Re: Drivers for HP Notebook N3438


On 2005-11-03 ak621@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Richard Bonner) said:

> DOS Guy wrote:
>
> > Yep, the sound card and the modem are most likely Win-hardware
> > ...and as such, cannot be made to function under true DOS.
>
> Does no one make DOS drivers for Win hardware? I understand
> there are Linux drivers for some.

For DOS, it would have to be more than a mere "driver" (as we
normally understand the term "driver" in the world of true DOS).

Win-hardware (modems, printers, sound cards) have no on-board
ROMs to provide the functionality, as did the modems, printers
and sound cards of yore.

To try to provide that functionality in software under a single-
tasking O.S. like DOS would be -- at best -- highly inefficient.
DOS was never intended to deal with such brain-dead peripherals.

> I have COMDOG and it doesn't recognise that there is a modem
> on the system. I tried your suggestion of Modem Doctor and get the
> same thing. I guess I will have to cart around an outboard modem.

Yep. Sounds like you've got a Win-modem there, fersher.

Hit the garage sales, rummage sales and e-Bay. I bought a full-
hardware (DOS-compatible) 56k Hayes brand external modem a couple
of months ago at a rummage sale for $US 1.00. Works great.

Dial-up modems are usually ultra-cheap on the secondary market.

> )-: Microsoft really ruins it for others, doesn't it?

Heh. Mikro$loth's been doin' that since it released its first
commercial product (Mikro$loth BASIC). Which, incidentally, was
stolen from somewhere else! :)

> > The CD-ROM, though, is definitely do-able. Just depends on what
> > type of drive it is (IDE/ATAPI? SCSI? USB?).
>
> I don't know. Nothing I tried can recognise it, although the
> laptop can boot from a CD.

Yeah. You need to find out for certain what *type* of drive that
CD-ROM drive is. Then you can find an appropriate driver.

> > Do a web search to see if you can find some technical specs for
> > your particular HP laptop. Check the HP website.
>
> Thanks. I found their site tedious but shall try again.

If there's a computer retailer in your area that sells new HP
laptops, you might give'em a phone call, and see if you can get
through to a "techie" type. He'd know what type of CD-ROM drives
HP installs in its laptops.

> > If (as I suspect) the CD-ROM drive is ATAPI, then the generic
> > 'VIDE-CDD.SYS' driver is what you need. If you don't already
> > have it, Google will quickly find it for you.
>
> I have a copy and it didn't work. However, it wants information
> I can't provide: Port Setting and IRQ. How can I know what they
> are if the device is not recognised?

Have you wandered around in your laptop's in-ROM set-up program?
Does that give you any clues?

> > I've never yet encountered an IDE/ATAPI CD-ROM drive that doesn't
> > work perfectly with that 'VIDE-CDD.SYS' driver.
>
> This may be it! (-:

Or, more likely, the drive may not be IDE/ATAPI.

> > ...the `NWCDEX.EXE' CD extensions driver supplied with DR-DOS 7.
>
> I tried it and my favourite SHSUCDX. Nothing has yet recognised
> the drive.

Yeah, well...it probably wouldn't, without the CD-ROM hardware driver
loaded first. :)

> > Enjoy your new DOS laptop!
>
> Despite limited hardware, I am enjoying it, thanks. (-:

Gotta love the look of that nice HP screen.


.

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