Interesting. There is a huge collection of files under
Windows\Options\Cabs adding up to over 200 MB, but it doesn't seem to be
the same contents as the W98 CD. For example, I did a search for
Windows Messaging, WMS.exe and Microsoft Fax, awfax.exe, which I know
are on the Windows 98 CD, and they are not here. But maybe that's
because they are not essential parts of the operating system.

Larry



Brian A. wrote:
No, the CD drive is not necessary to install a new drive. It is only
necessary if you want to install an OS on it unless the Win98 setup
files are on your harddrive already. Most manufacturers place them in
C:\Windows\Options\Cabs although they may place them elsewhere. Use
find to see if you can locate them, many will show as win98_##.cab.

In the named box type: *.cab
Select the c: drive to look in and click find.

If you happen on a folder with many many .cab files named as above,
bingo, you've got them on hand in the drive. Write down the entire
path to the folder to use in DOS. If any directories or folders have
names longer than 8+3, 8 characters for the name +3 for the extension
then you will need to get the DOS name of the directory/folder. To
do this right click on the folder and click Properties. The dos name
will be shown in the window that comes up.
ex: Program Files has the DOS name Progra~1

In this case, after you have partitioned/formatted the drive:
Shut down and install the second drive as explained previously
Boot with a 98 boot disk as stated previously
Select "boot without CD support"
At the prompt type and press Enter after each:

cd
d:\ **Note:use the actual drive letter that the setup files are on
if not on d:**
Type in the full path to the folder where the setup files are and
include setup.exe, such as:
d:\windows\options\cabs\setup.exe

Your Windows install should now begin using the files on the hard
drive.

Have fun and good luck.



"Larry" wrote in message
...
I'm glad I asked this. My CD drive hasn't been working lately and I
hadn't bothered getting it fixed. It appears from what you say
that the CD drive is necessary to install a new hard drive. Or is
there a way around that?

In any case, I've obviously got to get that CD drive fixed or
replaced.



Brian A. wrote:
If you plan to purchase a hard drive larger than 120GB, then you
will also need a controller card that supports 48bit addressing,
Windows does not support drives larger than 137GB. As well,
depending on the size of the drive you may need to update windows
FDISK for drives larger than 64GB and possibly the BIOS if yours
doesn't support LBA.

Once you have the new HD, look at the backend where the ribbon
cable, jumpers and power connects. Most drives have a diagram on
the top of the drive for jumper settings. Set the jumper on the
new drive to be the Master and set the jumper on the old drive to
be the Slave.

For now pull the old drive from the machine and install only the
new drive to avoid possible corruption or worse, fdisk and format
the wrong drive. Connect the longer end of the ribbon cable to the
Primary IDE on the motherboard and the other end, where the
connectors are closer to one another, to the harddrive. Make sure
the drive is set for either Single or Master, Single doesn't
always work. Connect the power to the drive.

Either use the manufacturers disk if supplied to partition/format
the disk or
Put a 98 boot disk that has CD support in the Floppy drive and
boot the machine
Select Boot with CD support from the presented menu.
Note the drive letter assigned the CD drive near the end of boot.
fdisk (partition) and fromat the drive.

How to Use the Fdisk Tool and the Format Tool to Partition or
Repartition a Hard Disk
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q255867/

Once the drive is partitioned/formatted, place the Win98 setup
disk in the CD drive. Then type at the prompt and press Enter:

NotedCDdriveLetter:\setup.exe **Note: type the actual assigned
CD drive letter you noted earlier.**

Make sure you have your ProductKey (not the ProductID) on hand as
you will be asked for it.

Once you have a fresh install of Windows with all the drivers
needed: Shut down and install the old drive as the Slave on the
connector between the Master drive and mobo IDE on the ribbon
cable. Boot up and you will be able to drag/drop data files to
where you want them or keep them where their at and set the path
to them within the app that uses them.

Have fun and good luck.



"Larry" wrote in message
...


I'm planning to buy a new hard drive as my present one may be
failing. However, my present one may also be ok, in which case I
would want to keep the old drive and use it to back up the data
on the new drive.

Two questions:

How do I copy the data from the old drive to the new drive? Is
there a simple, one-step way of doing this so that I don't have
to go through a big job of backing all my stuff onto other
media as insurance?

If I decide to have both drives installed (using the old drive
as a backup medium), how do I do that?

If this is relatively simple, I will look to buy an inexpensive
hard drive and do the job on my own. If it's complicated, I
will more likely buy the HD from Dell so that their tech
support can walk me through it.

I have a Dell Dimension with Windows 98.

Thanks much.

Larry