Win 98 SE installation problems!

Scruff

i've windows 98 on my machine. its been acting a little funny lately so i went to install Win98 SE on it.

I put in the win98 SE cd while i ws still running win98 and the autorun program on the cd kicked in and told me it had detected an older version on my system and did i want to upgrade? so i cliced yes.

It proceeded to install and then for some reason after about 2 mins it aborted.

I tried to reinstall it again but it tells me now i've a version that can't be upgraded and to get the update!

what a load off toss! it didnt even install!

is there some registery setting or something i can change back so it will see that i actually only have win98 and win98SE?

DaSilva

Prefferably I'd go with a full format and install it from scratch!

Xterminator

S'possible more than jus the registry was changed.
some of the system files etc.

I'd also reccomend the FFR (full format, reload).

X

Scruff

i would too but i don't have enough room on my other drives to back up everything i want to keep.

must really buy that cd burner i've been saying im buying for 3 months now:rolleyes:

seamus

Try zip everything up, and stick it all as one big archive on another HD (along with a copy of winzip of course). It doesn't take that long - I zipped 2.5 gigs of info down to 1gig and transferred it to another drive in under 20mins. I have a cd burner, but don't use it for backups, cos I'm always updating my backups, which really isn't feasible with a burner.

As for the install - same happened to me trying to update DOS 6.0 - I think it scans the boot sectors, to check if there is another OS there, so even if you delete your windows directory and all config files, it'll catch ya. It's MS's way of stopping people from upgrading using their mates's copy that came with their new machine. If you want 98SE, it gonna have to be FFR I'm afraid.

Scruff

right so, looks like FFR is the only way to go.
cheers!

while on the win98 topic ive one more question:

I've noticed that win98 does some kind of back ground system check every hour or so (well my version does at least). this is annoying as hell, it hogs huge amounts of system resources, if im playing a game the fps nose dives and it lasts for about 5mins.

has this happened to anyone else? how do u stop it? does win98 SE correct it? can i stop asking questions?

ok so that was more than 1 but it drives me MAADD!!!! :mad:

Villiros

Wouldn't it be more sensible to try to install it from under dos? This way installer shouldn't look too much at you files and it should definitly replace all wrong system files.
Will leave a load of junk files, though.

Red Moose

If you don't or can't format because you can't do external backups to CDR or whatever, just go to DOS using the F8 - Command Prompt only option at boot, and then use

deltree C:\Windows and the same for Program Files. That gets rid of any stuff Windows keeps around to mess with.

It takes time to do the delete, it's quicker if you have Linux on another partition.

By default, Windows will overwrite the Master Boot Record itself, and there is damn all you can do about it.

For installing it, it's quicker also to just copy the CAB file directory on the CD (the entire direction, not just the CABs though) and run setup from there.

Better still, get 98lite to allow you to properly install it without the web integration, and use the same companies (free) IE Eradicator to uninstall IE fully and use Mozilla 0.9.5. It will also even allow you to use the Windows 95 explorer for ultrafast desktop use.

A full format is sort of useless really because Windows only keeps it's info in C:\Windows and C:\Program Files, and other stuff like My Webs, etc., in the Documents folder. Full format feels nice, but really just deleting the Windows dir is just as good. Program Files deletion is a must though because all sorts of **** gets thrown in it.

Villiros

Why do you want to delete windows and Program Files folders in the first place?! With them you're deleting many of your applications, all your system settings, your nice new Detonator drivers, program settings?! Why would anyone do this?!

beaver

Originally posted by Villiros
Wouldn't it be more sensible to try to install it from under dos? This way installer shouldn't look too much at you files and it should definitly replace all wrong system files.
Will leave a load of junk files, though.

What FUD is this? What on Earth makes you think that the installer won't look at your files as much if you run it in DOS? Furthermore, why will it leave a load of junk files?

Villiros

Originally posted by beaver


What FUD is this? What on Earth makes you think that the installer won't look at your files as much if you run it in DOS? Furthermore, why will it leave a load of junk files?

No fud at all. I'm just very curios about a reason for this all-inclusive love for deleting windows folder. Does it give some kind of "del c:\windows"-strikes-back satisfaction?
The guy tries to install win98se (starting installer in windows, I suppose), and installer doesn't like something and says that it cannot upgrade it. Now, why should he format hd, instead of trying it from dos -- it'll be like an ordinary restore-after-corruption reinstallation (even though he installs a different version from what he already has).

SantaHoe

Originally posted by Xterminator
I'd also reccomend the FFR (full format, reload).

Hehe, haven't heard (or said) that one since my IBM days
If you've got everything backed up - then go for it... reformatting is always good at getting rid of the crap you don't really need.
If you can't be arsed reformatting, then boot into dos and 'deltree windows' then deltree 'progra~1' ... then reinstall from scratch that way.