Windows XP Bought PC w/o OS on disk - help?

[mechaman55]

As a way of upgrading from my wifes' old PC (WIN 95) I bought a newer PC, but without an OS on the disk -- I knew this going in, but assumed I could copy files from the old PC, using the floppy. HA! Well, I have copied some, but cannot access the CD-ROM so as to load WIN 95 from the CD that came with the old PC. I plan to upgrade from WIN 95 to a newer Windows, and use a commercial program to transfer my other programs over, but first I have to get the new PC to recognize the CD-ROM: I've checked the cables and such, and I have a .EXE program that would recognize the CD-ROM in my new PC, but it only works under Windows -- and that ain't on the new one yet. Oh, I have copied programs from the WIN 95 boot disk to the new PC, and gotten it to boot up the opening screen (after altering the CONFIG. SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files) but that's all - what do I need to do now? Admit defeat and go to the local PC expert store? Thanks

 

[ChristopherP]

what spec is it?

Might be worth just going and buying XP and booting that from the CD...

 

[mechaman55]

It is a Gateway, but I don't know the model/spec at this moment, however it will not boot up from the CD-Rom, or I'd toss my copy of Win 98 in there and be done with it.