Cloning Win98FE prior to SE upgrade

While I would like the USB and other upgraded support options of SE, I
have been putting off upgrading to SE on an older laptop, because, 1.)
the FE config is running great & 2.) if anything goes wrong with the
upgrade, I don't look forward to reinstalling FE with all the fixes.

I don't have an external HDD or a CD burner on the system, so I came
up with this plan to clone the C: drive:

Remove the HDD from the laptop and install it in a USB external
enclosure.

Connect the enclosure to my XP system.

Run Ghost to clone the C: drive to an external HDD attached to the XP
system.

Reinstall HDD in laptop.

Clean install of SE.

I would appreciate knowing if this is doable, if there are any
'gotchas' waiting for me along this path, and if there are any other
helpful hints and advice from the experts that will help me make sure
I have a clone that can be reloaded by reversing the process and
restore FE.

Thanks in advance for your time.

Pointing me to relevent info would also be appreciated.

"Teflon" wrote in message
oups.com...
While I would like the USB and other upgraded support options of SE, I
have been putting off upgrading to SE on an older laptop, because, 1.)
the FE config is running great & 2.) if anything goes wrong with the
upgrade, I don't look forward to reinstalling FE with all the fixes.

I don't have an external HDD or a CD burner on the system, so I came
up with this plan to clone the C: drive:

Remove the HDD from the laptop and install it in a USB external
enclosure.

Connect the enclosure to my XP system.

Run Ghost to clone the C: drive to an external HDD attached to the XP
system.

Reinstall HDD in laptop.

Clean install of SE.

I would appreciate knowing if this is doable, if there are any
'gotchas' waiting for me along this path, and if there are any other
helpful hints and advice from the experts that will help me make sure
I have a clone that can be reloaded by reversing the process and
restore FE.

Thanks in advance for your time.

Pointing me to relevent info would also be appreciated.


As long as Ghost recognizes the external USB drive ...you should be OK

but heck, if your present installation is working fine...why bother to go
with SE???

Were I going to upgrade (clean install) the OS...I'd probably go with
Win2k...(If your machine specs can handle it)
that is at least a still supported OS

but heck, if your present installation is working fine...why bother to go
with SE???

The only reasons are to get SE's USB and device driver support for
those hardware devices (like an external HDD, a DVD burner, USB Flash
Drive, etc., etc., etc.) and the software apps whose specs state the
minimum OS is Win98SE. Other than that, I'm good with FE.

Were I going to upgrade (clean install) the OS...I'd probably go with
Win2k...(If your machine specs can handle it)

That is the second restrictor. With 96 MB of RAM, a Pentium 3
processor and a 4GB HDD, it will be struggling to run Win98SE. And
I'm not putting any money into this old beater. Got time, but no
money.

that is at least a still supported OS-

Yeah, but I got you guys, plus a copy of SE. It's a no-brainer, if it
works.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Hi Teflon,

You shouldn't have any problem running SE. I ran it for several years with
a Pentium Overdrive processor @ 100 MHz (basically a souped-up 486), and 32
MB RAM. It wasn't blazing fast, but it worked very well.

--
HTH,
Curt

Windows Support Center
www.aumha.org
Practically Nerded,...
http://dundats.mvps.org/Index.htm

"Teflon" wrote in message
ups.com...
|
| but heck, if your present installation is working fine...why bother to
go
| with SE???
|
| The only reasons are to get SE's USB and device driver support for
| those hardware devices (like an external HDD, a DVD burner, USB Flash
| Drive, etc., etc., etc.) and the software apps whose specs state the
| minimum OS is Win98SE. Other than that, I'm good with FE.
|
| Were I going to upgrade (clean install) the OS...I'd probably go with
| Win2k...(If your machine specs can handle it)
|
| That is the second restrictor. With 96 MB of RAM, a Pentium 3
| processor and a 4GB HDD, it will be struggling to run Win98SE. And
| I'm not putting any money into this old beater. Got time, but no
| money.
|
| that is at least a still supported OS-
|
| Yeah, but I got you guys, plus a copy of SE. It's a no-brainer, if it
| works.
|
| Thanks for your thoughts.
|
|
|

Don't know why you'd want to clone the HD. Or do you mean "image"? Cloning
creates a partition or disk that is exactly the same as the original, right
down to being bootable (though not usually from an external drive.) What you
want it to create an image file that can be restored to the original HD if
something goes wrong. If you already have Ghost, fine, but I prefer Acronis
True Image.

Upgrading from FE to SE is *usually* not problematic. But with an image you
can restore if necessary, you've covered your butt just fine. If you still
feel nervous, create TWO image files. One will fit on a DVD (much easier to
restore, don't have to swap the HD again), the other you can store on the
external HD in case the DVD breaks or is otherwise corrupted.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"Teflon" wrote in message
oups.com...
While I would like the USB and other upgraded support options of SE, I
have been putting off upgrading to SE on an older laptop, because, 1.)
the FE config is running great & 2.) if anything goes wrong with the
upgrade, I don't look forward to reinstalling FE with all the fixes.

I don't have an external HDD or a CD burner on the system, so I came
up with this plan to clone the C: drive:

Remove the HDD from the laptop and install it in a USB external
enclosure.

Connect the enclosure to my XP system.

Run Ghost to clone the C: drive to an external HDD attached to the XP
system.

Reinstall HDD in laptop.

Clean install of SE.

I would appreciate knowing if this is doable, if there are any
'gotchas' waiting for me along this path, and if there are any other
helpful hints and advice from the experts that will help me make sure
I have a clone that can be reloaded by reversing the process and
restore FE.

Thanks in advance for your time.

Pointing me to relevent info would also be appreciated.

If you already have Ghost, fine, but I prefer Acronis
True Image.

I'm pretty sure True Image won't work with the low amount of RAM he
has in his system.

Ross

Same applies to Ghost (more so -- I doubt any recent version of Ghost will
run on Win98, period.) Maybe OP already has a legacy copy. However, OP is
using a newer XP machine to do the task. If the imaging app needs to run on
the Win98 machine, then I'd recommend BootIt NG.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"RMD" wrote in message
...
If you already have Ghost, fine, but I prefer Acronis
True Image.

I'm pretty sure True Image won't work with the low amount of RAM he
has in his system.

Ross

"Teflon" wrote in message
ups.com...

but heck, if your present installation is working fine...why bother to go
with SE???

The only reasons are to get SE's USB and device driver support for
those hardware devices (like an external HDD, a DVD burner, USB Flash
Drive, etc., etc., etc.) and the software apps whose specs state the
minimum OS is Win98SE. Other than that, I'm good with FE.

Were I going to upgrade (clean install) the OS...I'd probably go with
Win2k...(If your machine specs can handle it)

That is the second restrictor. With 96 MB of RAM, a Pentium 3
processor and a 4GB HDD, it will be struggling to run Win98SE. And
I'm not putting any money into this old beater. Got time, but no
money.

that is at least a still supported OS-

Yeah, but I got you guys, plus a copy of SE. It's a no-brainer, if it
works.

Thanks for your thoughts.



Good idea to backup of course...but an upgrade from win98 to win98se should
not cause any problems...

as to win2k...though a P-III is fine...yes, you'd really need more ram...
\so win98se should be fine

Remember philo that each operating system has its own uses. Windows 2000 is
much more business orientated and centered around NT technology as compared
to Windows 98 Second Edition which is consumer orientated and based on 9x
technology although it was a big hit with businesses also much to the
surprise of Microsoft. This is a key in realizing why there is still so much
potential to the 9x source code. I hope eventually a combination product or
perhaps another 9x product will come out to the marketplace. I am working on
this but it will most likely take years to see the light of day if it happens
at all.

"philo" wrote:


"Teflon" wrote in message
ups.com...

but heck, if your present installation is working fine...why bother to go
with SE???

The only reasons are to get SE's USB and device driver support for
those hardware devices (like an external HDD, a DVD burner, USB Flash
Drive, etc., etc., etc.) and the software apps whose specs state the
minimum OS is Win98SE. Other than that, I'm good with FE.

Were I going to upgrade (clean install) the OS...I'd probably go with
Win2k...(If your machine specs can handle it)

That is the second restrictor. With 96 MB of RAM, a Pentium 3
processor and a 4GB HDD, it will be struggling to run Win98SE. And
I'm not putting any money into this old beater. Got time, but no
money.

that is at least a still supported OS-

Yeah, but I got you guys, plus a copy of SE. It's a no-brainer, if it
works.

Thanks for your thoughts.



Good idea to backup of course...but an upgrade from win98 to win98se should
not cause any problems...

as to win2k...though a P-III is fine...yes, you'd really need more ram...
\so win98se should be fine

I agree that BING was very useful although I have only used it briefly for a
trial period in the past. It looks like a really awesome product.

"Gary S. Terhune" wrote:

Same applies to Ghost (more so -- I doubt any recent version of Ghost will
run on Win98, period.) Maybe OP already has a legacy copy. However, OP is
using a newer XP machine to do the task. If the imaging app needs to run on
the Win98 machine, then I'd recommend BootIt NG.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"RMD" wrote in message
...
If you already have Ghost, fine, but I prefer Acronis
True Image.

I'm pretty sure True Image won't work with the low amount of RAM he
has in his system.

Ross