I ran a post explaining I need to get an OS on a IBM Thinkpad 560Z laptop with no internal cd or floppy drives. There seems to be no DOS or any control. The laptop just gives a black screen with a pic of a floppy, and all the F1 keys along the bottom, most of which if anything take you to another black screen and just give "I9990302 I9990302 I9990305" and thats it.

I have tried booting with external cd's and floppy's via USB, paralell to centrix, and other, but get no response.

All of this topic can be found here if need be: http://www.d-a-l.com/help/showthread.php?t=23070

I'm now resigning myself to the fact I am best to link the laptop up to a desktop, unless anyone can for sure give a different definite, easy, descriptive solution!?

Please advise. If linking it to a desktop, I want to do so in the most simple cheap way. I've had conflicting and confusing advice here and on other forums. Some say simply buy an IDE adaptor, others an NICs and x-over cable, others an enclosure. Please confirm which, and then an easy, step by step guide to what I would need to do. Sorting through all the conflicting points and needs, ways on many forums is proving impossible and just one or two posts would probably do fine, once and for all. Thanks

"Some say simply buy an IDE adaptor, others an NICs and x-over cable, others an enclosure."

An IDE adapter data cable is (IMHO) the cheapest option. (A couple of dollars.) Obtain one of these, and slave the hard disk (or however you'd like to attach it, Master on other IDE channel, whatever) to a machine.

From here, you can "sys" the drive to make it bootable, then copy the appropriate files to run a CDROM etc if need be, or, just the O/S files required for installing the O/S. You'd then replace the drive in the original machine, boot it, and the either insert your O/S CDROM, or point to the install directory and run setup.

Post back if you need anything or have further questions.