I aquired a laptop with a broken screen to be used as an in-vehicle computer. The problem is that it has Windows NT and prompts for logon information. It doesn't have a floppy drive so I burnt a startup CD with hopes that I can get into DOS to reformat the HD and load Windows 98. Iit wouldn't boot with the CD.

How the heck can I reformat the drive?

Pull the HD and install it in another laptop to format it. Otherwise, you have to get into the bios and tell it to boot from the CD drive. Then you can use the NT cd to reformat.

Sounds like a plan. This is a NEC laptop with a modular HD that snaps into the bottom. Maybe I can take it to the local computer shop and reformat it with something they have there. I hope it'* not so old that they laugh at me when I bring it in.

You can simply take that HDD out and slave it out in a desktop PC. Just plug the HDD into the CD ROM cable in the desktop. If the desktop is Windows XP, reboot, and then XP will find the HDD and assign it the next available drive letter. Not complicated at all...save your money instead of taking it to a PC shop!

That'* not going to work. Laptop HDD'* use lower power to drive them, and don't have the same interface or pinout.

Yea, the connector in the HD is definately different than anything in my desktop.

That'* right...the pin out. I forgot about them. At work we have to use the adapters to make the pin out correct for the desktops.

I know power has never been an issue for us. We've been doing it for several years now. Maybe it'* not an issue on Compaq/HP equipment.

Depends on what you're using. My hp NW8000 uses lower power to drive the 60g 7200rpm drive....most laptops these days use lower power requirements to save battery power. Not sure what the standard is, but be prepared for a difference. Plug and Play attempts COULD result in letting the smoke out.

Randy, are you planning to use this for scanning? I'm working on the same idea, but the only GOOD options I can find are for OBDII only.

Yep... and navagation too. I looked into this one when I was looking to use an LCD screen in place of the gauges in a Trans Am (one of those delusions of grandure I have form time to time). I don't know that much about scanner programs but at least it looked cool.