Just create an DOS bootdisk using windows xp or me or an earlier version.
Put that disk in before you start up the computer and once you get to the A:/> part of the screen try typing in D: , just ( D: ) no brackets or w/e they are called.
If you can't go into logical drive D: try finding a windows 3.1 lol operating system. heh. or else.. throw the laptop against the wall and call it junk.
You didn't really tell me much about the laptop, do you have a floppy drive? Do you have a cd-rom drive? If you don't have a cdrom drive that's a pretty old laptop. What's the specifications on it?