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Help needed with Installing Win 98

DevilishBooster
By DevilishBooster
in Operating Systems
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I am working on resurrecting some old systems, and I have a Win 98/ME machine. I couldn't get my ME iso to install, so I thought I'd try 98 before digging in deeper. I found and have been following these instructions from Microsoft, and I got through step 10. Then I got this message. Does this mean than the HDD is bad? I plugged it into one of my XP machines and ran HDTune tests and it passed. There were no bad blocks or any reported issues. The only thing I have noticed is that it has a constant, really high pitched, humming-whine when running. It's an old WD400. Any suggestions?

post-63986-0-82182800-1428030058_thumb.j

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The A:\ drive seems to be the problem and not the hard drive. You will need to make sure the floppy disk in the drive has enough space and isn't write protected.

duc sequere aut de via decede

CPU: i7 6800K | Mobo: MSI X99 Gaming Pro Carbon | GPU: SLI EVGA 980 Ti Hydro Copper | PSU: EVGA 1000P2 | Memory: 64 DDR4 Corsair Dominator Platinum | Storage: Samsung 950 Pro 512GB M.2 & Samsung 850 Evo 1TB| Case: Be Quiet! Dark Base Pro 900 | Display: Predator X34 & Dell U2715H | Cooling: Custom Loop

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thats uttery pointless..if the pc is that old

you should probably be install a version of linux

win98 is so outta date that alot of software wouldn't even install

If you need remote help fixing something on your computer

I can help over Teamviewer if you wish

just msg me on my profile

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and its totally unsecure

Puppy Linux

would probably be the best option

If you need remote help fixing something on your computer

I can help over Teamviewer if you wish

just msg me on my profile

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The A:\ drive seems to be the problem and not the hard drive. You will need to make sure the floppy disk in the drive has enough space and isn't write protected.

That's the default drive that shows up in cmd. I'm using an ISO burned to a CD in the D: drive because I don't have a set of 98 floppies. I went through the fdisk utility but it never asked me to assign a drive letter, it just says that the drive will be formatted after I restart the computer, but then it doesn't give me any command options to reboot. 

 

thats uttery pointless..if the pc is that old

you should probably be install a version of linux

win98 is so outta date that alot of software wouldn't even install

I didn't ask it people thought it would be utterly pointless to do it, I asked for help. I'm specifically doing it to have a retro system for kicks. I don't care if most programs won't run on it. I have other machines that I will be putting different Linux distros on.

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The A:\ drive seems to be the problem and not the hard drive. You will need to make sure the floppy disk in the drive has enough space and isn't write protected.

When following MS instructions on that page, do I need to select C: before entering "extract cbd.cab format.com"?

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You might want to revert back to step 9 and restart the machine and select "start computer with CD ROM support". Then you will (hopefully) have access to the format utility.

duc sequere aut de via decede

CPU: i7 6800K | Mobo: MSI X99 Gaming Pro Carbon | GPU: SLI EVGA 980 Ti Hydro Copper | PSU: EVGA 1000P2 | Memory: 64 DDR4 Corsair Dominator Platinum | Storage: Samsung 950 Pro 512GB M.2 & Samsung 850 Evo 1TB| Case: Be Quiet! Dark Base Pro 900 | Display: Predator X34 & Dell U2715H | Cooling: Custom Loop

Custom hard line watercooled Fractal Node 202 ITX build log

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You might want to revert back to step 9 and restart the machine and select "start computer with CD ROM support". Then you will (hopefully) have access to the format utility.

That's what I do. I'll go through the whole process again and take video/photos. Maybe you can identify something I'm doing wrong...

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Well try moving to the D:\ drive and then formatting C:\ You aren't going to be able to achieve anything from the A:\ drive as it doesn't really exist.

duc sequere aut de via decede

CPU: i7 6800K | Mobo: MSI X99 Gaming Pro Carbon | GPU: SLI EVGA 980 Ti Hydro Copper | PSU: EVGA 1000P2 | Memory: 64 DDR4 Corsair Dominator Platinum | Storage: Samsung 950 Pro 512GB M.2 & Samsung 850 Evo 1TB| Case: Be Quiet! Dark Base Pro 900 | Display: Predator X34 & Dell U2715H | Cooling: Custom Loop

Custom hard line watercooled Fractal Node 202 ITX build log

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Well try moving to the D:\ drive and then formatting C:\ You aren't going to be able to achieve anything from the A:\ drive as it doesn't really exist.

I tried that right before I read your reply, and still nothing. I redid everything and shot a video that I'll upload unlisted to the YousTubes. IDK, maybe I just need to search my regional library system for some books on Win 95/98/ME....

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have you tried skipping the format step and just typing "D:\setup" ? I really can't remember that far back with regards to the installer for 98 but it might let you format the drive from the GUI installer if you can't do it from the command prompt.

 

Another option (if it is recognised) would be to use a small capacity memory stick and extract ebd.cab to that.

duc sequere aut de via decede

CPU: i7 6800K | Mobo: MSI X99 Gaming Pro Carbon | GPU: SLI EVGA 980 Ti Hydro Copper | PSU: EVGA 1000P2 | Memory: 64 DDR4 Corsair Dominator Platinum | Storage: Samsung 950 Pro 512GB M.2 & Samsung 850 Evo 1TB| Case: Be Quiet! Dark Base Pro 900 | Display: Predator X34 & Dell U2715H | Cooling: Custom Loop

Custom hard line watercooled Fractal Node 202 ITX build log

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have you tried skipping the format step and just typing "D:\setup" ? I really can't remember that far back with regards to the installer for 98 but it might let you format the drive from the GUI installer if you can't do it from the command prompt.

 

Another option (if it is recognised) would be to use a small capacity memory stick and extract ebd.cab to that.

I tried that too, both earlier and again just now when you said it. Both times it spun up the disc and said to press enter to start the setup...

post-63986-0-40305000-1428033943_thumb.j

So I did, and both times it's just sitting at this screen....

post-63986-0-16396100-1428033960_thumb.j

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-- Project Deep Freeze Build Log --

Quote me so that I always know when you reply, feel free to snip if the quote is long. May your FPS be high and your temperatures low.

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have you tried skipping the format step and just typing "D:\setup" ? I really can't remember that far back with regards to the installer for 98 but it might let you format the drive from the GUI installer if you can't do it from the command prompt.

 

Another option (if it is recognised) would be to use a small capacity memory stick and extract ebd.cab to that.

Just for kicks I'm going to try it without the large disc support to see if that changes anything...

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You basically need to be able to format the drive and for that you need the format utility. If you can extract the ebd.cab onto your main PC and burn the contents of that to another CD, you might be able to switch out discs, format the c drive and then put the win98 one back and start the setup.

 

Running out of ideas now, sorry.

duc sequere aut de via decede

CPU: i7 6800K | Mobo: MSI X99 Gaming Pro Carbon | GPU: SLI EVGA 980 Ti Hydro Copper | PSU: EVGA 1000P2 | Memory: 64 DDR4 Corsair Dominator Platinum | Storage: Samsung 950 Pro 512GB M.2 & Samsung 850 Evo 1TB| Case: Be Quiet! Dark Base Pro 900 | Display: Predator X34 & Dell U2715H | Cooling: Custom Loop

Custom hard line watercooled Fractal Node 202 ITX build log

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have you tried skipping the format step and just typing "D:\setup" ? I really can't remember that far back with regards to the installer for 98 but it might let you format the drive from the GUI installer if you can't do it from the command prompt.

 

Another option (if it is recognised) would be to use a small capacity memory stick and extract ebd.cab to that.

Nope, same deal, only a little more showed up on screen when I tried running D:\>setup.

post-63986-0-14656300-1428034454_thumb.j

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-- Project Deep Freeze Build Log --

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You basically need to be able to format the drive and for that you need the format utility. If you can extract the ebd.cab onto your main PC and burn the contents of that to another CD, you might be able to switch out discs, format the c drive and then put the win98 one back and start the setup.

 

Running out of ideas now, sorry.

Ok, that makes sense. I'll try that. Thanks.

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what it's trying to say is it needs free space on the drive (i.e. it needs to be formatted)

duc sequere aut de via decede

CPU: i7 6800K | Mobo: MSI X99 Gaming Pro Carbon | GPU: SLI EVGA 980 Ti Hydro Copper | PSU: EVGA 1000P2 | Memory: 64 DDR4 Corsair Dominator Platinum | Storage: Samsung 950 Pro 512GB M.2 & Samsung 850 Evo 1TB| Case: Be Quiet! Dark Base Pro 900 | Display: Predator X34 & Dell U2715H | Cooling: Custom Loop

Custom hard line watercooled Fractal Node 202 ITX build log

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what it's trying to say is it needs free space on the drive (i.e. it needs to be formatted)

Ok. I think I'm just going to have to put this project off the the side until I can get some vintage books and read up on it. Thanks anyway for your help. 

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-- Project Deep Freeze Build Log --

Quote me so that I always know when you reply, feel free to snip if the quote is long. May your FPS be high and your temperatures low.

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