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Install Win98SE on computer without CD and Floppy


hemang

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I want to install Win98SE on a P4 computer which has neither floppy not CD. It had Win98 earlier but the HDD got damaged and have put new one.

Is there any possibility of installing through USB. Searched a lot but not getting proper instructions?

I need to install Win98SE only to be able to use an old piece of equipment. Can't install any higher version on this.

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Sure, you install it "normally".

Just make a DOS bootable USB stick and copy to it the contents of the 98 CD.

You boot from USB, fdisk the disk creating partition(s), you format and make it active, and install DOS to the internal disk, then copy the whole contents of the 98 CD to the internal disk partiton (in a directory *llike* C:\W98Setup), reboot (booting from the internal disk this time) and install the 98 by running setup from the C:\Win98Setup directory.

There is a specific RMPREPUSB/EASY2BOOT tutorial that makes use directly of the .iso image instead, see:
http://www.rmprepusb.com/tutorials/117

jaclaz



 

Edited by jaclaz
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4 hours ago, jaclaz said:

Sure, you install it "normally".

Just make a DOS bootable USB stick and copy to it the contents of the 98 CD.

You boot from USB, fdisk the disk creating partition(s), you format and make it active, and install DOS to the internal disk, then copy the whole contents of the 98 CD to the internal disk partiton (in a directory *llike* C:\W98Setup), reboot (booting from the internal disk this time) and install the 98 by running setup from the C:\Win98Setup directory.

There is a specific RMPREPUSB/EASY2BOOT tutorial that makes use directly of the .iso image instead, see:
http://www.rmprepusb.com/tutorials/117

jaclaz

Thanks for the reply.

I understand how to boot from USB and use fdisk. But when I do this the USB is C: drive so I am not able to install Win98 on the internal HDD.

How do I install DOS on internal HDD?

Edited by hemang
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1 hour ago, hemang said:

Thanks for the reply.

I understand how to boot from USB and use fdisk. But when I do this the USB is C: drive so I am not able to install Win98 on the internal HDD.

How do I install DOS on internal HDD?

Well, you copy the DOS system files to D: you need to change disk in fdisk and create a primary FAT32 partition on the internal disk then you copy the DOS system files to D: (hint: use format /s or sys.com) then you copy from C: (temporarily your USB stick) to D: (temporarily the partition on your internal hard disk) the setup files, then you reboot without the stick inserted, thus you boot to the internal hard disk that will be C: alright.

Since you copied the install files to the same C: you run the setup without anymore the USB attached.

If you use the RMPREPUSB way you will boot to grub4dos where you can exchange the disks before booting (if - for any reasons - you cannot reboot after having removed the stick).

This method of booting DOS from C: and then running the setup from files already on C: is historical, it was commonly used because it is much faster even if using a CD (it takes less time to copy the setup files from CD to hard disk and run the install from hard disk than to run the install from CD, and besides you have already the .cab files handy).

jaclaz
 

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It doesn't seem to work. I created a bootable USB, 8Gb. I booted into the USB as c:. Deleted and made new partitions with fdisk and then did sys c: d:. Got the message system transferred. But the hdd doesn't boot.

Tried many options but the internal hdd just doesn't boot. What could be wrong?

Edit : I had to boot into a PE through USB and make the partition as active and now it booted. From fdisk I was not able to make it active. Hope I will be able to install 98SE now. Can you tell me why I was not able to make it active from fdisk?

Edited by hemang
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8 hours ago, jumper said:

You didn't mention the capacity of the new HDD. If it is greater than ~120GB, FDISK and SE will likely have trouble with it.

See: Important "Stickified" [Pinned] 95/98/98 SE/ME Topics

New HDD is only 40Gb, it's an old one. I made a 10Gb partition for C: drive but when I tried to make it active it said only partitions on Disk 1 (which was the USB) could be made active.

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Ok.
So, since I've done that about 100 times, here's the easiest way to install Win98SE on a computer without CD or Floppy, with USB Booting only.

1. Download Rufus from here: https://rufus.akeo.ie/

2. Insert the USB flashdrive, and select Create a bootable disk using MS-DOS and deselect Create extended label and icon files.

3. Start the formatting.

4. After formatting, copy FDISK.EXE and Win98SE setup files to the flashdrive.

5. Boot from the USB on the other PC.

6. Run "FDISK /ACTOK" and change the current disk to the second one (the first one is the USB flashdrive)

7. Create a partition, and select the partition to be active (very important, and impossible to do without the /ACTOK switch earlier.)

8. Copy Command.com and io.sys from the USB flashdrive to the HDD. The HDD will be the D: drive, the USB flashdrive the C: drive. (copy c:\command.com d: and copy c:\io.sys d:)

9. Make a directory on the D: drive (win98 for example) and copy the Win98SE setup files to that directory.

10. Unplug the USB drive, and reboot.

11. After rebooting, go to the win98 directory.

12. Run "SETUP /IS /IQ /IE /P I" (note the space between P and I.

13. Enjoy the installing from a HDD to the same HDD!

/ACTOK solves ALL problems. No need to use any other tools than the standard FDISK.

The /P I switch fixes problems with installing and using 98SE, period. It should always be used.

The /IS /IQ switches disable ScanDisk so that the setup can continue.

The /IE switch disables the Startup Disk creation, since it's useless.

Edited by MrMateczko
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  • 3 years later...

if your bios doesnt support usb booting, and you have another pc running windows ME (or 98se presumibly but untested) connect the hdd of the other pc to the working one, boot windows, fdisk, change to the second disk by pushing option 5 and then option 2

 then push option 1 to create a primary partition, then reboot, fdisk, and format the new drive, then copy contents of your install cd to a folder , name it something like setup for convenience later.  run msconfig to enable selective startup click advanced, and check the boot menu option now apply and reboot.  choose safe mode, then when windows loads close off help and support, open my computer, then copy files from boot floppy or cd onto your new drive.  then shut down, unplug the working c drive from the working computer, insert ME cd or boot floppy and boot up to run fdisk and mark the partition active.  shut down again, remove bootable media and remove the newly prepared drive.  reconnect working c drive and reassemble working computer.  insert prepared drive in the computer needing installed, let it boot to dos prompt then type cd /setup/win9x, hit enter, then type setup.exe and hit enter again.  

Sorry for the late reply, but I have used this method to work around exactly that sort of problem.  an easier way if doing a lot of these installs would be to keep a small hdd made bootable and setup with the install files on it, then just connect it as a slave drive in whatever system you need. (system should boot from it when master drive is not bootable, but may need to select it in bios on some systems.  

Edit: THis is for windows ME.  Theoretically it SHOULD work for 98, and probably 95 but I have only tested with ME.

Edited by Rodney Dawn
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