Cannot restore Compaq Presario CQ57 with disks

[WallyGator]

I recieved a new Compaq Presario CQ57 notebook from my father-in-law who never used it. Unfortunately it had a bad hard drive right out of the box. Years had passed so no warranty. I replaced the HD with another of the same. The computer came with the disks so I thought this would be simple but alas as many things in my life things didn't go as planned. The disks supplied are the 2 disk version. The computer came with Windows 7 Home Premium installed. When starting the disks by rebooting the computer the top of the black screen says "starting Windows 98" and further down the same page it says "Error: unable to detect... ADAPI IDE CD-ROM device driver not loaded". Seems to load anyway and start up well with disk one but when it gets to the point that it asks if I have the 1 or 2 disk version I hit 2 and immediately it asks me to insert disk 2. Before doing so an error flashes up in the bottom left corner that says "no files found. Invalid drive specification". I obey and insert disk 2 but nothing happens except for flashing the same message. In a nutshell - no restore.

I've searched the net for days trying to find and answer and came up with ideas but nothing specific. I have run all the Bios tests and all come out working well. Boot order is cd/dvd room first. I downloaded a copy of Windows 7 onto an external drive but I can't get the CQ57 to read it even after changing the boot order. Also downloaded the drivers for the CD-rom but can't load that either. I have an old copy of Windows 2000 that I tried just to see what it would do and it actually loaded it but it would never start up. Didn't expect it too but it at least showed the CD-rom was working. I've hit every F-keys a million times and can't come up with anything that works.

I'm ready to throw this computer out the window (no pun intended) so any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated. I am not a computer wiz so if you have something I need to do that required CC+ or higher you'd better talk me through it.

Thank you

 

[Berton]

There's surely something wrong with the message of "starting Windows 98" and having Win7 discs for it. Windows 98 is quite old and there's 2 versions, 98 and 98SE [Second Edition]. As I recall there was also an update for 98 similar to a Service Pack. There should be a multi-color sticker on the case, maybe on the bottom, that gives the version of Windows and the required Product Key, useful for determining what its origin was.

 

[WallyGator]

Thank you for replying. The computer and the label on the bottom is definitely Windows 7. In my search I read (but don't know for certain) that some of these notebooks originally had Windows 98 and later models were changed to Win7. I thought I'd mention it just in case it w as an issue.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Looks like it was manufactured and shipped with Win 98 and later upgraded to Win 7, at which time a new Win 7 sticker was attached. This would explain why the discs are Win 98 and don't agree with the sticker. Hard to imagine it had Win 7 from the factory, but shipped with Win 98 disks.

Unless these "discs" you refer to did not come with the PC. Is that possible? Are they burned discs or manufactured discs?

When was the PC purchased--roughly?

There are a number of CQ57 models. Which is it?

I assume you want to put Win 7 on it now. That's doable, but downloadable ISO versions of Win 7 are getting hard to find. You'd burn the ISO to a disk, install, and activate with the Product Key on the Win 7 sticker.

 

[WallyGator]

Good questions. I don't know how old the computer is but my father-in-law has been in a nursing home for at leats four years and he bought it before that. The disks did come with it and say CQ57 on them but they do not say what OS they have on them. The model number is CQ57-229WM. As I may have said before this computer is brand new because my father-in-law never turned it on. (Why couldn't he have ownded a '63 Corvette he never drove?)

I located a guy that says he has a copy of Windows 7 that he is going to send me. I'm just waiting and will let this post know what happens.

Thanks

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Very peculiar. The oldest review I can find for that exact model on Amazon is from 2011. Win 98 was long gone by then, so I don't savvy why it shipped with Win 98 discs IF it in fact had Win 7 on it.

A borrowed Win 7 disc will work if it matches the version on your sticker.

If I were you, I'd check that Win 7 Product Key with Microsoft to ensure there isn't something fishy going on.