no os, no cd drive

[Capn Sunshine]

So I've got this Dell Optiplex out of storage that I wanted to put into the home network. I didn't look too closely until I got it home from the warehouse. The thing has no CD drive. How do I :
1) install a CD drive to it, so I can install an operating system
2) install windows on the drive with only a floppy? I tried copying the Windows install from my windows CD to a blank floppy, but it doesn't recognize that.
3) can I get this box to network with one of my other computers with a LAN cable and install from there?

[hobbit709]

1. How old? What are the specs?

Did it have a CD drive before? If so new drives are fairly cheap-you can get an IDE type DVD-RW for around $30. What version of Windows did it have on it before?

[Capn Sunshine]

2. No idea of the age

My company has a warehouse full of computers. Her's what was written on the inventory:
Dell GX260 Optiplex, Pentium 4 1GHz, 512MB, 20GB

NEVER had a CD drive. Just a floppy. The Hard drive is wiped clean. I assume it was a Windows 95 machine. Have an external CD/DVD drive. I just can't get the computer to recognize it.
Boot sequence only allows for Hard drive and floppy.

I tried a WIN 98 boot floppy from my collection but even that looks for a CD Drive.

[hobbit709]

4. According to the manual for a GX260

You can install a CD/DVD drive in the empty drive bay by popping out the front panel knockout. It definitely uses IDE drives. The BIOS should give you a CD boot option once you install an optical drive.

A Win98 boot floppy only installs the mscdex.exe into RAM so that Windows can load from a CD to your hard drive. It's not the OS in itself.

If you don't have a copy of XP that is usable, get this from 9software.com for $15.
http://www.9software.com/Windows_XP_Pro_Reinstall_CD_Dell_p/winxpproreinstdellcd.htm

It will install XP Pro on any Dell without asking for serial number, authentication code or otherwise phoning home. It will work ONLY on a Dell but will work on ANY Dell. It's a modified Windows disk that looks in the BIOS to see if it's a Dell-if it is, it will install. I've used mine to reinstall on at least 100 computers that I've repaired. Best $15 bucks I ever spent.
It also doesn't put anything on the computer except XP, you will have to go to Dell and find the drivers for your model. But at least it doesn't clutter up your machine with all the "trial offers"

[Capn Sunshine]

6. that disc is awesome

now I've got all the flavors!

[hobbit709]

7. I just got a Windows 7 Home Premium for Dell

But haven't had a chance to try it on a Dell yet.

[Occulus]

15. How reliable is that site? n/t

[hobbit709]

16. As I've said on another thread.

I've bought about 20 copies of various flavors of Windows and they all authenticated without a problem.

[struggle4progress]

3. You might search the Dell site for manuals; for example:

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/opgx150/en/index.htm
To get the right manual, of course, you need more info, like the exact model. The Dell machines I have seem easy enough to open up and tinker with: just google around a bit for what you're planning to do on the specific model to get an idea of the issues, then take appropriate static precautions with the open case

Pentium 4 was introduced in 2000 and the Optiplex somewhat earlier. So you're probably looking at something after 2000. If I were doing this, I'd check around the Dell site for the latest BIOS for the model (the "latest" still may be some years old), and reflash the BIOS with the latest appropriate version before any upgrading

Whether or not you can do a network boot probably depends on the model and BIOS. If the BIOS allows a network boot, try hooking it up and see what happens.

Depending on the model and BIOS, you may have other options. Does the machine, for example, have USB ports and does the BIOS support booting from a USB device? If so, you might be able to clone the Windows disk to a flashdrive and boot from the flash to install. I've never done that with Windows but I have done it with OSX and several Linux distros. Similarly, you might be able to boot from the install CD in an external USB optical drive

[Capn Sunshine]

5. Thanks for the answers

good ones, all. Think install CD is probably the answer.

[MyNameGoesHere]

8. I don't use cd/dvd to install OS's anymore

Your Dell can do a usb install

USB Flash Device — Insert the key into a USB port and restart the computer. When F12 = Boot Menu appears in the upper-right corner of the screen, press <F12>. The BIOS detects the key and adds the USB key option to the boot menu.

XP install from USB http://www.vandomburg.net/installing-windows-xp-from-usb/

Windows Vista/7 install from USB http://www.intowindows.com/how-to-install-windows-7vista-from-usb-drive-detailed-100-working-guide/

Linux install From USB http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

[pokerfan]

9. Booting from USB Flash is faster

plus I can keep an ISO of Mint on my keychain for emergencies.

[hobbit709]

10. On older computers, you may not have that option.

[canetoad]

11. Yeah, that's what I was thinking

I doubt if you would find USB boot support on a machine older than 5 or 6 years.

[pokerfan]

18. There are ways around that

If you encounter an old computer that doesn't support booting from either USB or CDROM and there is no BIOS update that supports this feature, it is not hopeless yet because here is an excellent boot manager called PLoP which can do the impossible which is allowing you to boot the computer from USB or CDROM even if BIOS is not supported.

http://blog.brothersoft.com/2008/12/09/boot-computer-from-usb-or-cdrom-even-if-bios-not-supported-using-plop/">Boot Computer From USB or CDROM Even If BIOS Not Supported

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N51B0gi-g0U

[MyNameGoesHere]

12. If you got a computer

so old it doesn't support USB boot, you have more problems than not booting from USB.

[hobbit709]

13. Not necessarily. Not everyone needs bleeding edge.

A friend of mine has an old IBM laptop. It has a Pentium II 366MHz with 160Mb RAM.
He uses it for two things. Checking his email and word processing. He's a musician and out on the road a lot. If it gets lost, stolen or broken, he's out less than $50. He has a $1000 laptop at home that he uses for other things but on the road he only needs to keep up with email and write songs-both of which that old IBM does quite well.

I've built several old Socket A systems for people that use them as a print server. You don't need anything fancy just to print posters and documents. No reason to send old technology to the landfill

[MyNameGoesHere]

14. Blue.

And you say?

[struggle4progress]

17. I have an old Dell that doesn't support USB boot. It works fine for some purposes.

I considerably upped the RAM (it's still below 1GB) and put in a faster processor; it runs Ubuntu fine and works perfectly well for webbrowsing

It's not my main machine, and I'll probably turn it into a server someday. But I can't see any reason to treat it as trash