Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (
More info?)
Which operating system do you want to install? If you install almost any
version of Windows on a hard drive in another computer, you will need to take a
lot of precautions to get it running properly in the e-vectra. And it may never
work right.
Let's assume that HP engineers mucked up the BIOS to prevent two hard drives
being installed on the system. Why not simply replace the laptop CD-ROM drive?
Yes, I know that it may not be that simple, especially if the laptop drive has a
non-standard connector, oddball mountings or a special plastic front bezel.
Despite the small and unique form factor, the e-vectra uses common chipsets,
according to the document at the following URL:
http://h200007.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/lpv09426/lpv09426.pdf
The chipsets are:
Intel 815 or 815E for motherboard and graphics
Crystal CS4299 audio
3COM 3C905-TX Ethernet
From the pictures shown in this document, the CD-ROM drive appears to be a
fairly standard notebook-type drive with a tray made expressly for the e-vectra
(and maybe other HP computers). At worst, you would have to take a stock
notebook CD-ROM drive and attach the tray from the old drive to it.
Maximum memory is 256MB, according to the document. If you are planning to use
Windows XP, forget about it. XP runs poorly on systems with slower CPUs and
256MB. With 512MB and a Pentium III processor, XP would run OK. Windows 2000
runs nicely in 256MB. Forget Windows ME, the binary rubbish emitted by
Micro$oft. Windows 98SE would make sense, altho less stable than Win 2000.
Contact me offline if you can't get a CD-ROM drive for the e-vectra. The
closest I can come would be to pull a drive from a small form factor Vectra
system... Ben Myers
On 3 Feb 2005 04:10:12 -0800, "richard el grande" <rmaloleyii@gmail.com> wrote:
>Hmm, that sounds like my situation exactly. The secondary controller is
>a laptop CD ROM and there is only enough power for one hard drive,
>which is why I threw the new CD ROM on a power supply from another box.
>
>So far I haven't received an answer from HP either - I might just have
>to find a new box, since I gotta reinstall the OS. Unless.... how crazy
>are the components in this box? Would installing the OS in a different
>machine then transferring it over affect the overall performance by too
>much?
>