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windows 98 floppy disk version



 
 
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  #21  
Old July 3rd 07, 05:20 AM posted to microsoft.public.win98.setup
Gary S. Terhune[_2_]
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 2,158
Default windows 98 floppy disk version

"DanT" wrote in message
...
Ok everyone, I did mention that my laptop only uses ONE drive at a time
(EITHER FLOPPY OR CD)


Eventually, yes. But you did say at the beginning that it's a laptop, and
that implies only one or the other.

Second of all, windows 98 (i'm not sure about SE though) did come on
FLOPPIES because it says it right in the manual for WIN 98.


But you certainly can't get any now, except through sheer luck. And AFAIK
it's only Win98 "Gold" that was available on floppies, not Second Edition.

Now does anyone know how to, or where to get win 98 on floppy disks?


No. You've got to find someone who already has a set. They're so rare that
there's nobody out there selling new ones, or even old ones. You certainly
can't get them from MS.

My laptop is 12 years old, originally came with 95, and the BIOS doesn't
boot CD's ok.


You can't boot *any* CDs? Note that the CD has to be bootable. You are
trying it with a bootable CD, right? Is there a boot order setting in your
BIOS, and if so is it set to boot CD before HDD?

All I asked was if someone could help me get the Windows 98 floppy disks,
I
don't know why everyone is writing about something else that I don't care
about.


Because you can't get what you want except via some real miracle. Thus we
try to come up with other methods. If you accept that you won't find a
floppy version, then a bootable CD solution is the only way to go. If your
system really can't boot CDs, then I suggest the following:

The system has to now function (presumably Win98), or you will have to
reformat and install Win95. Then use BootIt NG to slightly shrink your
existing partition and create a second small one. Boot to the installed
system and then copy the WIN98 folder from the CD onto the second partition.
Then boot to the Startup floppy (aka Emergency Boot Disk, EBD), reformat C:\
and run setup from D:\WIN98 (assuming the second partition is D:\). Note
that the second partition only needs to be large enough to hold the WIN98
folder (note that sub-folders aren't needed, just the files in the WIN98
folder.) I suggest 1GB.

If you need more detailed instruction, just ask.

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




  #22  
Old July 3rd 07, 07:20 AM posted to microsoft.public.win98.setup
Bill Watt
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 155
Default windows 98 floppy disk version

On Mon, 2 Jul 2007 17:42:01 -0700, DanT
wrote:

Ok everyone, I did mention that my laptop only uses ONE drive at a time
(EITHER FLOPPY OR CD)

Second of all, windows 98 (i'm not sure about SE though) did come on
FLOPPIES because it says it right in the manual for WIN 98.

Now does anyone know how to, or where to get win 98 on floppy disks?

My laptop is 12 years old, originally came with 95, and the BIOS doesn't
boot CD's ok.

All I asked was if someone could help me get the Windows 98 floppy disks, I
don't know why everyone is writing about something else that I don't care
about.


Dan,

I searched E-Bay and Google for them with no luck. Maybe you can
find them there. Other than that you might try a computer store or
repair shop.

I know you are missing Win.com but that can be extracted from the CD
after booting to DOS with CDrom support and the two changes I
suggested in the two system files without using the diskette.
There's an easy way to do that if you are interested. You boot with
the Startup diskette then use the EXT utility on the startup
diskette and extract Win.cnf to the Windows folder then rename it
Win.com. Just enter EXT after booting, it's self explanatory.

EXT is not on the Startup diskette made from the Fat32ebd file on
the CD.

If you know what other files are missing you could also extract
them.

After that the system may boot but if not you may be able to boot to
windows from the Startup diskette by re-naming Msdos.sys on the
diskette ( it's empty anyway ) and copying the one in the root of
your HDD to the diskette. That could bypass the usual startup
problems. This will boot to Windows unless there are severe
problems. You can use Windows that way as long as the diskette
remains in the drive.

Try a Computer Repair shop.

Good luck,

Regards,

Bill Watt
Win98 Computer Help & Other Information http://home.ptd.net/~bwatt/

  #23  
Old July 3rd 07, 08:33 AM posted to microsoft.public.win98.setup
Ben Myers
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 356
Default windows 98 floppy disk version

"DanT" wrote in message ...
Ok everyone, I did mention that my laptop only uses ONE drive at a time
(EITHER FLOPPY OR CD)


The method I suggested in one of my other posts is compatible with this.

Second of all, windows 98 (i'm not sure about SE though) did come on
FLOPPIES because it says it right in the manual for WIN 98.

Now does anyone know how to, or where to get win 98 on floppy disks?

My laptop is 12 years old, originally came with 95, and the BIOS doesn't
boot CD's ok.


You typically don't need to boot from a CD to install from it.

All I asked was if someone could help me get the Windows 98 floppy disks, I
don't know why everyone is writing about something else that I don't care
about.


Laptops have unusual hardware, often requiring customized versions of Windows.
If you want to see if the Windows CD you already have is usable, please try the
method I suggested. Since the CD drive will probably be assigned drive letter
"R:", I suggest you try typing "R:\win98\setup" at the "C:\" prompt.



Ben


  #24  
Old July 5th 07, 05:59 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.setup
cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 202
Default windows 98 floppy disk version

On Mon, 2 Jul 2007 17:42:01 -0700, DanT

Ok everyone, I did mention that my laptop only uses ONE drive at a time
(EITHER FLOPPY OR CD)


Ahhh(rgghhh), laptops.

In which case, assuming blank HD, do this:
- boot diskette, Sys C:, etc.
- copy contents of diskette to a C:\DOSMODE
- write the files in C:\ that follow...

C:\CONFIG.SYS

Set Path=C:\DOSMODE
Device=C:\DOSMODE\HiMem.sys
DOS=High, UMB
DeviceHigh=C:\DOSMODE\OakCDROM.sys /D:CD1

C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT

@Echo Off
LH MSCDEx /D:CD1
LH SmartDrv.exe /X

Power off, disconnect 1.44M, connect CD-ROM. Boot off HD; if
C:\DOSMode is populated correctly from the diskette, you should now
have a DOS mode boot that includes CD-ROM support.

If so, carry on - i.e. copy the file set from CD's \WIN98 to a \WIN98
on the HD (preferably a partition off C, then change to that volume,
CD \WIN98, enter Setup as a command.

When you run Setup, it doesn't matter whether the diskette drive,
CD-ROM drive or nothing is connected at the time.

When done, go back and edit C:\CONFIG.SYS to remove the lines we added
earlier, and do the same to the lines we added in C:\Autoexec.bat

Second of all, windows 98 (i'm not sure about SE though) did come on
FLOPPIES because it says it right in the manual for WIN 98.


Whatever. Would you like to shlepp slowly through a pile of
8-year-old diskettes, hoping that they all work?

My laptop is 12 years old, originally came with 95, and the BIOS doesn't
boot CD's ok.


See above.

All I asked was if someone could help me get the Windows 98 floppy disks, I
don't know why everyone is writing about something else that I don't care
about.


Because it's a better solution, that's why. Else you'll be faced with
bad diskettes looking like some sort of Win98 installation issue,
because you'd be trying to copy from them and installing the OS at the
same time. Any pile of diskettes that high is likely to have one or
two bad ones; the odds are far better on CD, plus its faster, plus you
don't have to hang around swapping disks, plus there's no risk of HD
boot malware attempting to infect a diskette.



------------------------- ---- --- -- - - - -

I'm on a ten-year lunch break
------------------------- ---- --- -- - - - -

  #25  
Old July 17th 07, 07:22 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.setup
DanT
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 9
Default windows 98 floppy disk version

sorry that I'm not very good with all the command line stuff so I need you to
tell me exactly how to do all of this stuff, like for example I have no Idea
how to copy the contents of my floppy disk to a c:\DOSMODE, and I don't have
a blank Hard Disk, will this still work?

"cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)" wrote:

On Mon, 2 Jul 2007 17:42:01 -0700, DanT

Ok everyone, I did mention that my laptop only uses ONE drive at a time
(EITHER FLOPPY OR CD)


Ahhh(rgghhh), laptops.

In which case, assuming blank HD, do this:
- boot diskette, Sys C:, etc.
- copy contents of diskette to a C:\DOSMODE
- write the files in C:\ that follow...

C:\CONFIG.SYS

Set Path=C:\DOSMODE
Device=C:\DOSMODE\HiMem.sys
DOS=High, UMB
DeviceHigh=C:\DOSMODE\OakCDROM.sys /D:CD1

C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT

@Echo Off
LH MSCDEx /D:CD1
LH SmartDrv.exe /X

Power off, disconnect 1.44M, connect CD-ROM. Boot off HD; if
C:\DOSMode is populated correctly from the diskette, you should now
have a DOS mode boot that includes CD-ROM support.

If so, carry on - i.e. copy the file set from CD's \WIN98 to a \WIN98
on the HD (preferably a partition off C, then change to that volume,
CD \WIN98, enter Setup as a command.

When you run Setup, it doesn't matter whether the diskette drive,
CD-ROM drive or nothing is connected at the time.

When done, go back and edit C:\CONFIG.SYS to remove the lines we added
earlier, and do the same to the lines we added in C:\Autoexec.bat

Second of all, windows 98 (i'm not sure about SE though) did come on
FLOPPIES because it says it right in the manual for WIN 98.


Whatever. Would you like to shlepp slowly through a pile of
8-year-old diskettes, hoping that they all work?

My laptop is 12 years old, originally came with 95, and the BIOS doesn't
boot CD's ok.


See above.

All I asked was if someone could help me get the Windows 98 floppy disks, I
don't know why everyone is writing about something else that I don't care
about.


Because it's a better solution, that's why. Else you'll be faced with
bad diskettes looking like some sort of Win98 installation issue,
because you'd be trying to copy from them and installing the OS at the
same time. Any pile of diskettes that high is likely to have one or
two bad ones; the odds are far better on CD, plus its faster, plus you
don't have to hang around swapping disks, plus there's no risk of HD
boot malware attempting to infect a diskette.



------------------------- ---- --- -- - - - -

I'm on a ten-year lunch break
------------------------- ---- --- -- - - - -


  #26  
Old July 17th 07, 07:28 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.setup
DanT
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 9
Default windows 98 floppy disk version

sorry I didn't mention that by not having a blank hard disk, I meant to say
that I already have Win98 installed.

"DanT" wrote:

sorry that I'm not very good with all the command line stuff so I need you to
tell me exactly how to do all of this stuff, like for example I have no Idea
how to copy the contents of my floppy disk to a c:\DOSMODE, and I don't have
a blank Hard Disk, will this still work?

"cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)" wrote:

On Mon, 2 Jul 2007 17:42:01 -0700, DanT

Ok everyone, I did mention that my laptop only uses ONE drive at a time
(EITHER FLOPPY OR CD)


Ahhh(rgghhh), laptops.

In which case, assuming blank HD, do this:
- boot diskette, Sys C:, etc.
- copy contents of diskette to a C:\DOSMODE
- write the files in C:\ that follow...

C:\CONFIG.SYS

Set Path=C:\DOSMODE
Device=C:\DOSMODE\HiMem.sys
DOS=High, UMB
DeviceHigh=C:\DOSMODE\OakCDROM.sys /D:CD1

C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT

@Echo Off
LH MSCDEx /D:CD1
LH SmartDrv.exe /X

Power off, disconnect 1.44M, connect CD-ROM. Boot off HD; if
C:\DOSMode is populated correctly from the diskette, you should now
have a DOS mode boot that includes CD-ROM support.

If so, carry on - i.e. copy the file set from CD's \WIN98 to a \WIN98
on the HD (preferably a partition off C, then change to that volume,
CD \WIN98, enter Setup as a command.

When you run Setup, it doesn't matter whether the diskette drive,
CD-ROM drive or nothing is connected at the time.

When done, go back and edit C:\CONFIG.SYS to remove the lines we added
earlier, and do the same to the lines we added in C:\Autoexec.bat

Second of all, windows 98 (i'm not sure about SE though) did come on
FLOPPIES because it says it right in the manual for WIN 98.


Whatever. Would you like to shlepp slowly through a pile of
8-year-old diskettes, hoping that they all work?

My laptop is 12 years old, originally came with 95, and the BIOS doesn't
boot CD's ok.


See above.

All I asked was if someone could help me get the Windows 98 floppy disks, I
don't know why everyone is writing about something else that I don't care
about.


Because it's a better solution, that's why. Else you'll be faced with
bad diskettes looking like some sort of Win98 installation issue,
because you'd be trying to copy from them and installing the OS at the
same time. Any pile of diskettes that high is likely to have one or
two bad ones; the odds are far better on CD, plus its faster, plus you
don't have to hang around swapping disks, plus there's no risk of HD
boot malware attempting to infect a diskette.



------------------------- ---- --- -- - - - -

I'm on a ten-year lunch break
------------------------- ---- --- -- - - - -


  #27  
Old July 17th 07, 09:09 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.setup
cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 202
Default windows 98 floppy disk version

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 11:22:02 -0700, DanT

sorry that I'm not very good with all the command line stuff so I need you to
tell me exactly how to do all of this stuff, like for example I have no Idea
how to copy the contents of my floppy disk to a c:\DOSMODE


MD C:\DOSMODE
Copy A:\*.* C:\DOSMODE

You may also have to edit two files on the new hard drive, so that
they will point to CD-ROM drivers, etc.

and I don't have a blank Hard Disk


By "blank hard disk", I was thinking of context, i.e. where you
haven't yet created anything on the system (i.e. you are installing
the OS "fresh", rather than doing a repair install)

In that case, the procedure to install Windows from scratch, onto a
freshly-formatted (thus empty) hard drive, would be:

Boot off the Emergency Boot Diskette
Enter the following commands...

Sys C:
MD C:\DOSMODE
Copy A:\*.* C:\DOSMODE
Edit

Now that you are in Edit, create the following file...

Device=C:\DOSMODE\HiMem.xyx
Device=C:\DOSMODE\OakCDROM.sys /D:CD1

....and then go File, SaveAs, save as C:\CONFIG.SYS
Next, create this file content...

@Echo Off
Path C:\DOSMODE
LH MSCDEx /D:CD1
LH SmartDrv

....and save that as C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT and exit Edit.

Now shut down the PC, and swap the diskette drive for the CD drive,
then boot the PC. If all has gone well, the PC should boot into DOS
mode with driver support for the CD-ROM drive.

Now insert the Windows 98 CD, and enter the following commands...

MD C:\WIN98
Copy D:\WIN98\*.* C:\WIN98
Attrib -r C:\WIN98\*.*

....assuming all of your hard drive is C: and your CD-ROM drive letter
is D: - if you skip the last (Attrib) command, it's no big deal.

Now you can either leave the CD-ROM drive in place, swap it for the
diskette drive, or leave neither in place, as you start the install:

C:
CD \WIN98
Setup

From there on, just follow the dots. You will end up with an
installation that "thinks" it came from C:\WIN98, rather than the
CD-ROM drive, so if it even needs files from the installation set, it
can find them without nagging you for a drive that may not be there.

When done, you'll want to clean up the DOS-orientated startup files.
You can edit C:\Config.sys and C:\Autoexec.bat in Notepad to remove
the lines you added before doing the installation, or disable the
lines by putting the word REM in front of them.



------------ ----- ---- --- -- - - - -

The most accurate diagnostic instrument
in medicine is the Retrospectoscope
------------ ----- ---- --- -- - - - -

  #28  
Old July 17th 07, 09:23 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.setup
J. P. Gilliver
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 214
Default windows 98 floppy disk version

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

[]
My laptop is 12 years old, originally came with 95, and the BIOS doesn't
boot CD's ok.


You can't boot *any* CDs? Note that the CD has to be bootable. You are
trying it with a bootable CD, right? Is there a boot order setting in your
BIOS, and if so is it set to boot CD before HDD?


The ability to boot from CDs wasn't that common, not too long ago - and it
wouldn't surprise me if it was even less common on laptops. (Is it relevant
though: I thought most - if not all - '98 CDs weren't bootable anyway.)

All I asked was if someone could help me get the Windows 98 floppy disks,
I
don't know why everyone is writing about something else that I don't care
about.


Because you can't get what you want except via some real miracle. Thus we


And you'd have no certainty that they were all OK anyway!

try to come up with other methods. If you accept that you won't find a
floppy version, then a bootable CD solution is the only way to go. If your
system really can't boot CDs, then I suggest the following:

[]
Depends if he's trying to rescue stuff already on the laptop's HD. If not,
then as others have said, it's a matter of:

o Booting from the boot floppy
o (Formatting the HD if a clean start is wanted)
o copying from the boot floppy to the root of the HD, then editing some
files, so that the system can boot from the HD - just to a DOS prompt - but
with CD-ROM support. Check this works (at least that it boots), by taking
the floppy out and rebooting
o turning off, and swapping over the drives
o turning on, and letting it boot from the HD
o installing '98 - either from the CD, or (I much prefer, but depends if
it's a tiny HD, which it may well be on a 12YO laptop) by copying the \WIN98
directory (root files only) from the CD to somewhere* on the HD, then
running setup from there. Note that the CD drive will probably appear as E:.

*"somewhere" is often recommended to be \WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS (which
requires knowledge of the DOS commands md and probably cd, but is trivial).
No-one, however, has ever explained to me _why_ this location is
recommended.

(Also note that if you do use that location, which obviously involves
creating a \Windows directory, with nothing in it but the Options
subdirectory, then setup will detect it, and offer to install to
\windows.000, which you shouldn't accept, but change it to \windows - i. e.
by deleting the .000 - instead. It won't overwrite or delete the Options
subdirectory.)


  #29  
Old July 17th 07, 09:27 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.setup
cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 202
Default windows 98 floppy disk version

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 11:28:00 -0700, DanT

sorry I didn't mention that by not having a blank hard disk, I meant to say
that I already have Win98 installed.


Oh, OK; then you don't want to install WIndows again, but probably
want to prevent Windows from nagging you to insert the CD into a drive
that may not be present, if you're using the diskette drive instead.

You can "retro-fit" the path to hard drive (instead of CD) as if you'd
installed Windows from there, as follows.

First, create a folder in C:\ called WIN98, then copy all of the files
from your Windows CD's \WIN98 directory to this new location. You can
leave out folders within there, such as OLS etc.

Then you can highlight all those files in C:\WIN98, right-click them,
click Properties, an UNcheck the "Read only" attribute. It's not
essential to do this, but it allows Defrag to move them, etc.

Having done this, you use Regedit to change the setting that points to
where your installation "thinks" its files came from.

Cut the following lines and paste them into Notepad...

-------------cut here
REGEDIT 4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Setup]
"SourcePath"="C:\\WIN98"

-------------cut here

....and then safe that as Source.reg, and "open"it. It will point your
existing install to C:\WIN98 (the double \\ is intentional, as Regedit
reads the first \ as an "escape" character, and the second as the
"real" \ that you wanted in the first place. You also need that extra
blank line at the end, due to an old Regedit bug.





-------------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -

Tip Of The Day:
To disable the 'Tip of the Day' feature...
-------------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -

  #30  
Old July 18th 07, 12:13 AM posted to microsoft.public.win98.setup
Ron Badour
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 957
Default windows 98 floppy disk version

The retail versions of 98 were not bootable--many OEM versions were
bootable.

--
Regards

Ron Badour
MS MVP 1997 - 2007


"J. P. Gilliver" wrote in message
...
"Gary S. Terhune" none wrote in message
...
"DanT" wrote in message
...

[]
My laptop is 12 years old, originally came with 95, and the BIOS doesn't
boot CD's ok.


You can't boot *any* CDs? Note that the CD has to be bootable. You are
trying it with a bootable CD, right? Is there a boot order setting in
your BIOS, and if so is it set to boot CD before HDD?


The ability to boot from CDs wasn't that common, not too long ago - and it
wouldn't surprise me if it was even less common on laptops. (Is it
relevant though: I thought most - if not all - '98 CDs weren't bootable
anyway.)

All I asked was if someone could help me get the Windows 98 floppy
disks, I
don't know why everyone is writing about something else that I don't
care
about.


Because you can't get what you want except via some real miracle. Thus we


And you'd have no certainty that they were all OK anyway!

try to come up with other methods. If you accept that you won't find a
floppy version, then a bootable CD solution is the only way to go. If
your system really can't boot CDs, then I suggest the following:

[]
Depends if he's trying to rescue stuff already on the laptop's HD. If not,
then as others have said, it's a matter of:

o Booting from the boot floppy
o (Formatting the HD if a clean start is wanted)
o copying from the boot floppy to the root of the HD, then editing some
files, so that the system can boot from the HD - just to a DOS prompt -
but with CD-ROM support. Check this works (at least that it boots), by
taking the floppy out and rebooting
o turning off, and swapping over the drives
o turning on, and letting it boot from the HD
o installing '98 - either from the CD, or (I much prefer, but depends if
it's a tiny HD, which it may well be on a 12YO laptop) by copying the
\WIN98 directory (root files only) from the CD to somewhere* on the HD,
then running setup from there. Note that the CD drive will probably appear
as E:.

*"somewhere" is often recommended to be \WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS (which
requires knowledge of the DOS commands md and probably cd, but is
trivial). No-one, however, has ever explained to me _why_ this location is
recommended.

(Also note that if you do use that location, which obviously involves
creating a \Windows directory, with nothing in it but the Options
subdirectory, then setup will detect it, and offer to install to
\windows.000, which you shouldn't accept, but change it to \windows - i.
e. by deleting the .000 - instead. It won't overwrite or delete the
Options subdirectory.)




 




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