Re-Installing W98

[radar_1_2000]

I installed Windows 98 two years ago to my new built computer. I was listening to "The ScreenSavers" on Tech T.V. and they were talking about reinstalling your OS occasionally when little things started going wrong.....

Can I re-install W98 without formatting and cleaning the whole disk. In otherwords, will it just install over itself and repair anything thats been damage?

Is their any choices I have to make when re-installing than I need to know ahead of time?

Thanks,

Radar

[Redo40]

yes, you can just reinstall over itself, but I have much better luck fixing problems formatting and clean installing.

[Confused]

It worked fine for me a couple of times. Finally though I got things so hosed from downloading, removing and doing different things that I bit the bullet and started from scratch.

Try it. You can always format and start over if you are still having problems.
Chas

[TwoRails]

Hi radar_1_2000

One way to do it is to get rid of the Windows diretory. If Windows thinks that there already is Windows installed, it doesn't correct a lot of problems. Without the Windows directory, windows usually thinks there is no windows installed.

You can burn the Windows directory to CD or move it to another drive. This usually fools windows. (I like to keep a copy of because sometimes you need a .dll or other file in there) I've heard of some just renaming win.com but have had less success this way.

HTH

TwoRails

[Iman74]

I would think just renaming the directory would be sufficient. So if the reinstall fails all you need to do is boot to a disk, rename the new Windows folder and rename the old windows folder and you are back where you were before the reinstall.

Originally posted by TwoRails
Hi radar_1_2000

One way to do it is to get rid of the Windows diretory. If Windows thinks that there already is Windows installed, it doesn't correct a lot of problems. Without the Windows directory, windows usually thinks there is no windows installed.

You can burn the Windows directory to CD or move it to another drive. This usually fools windows. (I like to keep a copy of because sometimes you need a .dll or other file in there) I've heard of some just renaming win.com but have had less success this way.

HTH

TwoRails

[TwoRails]

Originally posted by Iman74
I would think just renaming the directory would be sufficient. So if the reinstall fails all you need to do is boot to a disk, rename the new Windows folder and rename the old windows folder and you are back where you were before the reinstall.



Actually, I would think the same. But, I've never kept a log or other sort of details on the matter, so I can't say 100% if it would work. I was trying to cover all the bases. Besides, nothing wrong with a backup to CD, as I have had to go back to it...

TwoRails

[radar_1_2000]

Where is the Windows Directory? Is that just the Windows Folder under the C Drive?

[reboot]

If you want to keep all your files and settings intact and not have to reinstall all your software, just rename win.com to win.bak and reinstall Windows over top of itself. Make sure you don't install it to c:\Windows.000