Windows 98 will not install

[Stuart]

Please help me. I still have Windows 95 running and I am trying to install Windows 98 but it is not working. I can get through the setup, but when I get to the actual installing, an error box pops up and says "Your computer already has an operating system installed, which cannot be upgraded by this version of Setup. You need to obtain the Windows 98 Upgrade." Then down below it, it says "Message SU01688." Thank you to any replies.

[Brad the best]

wow no idea . me and old oporating systems don't get along

[gsiplaj]

its been a while but here goes, for windows 98 first and second edition. microsoft used two different versions you could purchase. one was the full version and the other was the upgrade version. from what ive seen ive gotten the same error and condition when i tried to install a full version windows 98 cd over an existing operating system.
as you got. it will let you waste your time and go through the whole setup process and then after you've waited for ever tell you nope sorry can't do it.

now there is still hope and options.
1. do you have the matching registration number for that windows 98 cd.
if you answered yes then. ask yourself how important is the info on your harddrive. if you said it is important then a normal fdisk won't do.

so sit down here we go
fire up that windows95 tower put in that 98 cd and when the not so honest software asks you if you want to update your operating system click no or cancel.
open my computer explore the drive with the window 98 cd in it.
i don't remember exactly where it is but there is a file on called makeboot.exe
now if you find it you will need a 3.5" floppy to make a windows 98 boot disk.
put the floppy in your drive and double click makeboot.exe

ok now boot up on that disk and it should load enough system variables to allow you to a dos prompt and also load cd drivers so you can access your cd drive.

now type FDISK /MBR C:
that will update the master boot record on the harddrive to windows 98
now type C: and hit return or enter if you prefer
now type DELTREE C:\WINDOWS
that command will remove the windows directory from you hard drive
once that finishes deleting
reboot on that floppy let it load cdrom drivers
type D:\WINDOWS

type SETUP
that should start the windows 98 setup program as long as you have the right registration code for the cd windows 98 should now load all the way through.
you may have to reinstall some of the other softwares you had on the computer to make them work. but windows 98 will install that way

hope i helped
good luck

[GaryRouth]

You should also be able to upgrade to Win98 using the over-the-top method http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=70846 (renaming win.com avoids the error message that you experienced). For a bootdisk, if your current motherboard supports booting from the CD drive, you can use the Windows 98 CD to boot from & do the command line tasks from there ("start computer with Cd-rom support" will yield a command prompt). If you need a Win98 floppy drive the easy way: visit http://www.bootdisk.com and download a bootdisk that matches the Windows98 version you wish to install - generic CD-rom drivers are included on these disks.

The method gsiplaj describes will work also = both methods achieve somewhat similiar results.


You'll need at least 16mb of memory to run Windows 98 - 64mb would be better. For the install, you'll also want to have at least 250mb to 500mb free space on the hard drive. If your 95 system is using FAT16, remember that you are limited to 2gb partitions. If you have the later version of Windows 95 that supported FAT32 & are using that - then the likely limit to your hard drives will be your motherboard's bios.

Best of luck
. . . Gary

[glc]

Don't deltree Windows. You will lose your registry and access to all installed applications and a lot of your settings - and quite a bit of data. Use the rename win.com method and it will install as an upgrade, preserving most of your settings. It's the easiest way.

[Stuart]

Thank you everybody.

-Stuart

[Stuart]

Gary,

I went to bootdisk.com to get one (thank you by the way) and I started windows in MS DOS mode and did everything that it said, except that when i tried to rename win.com to win.bak it said that the file name was already in use. i didn't think much of it and went to the disk drive setup and it worked except that it said the exact same error message that it did when i was not in MS DOS mode. I don't know what to do.

-Stuart

[GaryRouth]

Hi again

Stuart - when you used the bootdisk from bootdisk.com, it should have started your computer in Real-Mode DOS. To boot from the diskette, you might need to make sure that it's the first in the Boot Order (or "First Boot Device", or first in a list: such as A, CDROM, C ...) in your computer's Bios Setup. On most computers, the key to press to enter Bios Setup is displayed in a short banner message at startup: "Press F1 (or DEL, F10, etc.) to Enter Setup".

It the message perhaps was that the file was not found, it's possible that you weren't in the C:\Windows directory. You can use the cd command to get there (cd stands for "Change Directory" -- you'd type cd C:\Windows -- and then use the "rename win.com win.bak" (without the quotes) from there.

The rename command needs to be successful to overcome the error message: because if Setup detects a copy of win.com on the hard drive, it shows the error [it doesn't care if you've the same file renamed to win.bak].

If you managed to start Windows, and then restarted to MS-DOS mode, that's not quite the same as Real-Mode DOS. Booting directly into DOS from the floppy diskette should get you there.

Give it another try, I think you'll be OK.
. . . Gary

[By the way, remember that when Windows Setup asks where to install, don't accept the default C:\Windows.000 - instead, make sure to choose Other, and type in just C:\Windows -- and visit Windows Update for the Security Updates as soon as you reconnect to the Internet - have an antivirus running, and a firewall (a hardware firewall is easier with older Win98 machines - they only cost $20 - $30 [when built into an inexpensive wired router] - software firewalls can hurt the overall performance on older computers). If you're using dialup, the firewall is somewhat less critical. Use one if you can.]

[glc]

If win.bak is already in use, rename it to something else like win.bk1.

[Stuart]

okay thank you again

-Stuart