having trouble installing win98 on a laptop with no os

I got a laptop free and wanted to install 98 on it, a clean install for my
nephew. I burned a bootcd, and managed to format and partition it, my trouble
starts because I dont have another disk drive to put the iso I have in, I
only have the one drive, the laptop does not have a Floppy drive.


Any suggestions? Whenever I try and use any setup commands I get invalid
media trying to read disk

"xskarmah" wrote in message
...
I got a laptop free and wanted to install 98 on it, a clean install for my
nephew. I burned a bootcd, and managed to format and partition it, my
trouble
starts because I dont have another disk drive to put the iso I have in, I
only have the one drive, the laptop does not have a Floppy drive.


Any suggestions? Whenever I try and use any setup commands I get invalid
media trying to read disk


Win98 cd's at least legit ones are generally bootable
so you do not need a floppy

"philo" wrote in message
...

"xskarmah" wrote in message
...
I got a laptop free and wanted to install 98 on it, a clean install for
my
nephew. I burned a bootcd, and managed to format and partition it, my
trouble
starts because I dont have another disk drive to put the iso I have in, I
only have the one drive, the laptop does not have a Floppy drive.


Any suggestions? Whenever I try and use any setup commands I get invalid
media trying to read disk


Win98 cd's at least legit ones are generally bootable
so you do not need a floppy

WRONG!!! Where do you get that? Find me one and describe the label. Bet it
didn't come from Microsoft. Bet it was built by some OEM, and probably
specifically for laptops, at that. But not even Microsoft's generic "OEM"
CD, the one sent out with whitebox builds and smaller OEMs, is bootable.

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

"Gary S. Terhune" none wrote in message
...

"philo" wrote in message
...

"xskarmah" wrote in message
...
I got a laptop free and wanted to install 98 on it, a clean install for
my
nephew. I burned a bootcd, and managed to format and partition it, my
trouble
starts because I dont have another disk drive to put the iso I have in,
I
only have the one drive, the laptop does not have a Floppy drive.


Any suggestions? Whenever I try and use any setup commands I get
invalid
media trying to read disk


Win98 cd's at least legit ones are generally bootable
so you do not need a floppy

WRONG!!! Where do you get that? Find me one and describe the label. Bet it
didn't come from Microsoft. Bet it was built by some OEM, and probably
specifically for laptops, at that. But not even Microsoft's generic "OEM"
CD, the one sent out with whitebox builds and smaller OEMs, is bootable.



That's weird I just setup a machine a few days ago and the Win98 cd was
bootable.
As I post this I have just confirmed that my win98 cd is bootable.
I have the license and everything. Though it does not say OEM on it...
it must be one though.

Here is what is says:

Microsoft Windows 98
for PC's without Windows.
I have a whole box of similar cd's that came from the many desktops I've
scrapped out...
none came from laptops and as far as I know, they are all bootable.
At least when I do setup a win98 machine I've never yet pulled one out of
the box
that did not boot.
The only exception was a win98 upgrade cd, that I assume was supposed to be
installed
from within an existing OS or with a boot floppy.

So if most win98 cd's are not bootable then I am wrong!!!!
but all I can say is the ones I have come from Microsoft and do not have the
name of any mfg on them
but they do indeed say : for PC's without windows.

So what's the deal?

Sounds like Microsoft's generic OEM CDs you got there. Would blow my socks
off to find out they're bootable. I can't recall one instance of such a
disc. I do recall such with WIN95 discs.

Oh well, unless someone else can clarify... I'll dig through a couple of
places and see if I have one or two handy. But non-bootable is the standard
AFAIK.

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


"philo" wrote in message
...

"Gary S. Terhune" none wrote in message
...

"philo" wrote in message
...

"xskarmah" wrote in message
...
I got a laptop free and wanted to install 98 on it, a clean install
for
my
nephew. I burned a bootcd, and managed to format and partition it, my
trouble
starts because I dont have another disk drive to put the iso I have
in,
I
only have the one drive, the laptop does not have a Floppy drive.


Any suggestions? Whenever I try and use any setup commands I get
invalid
media trying to read disk


Win98 cd's at least legit ones are generally bootable
so you do not need a floppy

WRONG!!! Where do you get that? Find me one and describe the label. Bet
it
didn't come from Microsoft. Bet it was built by some OEM, and probably
specifically for laptops, at that. But not even Microsoft's generic "OEM"
CD, the one sent out with whitebox builds and smaller OEMs, is bootable.



That's weird I just setup a machine a few days ago and the Win98 cd was
bootable.
As I post this I have just confirmed that my win98 cd is bootable.
I have the license and everything. Though it does not say OEM on it...
it must be one though.

Here is what is says:

Microsoft Windows 98
for PC's without Windows.
I have a whole box of similar cd's that came from the many desktops I've
scrapped out...
none came from laptops and as far as I know, they are all bootable.
At least when I do setup a win98 machine I've never yet pulled one out of
the box
that did not boot.
The only exception was a win98 upgrade cd, that I assume was supposed to
be
installed
from within an existing OS or with a boot floppy.

So if most win98 cd's are not bootable then I am wrong!!!!
but all I can say is the ones I have come from Microsoft and do not have
the
name of any mfg on them
but they do indeed say : for PC's without windows.

So what's the deal?

"Gary S. Terhune" none wrote in message
...
Sounds like Microsoft's generic OEM CDs you got there. Would blow my socks
off to find out they're bootable. I can't recall one instance of such a
disc. I do recall such with WIN95 discs.

Oh well, unless someone else can clarify... I'll dig through a couple of
places and see if I have one or two handy. But non-bootable is the
standard
AFAIK.


You are probably right...
because if something is in my house...it's more than likely totally
non-standard G



Well I never saw a bootable win95 cd
OTOH: ...I don't think I ever tried to boot with one.


Now I may have to tear my house apart to find a cd that does not say:

for PC's without windows...
I could swear I had some but I doubt I'll find any now that I want to.


Good thing it's way past my bedtime and I'm falling asleep
or I'd test all my win98 cd's to see if they boot !

On Sat, 3 May 2008 19:30:07 -0500, "philo" put
finger to keyboard and composed:


"xskarmah" wrote in message
...
I got a laptop free and wanted to install 98 on it, a clean install for my
nephew. I burned a bootcd, and managed to format and partition it, my
trouble
starts because I dont have another disk drive to put the iso I have in, I
only have the one drive, the laptop does not have a Floppy drive.


Any suggestions? Whenever I try and use any setup commands I get invalid
media trying to read disk


Win98 cd's at least legit ones are generally bootable
so you do not need a floppy

This URL suggests that Win98 CDs were not bootable:
http://www.webtree.ca/newlife/posts/win98_editions.htm

- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

"Franc Zabkar" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 3 May 2008 19:30:07 -0500, "philo" put
finger to keyboard and composed:


"xskarmah" wrote in message
...
I got a laptop free and wanted to install 98 on it, a clean install for
my
nephew. I burned a bootcd, and managed to format and partition it, my
trouble
starts because I dont have another disk drive to put the iso I have in,
I
only have the one drive, the laptop does not have a Floppy drive.


Any suggestions? Whenever I try and use any setup commands I get
invalid
media trying to read disk


Win98 cd's at least legit ones are generally bootable
so you do not need a floppy

This URL suggests that Win98 CDs were not bootable:
http://www.webtree.ca/newlife/posts/win98_editions.htm



I am still looking to see if I have any non-oem cd's
but I now think that I was wrong when I said they were bootable.

Though the win98cd's I have are bootable...all the one's I have found
are "generic" OEM cd's that were to "be used only with a new PC"

What little other info I could find (besides what Franc found) suggests that
at some point they did start making OEM copies bootable. But while my
experience with OEM copies is limited, and my memory sucks BIG TIME, I do
recall using several and don't recall them being bootable, but then, when
you boil out how many times I actually used one for Setup.... Fact is, my
standard setup starts with copying the WIN98 directory to the HD and
otherwise using a bootable floppy (or CD version of same) (and/or BING) to
prepare the disk(s) and SYS the boot drive. After that, no discs are
involved.

I wonder... When shopping for a copy of XP, I found a "system builder's"
version that seems to be something different than the OEM versions, though
I'm not certain what difference there might be except in license (IIRC once
the SB build is installed, it may never be installed again on any except the
exact same hardware. No wiggle room.) I don't know the provenance of your
machines, but if they come mostly from large industrial/commercial
sources... Perhaps there's such a thing as an SB version of Win98SE?

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

"philo" wrote in message
...

"Franc Zabkar" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 3 May 2008 19:30:07 -0500, "philo" put
finger to keyboard and composed:


"xskarmah" wrote in message
...
I got a laptop free and wanted to install 98 on it, a clean install
for
my
nephew. I burned a bootcd, and managed to format and partition it, my
trouble
starts because I dont have another disk drive to put the iso I have
in,
I
only have the one drive, the laptop does not have a Floppy drive.


Any suggestions? Whenever I try and use any setup commands I get
invalid
media trying to read disk


Win98 cd's at least legit ones are generally bootable
so you do not need a floppy

This URL suggests that Win98 CDs were not bootable:
http://www.webtree.ca/newlife/posts/win98_editions.htm



I am still looking to see if I have any non-oem cd's
but I now think that I was wrong when I said they were bootable.

Though the win98cd's I have are bootable...all the one's I have found
are "generic" OEM cd's that were to "be used only with a new PC"

"Gary S. Terhune" none wrote in message
...
What little other info I could find (besides what Franc found) suggests
that
at some point they did start making OEM copies bootable. But while my
experience with OEM copies is limited, and my memory sucks BIG TIME, I do
recall using several and don't recall them being bootable, but then, when
you boil out how many times I actually used one for Setup.... Fact is, my
standard setup starts with copying the WIN98 directory to the HD and
otherwise using a bootable floppy (or CD version of same) (and/or BING) to
prepare the disk(s) and SYS the boot drive. After that, no discs are
involved.

I wonder... When shopping for a copy of XP, I found a "system builder's"
version that seems to be something different than the OEM versions, though
I'm not certain what difference there might be except in license (IIRC
once
the SB build is installed, it may never be installed again on any except
the
exact same hardware. No wiggle room.) I don't know the provenance of your
machines, but if they come mostly from large industrial/commercial
sources... Perhaps there's such a thing as an SB version of Win98SE?



Interesting.

Basically the machines I get could be anything.
I scrounge them up from where-ever I can get them.
Individuals, offices and junk piles..you name it.

I still have many of the Certificate of Authenticity booklets for the
bootable win98 cd's
and the ones I have are from either Gateway, Compaq or HP...
and they all are just generic Microsoft cd's for win98se.

Though the books have different manufacturer names on them...
the one thing is common is all of then have the same number in the lower
left hand
portion of the cover : X04-15747 and appear to have been printed in 1999.
Or at least that is the newest copyright date I can find anywhere.

Well one thing I know I will not ever be doing ...is going with the "system
builder's" version
of XP...I change my hardware continuously. I am now using my Win2k
machine...which is the one I seem
to use most often. The HD in here has been transplanted into different
machines at least 4 times now
over a period of many years. Though it requires a repair install...it just
keeps going without
and problems.