BIG Mistake update -- Possible cure?

[DemoDisk]

A friend of mine accidentally erased all the files in the C:\Windows
folder on his old Dell Inspiron laptop. "C:\WIN" no longer starts
Windows 98SE. All that's left in C:\Windows are sub-directories, and
stuff probably in use at the time.

Posters offering help say too many files are gone for a DOS un-delete
program to be useful. We're advised to re-install Windows 98SE from the
CDs. He's got the Win98SE Upgrade and SP1 Update disks.

But there's a new wrinkle -- since he re-started, the D: drive (cdrom)
is gone from the system! Type "CD D:\" and DOS answers, "Invalid drive
specification." It opens, the drive light works, but you can't get to
it. Nada

Can't re-install Windows without a CD drive, so we're running out of
ideas. As a last-ditch effort could we mount his HDD drive in my desktop
and

1. use from my puter an un-delete program on his drive, OR
2. copy the files in *my* c:\windows folder to his

For #1, we'd match a printout of my c:\Windows files to what's deleted
on his. Then restore them one by one. Tedious, but the files have not
been written over (I think).

#2 would be much easier if it is doable at all. The necessary files wd
have to be the same on the two computers. I don't want to add to the
trouble. <g>

Your answers much appreciated,

JPM