how to bypass the no valid cd rom device selected

[Ronda Rachell Hunt]

 Hi everyone. I am new to this board and hope someone can help me. My husband just brought home and old Dell 486/33 that has been upgraded to a 486/66. The cd rome has been taken out and I just keep getting the message Device driver not found, No valid cd rom device selected. (1) How do I bypass this? and is a cd rom actually needed to run ms dos on this computer ? (2) and can I install windows 98 on this computer?  I have a windows setup hard disc and a windows startup hard disc. (3) Do I need to install a cd rom and get a cd with windows on it to do this? Hope you all can help I am learning little by little about computers.

Thanks,
Ronda

[Computer_Commando]

...Dell 486/33 that has been upgraded to a 486/66. The cd rome has been taken out and I just keep getting the message Device driver not found, No valid cd rom device selected. (1) How do I bypass this? and is a cd rom actually needed to run ms dos on this computer ? (2) and can I install windows 98 on this computer?  I have a windows setup hard disc and a windows startup hard disc. (3) Do I need to install a cd rom and get a cd with windows on it to do this? ...

Dell 486/66 probably has DOS 6.22 and Win3.1.
(1) Ignore it.  CDROM not required for DOS.
(2) Win98 requires the following:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;182751
486/66 w/16MB is minimum.  It might work but, it's gonna be slow.
You said you "...have a windows setup hard disc and a windows startup hard disc. .."  You mean CD, not disc?

(3)  Install of Win98 requires CDROM, unless you have Win98 on floppy disks.

[Ronda R. Hunt]

Thanks for answering _commando.
I meant to say I have windows 98 setup and windows 98 startup on a floppy disc. Do I have what I need or do I need windows 98 on cd? I tried these floppy disc and kept getting an a:> prompt and I don't know what to put in the prompt.

Thanks
Ronda

[Computer_Commando]

...I meant to say I have windows 98 setup and windows 98 startup on a floppy disc. ...

Not enough.  You need the installation CD.  Win98 CD is bootable.  Floppy disk is for computers that don't support booting from CD's.  Yours probably won't boot from CD.  Dell 486/66 was manufactured around 1992.  You can look it up on Dell's website.  Look for service tag number on the back of the computer.

[Ronda R. Hunt]

Okay, now that I know what I need to get windows installed. Can you tell me what to do now when I boot up this computer and it has a C:/ prompt. You said I can ignore the cd rjom part. But it won't go pass the C:/ prompt.

Thanks again Computer_Commando
Ronda

[Computer_Commando]

Type "win" (without the quotes).  If Windows is there it's probably Win3.1.

More info on Win3.1:  http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/win31.htm

[Ronda R. Hunt]

That was it! It worked! Thanks. I see something called Microsoft Mail and I don't have a password for this. Could this computer be stripped of everything but this?

Thanks Ronda

[Computer_Commando]

...
(1)I see something called Microsoft Mail and I don't have a password for this.

(2)Could this computer be stripped of everything but this?

(1) Probably an old version.  Ignore it...for now.
(2)  You could...but I wouldn't recommend it.  I have a 486/66 notebook...tried to put Win98, then Win95...no luck.  Almost booted, but couldn't completely plug and play all the old hardware.  It has no CDROM and no FDD.  Went back to MSDOS6.22/Win3.1.  I still use DOS for image backups on my WinXP/Win2k/Win98 computer.  Keep what you got and learn DOS.  Many DOS commands still work at the Command Prompt.  Once you use DOS and Win3.1, you may find WinXP easier to use and understand.  Much of the "source code" has not changed.

[Ronda R. Hunt]

okay computer_commando, Thanks a lot you were a lot of help. Nice to have people like you online that can help people. I guess it's up to my husband  and whatever he wants to do next. Thanks Again. Bye.
Ronda Hunt