Reformatting Win 98 blues

Since I had Dell factory boot disc used that instead of creating a new
one.Like most of the instructions out there,there is a little vagueness
about when,if ever,the W98 CD is removed and replaced.After I have received
warnings and am offered "create new DOS partition, I am the point beyond
second floppy boot and I chose "Start up disc with CD rom support" , got an
"A" prompt and typed in "format(space)cspace)/s" and got"bad command or
file".Trying no spaces and/or replacing "s" with "u" got the same response
What now?-thank God I have second (neighbor's)computer to access you folks!
--
Thanks,
Hank

Neither /u nor /s switch is needed.

Switch /u ("Unconditional format") does not work since Win95 and had
been left only because of the compatibility reasons.

Switch /s ("format with System transfer") is not needed if you want to
install Win98 to this drive: Setup will prepare the drive as system
drive in any case.

So simple:
format c:
will be enough.

(Format c: /s
had to work though... Probably Dell's factory boot disk is a specific
one...)
--
Mikhail Zhilin
http://www.aha.ru/~mwz
Sorry, no technical support by e-mail.
Please reply to the newsgroups only.
======
On Sun, 9 Jan 2005 12:52:20 -0600, "hbienert" wrote:

Since I had Dell factory boot disc used that instead of creating a new
one.Like most of the instructions out there,there is a little vagueness
about when,if ever,the W98 CD is removed and replaced.After I have received
warnings and am offered "create new DOS partition, I am the point beyond
second floppy boot and I chose "Start up disc with CD rom support" , got an
"A" prompt and typed in "format(space)cspace)/s" and got"bad command or
file".Trying no spaces and/or replacing "s" with "u" got the same response
What now?-thank God I have second (neighbor's)computer to access you folks!

Tried another boot disc that I found in my desk drawer upon which is written
by hand "Win 98 boot disc" (from where?) NOT the one that Dell gave
me...although it tells me it has does not have valid CDROM drivers it DOES
start the format process.I am surprised that the factory disc is apparently
a POS.
A few minutes later-Formatted alright but now I am not able to find which
drive is the CDROM-it used to be F.Running the lower alphabet gets me
"invalid drive" except for D which after I type in "setup" replies
"win SETUP. EXE
Bad command or file name"
The floppy is in as is the original W98 disc.


--
Thanks,
Hank

....and of course I need the CD drive to install Win 98

--
Thanks,
Hank

Try creating a new boot floppy.
http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

Ben

"hbienert" wrote in message =
news:EugEd.24569$jn.2791@lakeread06...
...and of course I need the CD drive to install Win 98
=20
--
Thanks,
Hank
=20

"hbienert" wrote in message
news:NfgEd.24561$jn.22788@lakeread06...

A few minutes later-Formatted alright but now I am not able to find which
drive is the CDROM-it used to be F.Running the lower alphabet gets me
"invalid drive" except for D which after I type in "setup" replies
"win SETUP. EXE
Bad command or file name"
The floppy is in as is the original W98 disc.

1. Your DOS boot floppy must include DOS
drivers to enable the CD drive = F:
2. The correct command will then be
F:SETUP.EXE
(no win.)


--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

I assume this disc should be placed in A drive and rebooted with Win98 CD
also in-true?
Thanks,
Hank

D/led this,booted with it and got "non-system disc message....red/led from
alt 2,same message

--
Thanks,
Hank
"Ben Myers" wrote in message
...
Try creating a new boot floppy.
http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

Ben

"hbienert" wrote in message
news:EugEd.24569$jn.2791@lakeread06...
...and of course I need the CD drive to install Win 98

--
Thanks,
Hank

Took the Win98CD out,then back in and the SOB is now loading.As a newbie,I
suggest that more specifics as to when to remove and when to replace the W98
cd be included...apparently there is a sequence and it can't just be left in
during the whole process.
Thank you all for the help

--
Thanks,
Hank
"hbienert" wrote in message
news:k9iEd.24622$jn.14829@lakeread06...
D/led this,booted with it and got "non-system disc message....red/led from
alt 2,same message

--
Thanks,
Hank
"Ben Myers" wrote in message
...
Try creating a new boot floppy.
http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

Ben

"hbienert" wrote in message
news:EugEd.24569$jn.2791@lakeread06...
...and of course I need the CD drive to install Win 98

--
Thanks,
Hank

The only time a W98 CD needs to be removed is when it is a self booting
restore CD (even then, it doesn't need to be removed but you have to know
not to use it again until the install is done). I don't know where you went
wrong but next time try the instructions he
http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/w98_restore.html


--
Regards

Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo

"hbienert" wrote in message
news:VhiEd.24631$jn.8788@lakeread06...
Took the Win98CD out,then back in and the SOB is now loading.As a newbie,I
suggest that more specifics as to when to remove and when to replace the
W98
cd be included...apparently there is a sequence and it can't just be left
in
during the whole process.
Thank you all for the help

--
Thanks,
Hank
"hbienert" wrote in message
news:k9iEd.24622$jn.14829@lakeread06...
D/led this,booted with it and got "non-system disc message....red/led
from
alt 2,same message

--
Thanks,
Hank
"Ben Myers" wrote in message
...
Try creating a new boot floppy.
http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

Ben

"hbienert" wrote in message
news:EugEd.24569$jn.2791@lakeread06...
...and of course I need the CD drive to install Win 98

--
Thanks,
Hank