How to install Win95 to a fully erased Compaq Armada 4150 hard disk?

How did you install it?  I mean when you formatted the HDD, did you format it with format C:\s or did you let Windows 95 create a partition?  Do you have a bootable floppy?  And a copy of Fdisk?

Run Fdisk and see if the C: drive the first partition is active.  Give me some more information and maybe I can give you more help.

I first tried to make a diagnostics partition with Compaq utility, but Win95 requires the primary partition. Last time I removed all partitions with fdisk and let Windows handle the partition creation. When I took off the Windows diskette to boot, because the Installation program asked me to do so, the PC don't boot from HD, but asks a diskette.

Regards,

Markus

I believe the way that the Compaqs work is the diagnostic partition is not the active and is drive D and should be around 10Meg.  FDisk and create a partition with 90% of the drive and then create the other 10%.  Make the 90% the active partition.

Format C: /s and then FORMAT D:

You now have C ready to receive the Win95 files.  Put in the first disk and do A:setup and you should be off and running.

sounds good slink. listening...

I second slink9

Hmm
Isn't  this weird Compaq setup partition some sort of "hidden" partition? I seem to remember it being created when you run some Compaq utility. It doesn't need formatting and it can't be created by fdisk. Once in place it supports the settings that normal computers would place in CMOS. It may mean that you need to remove all partitions and run the Compaq utility to create the setup partition. Then begin again with HD setup for win95 installation.

Regards
/RID

Actually you really do not need that setup and diagnotics partition as long as you have the floppy from Compaq.

at any rate this would not prevent you from booting to the "C" drive

The Compaq utility partition is hidden, and must be created before any OS is installed. It is seen by fdisk as a non-DOS partition of about 50MB. Your boot drive remains drive C.

The ROMPAQ for your system is available at:

http://www.compaq.com/support/files/armada/us/download/8421.html

The boot floppy that rayt333 refers to is available at:

http://www.compaq.com/support/files/armada/us/download/8407.html

Sometimes harddisk size and partition size can cause problems. Just to make sure, and to get all info we could possibly want.

1 What is the harddisk size?

2 What is the size of your primary partition, the one you want to boot from?

3 What is the size of the Compaq Utility Partition?

4 ANy more partition you need to tell us about??


I know that if your boot partition starts after the first 8 GB of the harddrive you can have problems.
Different way of saying aboutt the same: if the boot partition is not in the first 8GB part of the harddrive, you can have problems.

Have you tried fdisk /mbr?
Fdisk... then activate the primary parition (assuming the setup process correctly partitioned your drive)?
Does 95 work on that model laptop?

Yes. Format /s solved the problem. I removed all partitions, rebooted, created diagnostics partition and after that the primary DOS partition (C:). Then I formatted C: with /s. I rebooted to verify that it would boot from C: and it did. Then I started Win95 installation and it succeeded.

I had expected that Win95 install would format the disk correctly after making the partition, but it hadn't.

Didn't you award the points to the wrong person?  Wakeup was the first to comment and the first to mention putting /s on the end of format.

Ya, I did....but oh well....eh?  win some lose some!? hehe
If you wanna give em to me cool....I'll live if I dont get em.

It's true that format /s is there in Wakeup's question, but rayt333 gave the whole procedure to follow. Unfortunately it is possible to award only one person, but thanks to all of you that wanted to help me!

Wakeup
Go here for your points:
https://www.experts-exchange.com/jsp/qManageQuestion.jsp?ta=hardgen&qid=20281287