07-2007, 07:53 PM

What manufacturer and OS? It might have a partition with the ability to reformat?

kfc469 · 07-07-2007, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwinkle

What manufacturer and OS? It might have a partition with the ability to reformat?

manufactures only really started to do that a couple of years ago. If this computer is old enough to only have a serial port, I doubt it has a recovery partition.

000 · 07-07-2007, 11:28 PM

Ya no chance of a partition in this thing. It has no space to begin with. I have to assume when it was manufactured the drive was formatted and then put in the laptop and not formated while already in there.

superdave1984 · 07-12-2007, 04:22 PM

If it is so old it doesn't have a floppy drive, the HD is probably too small to put much of an OS on it anyway. Heck I have a couple old 486dx lappys that have win95 on em and they have a floppy drive. Dinosaurs but they work.

Saxon · 07-12-2007, 04:31 PM

I think he means NO CD drive SD, if the HDD is put in another comp and formated it doubt it will work with windows because of the whole NEW mobo it's a new computer so you don't get to use the OS that came bundled with it. Try DSL if you have issues with OS size on the HDD.

000 · 07-12-2007, 05:03 PM

Thanks for the replies. Ya it's really limited. Ended up going through floppies installing 95. Right now for internet it's connected through another machine via a DCC(Laplink) set up. Had to use Slimbrowser because it just isn't enough to handle even something like Firefox. That's as far as this is going to go. It is just not enough to be a stand alone computer.

Thanks everyone for the ideas.

07-06-2007, 08:12 PM	#1 (permalink)
000 Newb Techie Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 22	Laptop with only a serial port, how do you format? I'm dealing with a very old laptop. It has no CD drive and only has a serial port. How do you format this thing? Is there a way to go from a USB device such as an external DVD player/burner to this serial port? If so what is required? Can you interface a normal computer through the serial port and if so could I format the drive that way? Thanks for any help.

07-06-2007, 08:30 PM	#2 (permalink)
kfc469 Ultra Techie Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 919	Re: Laptop with only a serial port, how do you format? you could open up the laptop and take the hdd out of it then put it in another computer to reformat/ reinstall. __________________

07-06-2007, 11:47 PM	#3 (permalink)
000 Newb Techie Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 22	Re: Laptop with only a serial port, how do you format? Thanks kfc469, that seems like the most practical way to go.

07-07-2007, 01:01 PM	#4 (permalink)
kfc469 Ultra Techie Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 919	Re: Laptop with only a serial port, how do you format? I don't know what size hdd they used in that age of laptops, but if it's a 2.5", then you will need something like one of these to hook it up to a desktop: USB to IDE Adapter, USB to IDE Cable, USB 2.0 to SATA IDE Cable, USB 2.0 to SATA IDE at TigerDirect.com __________________

07-07-2007, 07:53 PM	#5 (permalink)
kwinkle Newb Techie Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 5	Re: Laptop with only a serial port, how do you format? What manufacturer and OS? It might have a partition with the ability to reformat?

07-07-2007, 11:28 PM	#7 (permalink)
000 Newb Techie Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 22	Re: Laptop with only a serial port, how do you format? Ya no chance of a partition in this thing. It has no space to begin with. I have to assume when it was manufactured the drive was formatted and then put in the laptop and not formated while already in there.

07-12-2007, 04:22 PM	#8 (permalink)
superdave1984 Repeat Offender Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Union City, TN Posts: 1,790	Re: Laptop with only a serial port, how do you format? If it is so old it doesn't have a floppy drive, the HD is probably too small to put much of an OS on it anyway. Heck I have a couple old 486dx lappys that have win95 on em and they have a floppy drive. Dinosaurs but they work. __________________

07-12-2007, 04:31 PM	#9 (permalink)
Saxon ликвида́торы Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 3,070	Re: Laptop with only a serial port, how do you format? I think he means NO CD drive SD, if the HDD is put in another comp and formated it doubt it will work with windows because of the whole NEW mobo it's a new computer so you don't get to use the OS that came bundled with it. Try DSL if you have issues with OS size on the HDD. __________________ *"May the NIX Kernel be praised and revered" Please Visit the Apple-Talk Forum. Up an running.**

07-12-2007, 05:03 PM	#10 (permalink)
000 Newb Techie Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 22	Re: Laptop with only a serial port, how do you format? Thanks for the replies. Ya it's really limited. Ended up going through floppies installing 95. Right now for internet it's connected through another machine via a DCC(Laplink) set up. Had to use Slimbrowser because it just isn't enough to handle even something like Firefox. That's as far as this is going to go. It is just not enough to be a stand alone computer. Thanks everyone for the ideas.

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