hard to find drivers

[mog]

hi. i'm new to this site today, so forgive me if i don't do this right! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif
I have a compaq presario 5bw120, about a year old, and i want to format the whole thing, without having to use the compaq quickrestore disks to get it running again. this wouldn't normally be a problem, except that i *ahem* 'accidentally' formatted my D: drive first, which had the system save files on it (didn't realise till afterwards that that's where the drivers were!).
anyway, i already have updated drivers off the net for most of my components. the only things i can't get are my dvd (model SAMSUNG SD-612)and cd-rw (PHILIPS CDD4401/72) drivers. i called compaq, who told me that they don't provide them on the website because they're about 30MB (of course, in this day and age, everyone knows you can't download a file that big, can you!!), and that i'd have to use the quick restore.
i tried searching the web, driverguide.com included, but can't find them anywhere. i also emailed the manufacturers, but they said that because they only built the drives for compaq, they dont deal with drivers, they couldn't help me.
anyway, nuff said. what i really want to know is - can anyone PLEASE help? either in providing drivers, or a location for them, anyway, or in telling me some other way i can get round the problem, short of actually buying new drives (hmm. nice idea, since they're rubbish anyway, but i can't afford it!!).
thanks.
sorry i went on for so long

http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

mog

[BigBlue66]

Hey Mog and Welcome!

Try www.windrivers.com. (http://www.windrivers.com.)

Click on the Advanced Search option on the left-hand side of the screen. On that page will be options for looking up the manufacturers by alphabetical order, or the driver archives. Try them both. Your components don't appear to be that old, so the alphabetical listings might get you where you're going. If they don't work, try the archives. I have found a lot of useful drivers for older components there.

Good luck.

Big Blue 66


------------------
"Right turn Clyde!"

[Paleo Pete]

Compaq seems to be able to find the most ingenious ways to force you to use their restore disks with their proprietary OS...

I'd almost bet that's going to be the only way to do it, everything in the machine is as closely tied to Compaq as they can possibly get it. I can't even find your model number on the Compaq site...anyway it looks like in addition to everything else they've taken to using proprietary drivers as well, or at least drivers nobody else has, so you might end up having to use the restore disk.

That might be a good idea anyway, because Comopaq also stores part of the BIOS on a hidden partition, when you formatted it you probably removed that partition, and now have only part of the already limited BIOS...

------------------
Support the right to keep and arm bears.
Note: Please post your questions on the forums, not in my email.

Computer Information Links (http://www.dreamwater.com/paleopete/computer.htm) has been moved, please update your bookmarks.

[rond36]

(quote)i called compaq, who told me that they don't provide them on the website because they're about 30MB (of course, in this day and age, everyone knows you can't download a file that big, can you!!)
With a DSL or cable connection you can download a 30MB file in about 10 min at over 500K