Have been trying to post a question to you Don, or anyone else but couldn't
asccess the ask question:
Anyhow, after several hours reading, here goes; I HAVE installed my Restore
cd on a Emachine with windows 98, I too don't have the product key. It ws in
safe mode, and it appears as though most of my files were still there, at
least on the desktop. somehow it got off safe mode so now :without disc gets
me to productkey which i can't find: or with restore disc in, gives me the A
prompt; tried your C:\Windows\Command\.........it repeated
the.....\System.dat line then A prompt and nothing.
Any help?
--
feasant


"Don Phillipson" wrote:

"Arlykat" wrote in message
...

Hi. I have a computer I haven't run for about a year. It got plugged in
and
out, disconnected things, connected them back, etc. thru the year. When I
now
want to start it up to copy or move all of my important pics/info so I can
give the computer to a friend, Windows won't start.

Separate your two tasks.
1. You want to save onto your regular PC your important
pics/info. Method A is to link the two PCs together as a
temporary network, then just copy over. Method B is to
put the hard drive from the old PC into the new PC, copy
over what you want (e.g. all files created between dates A and B)
then put the hard drive back. Method B would be the
fastest if you have any trouble starting the old PC.

2. You want to give away the old computer in good running
order. The fastest way of doing this is to use FDISK to blank
the hard drive, then reformat and reinstal the operating system,
as described he
http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/w98_restore.html

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)