Upgrading from 95 to 98 problem

[eoin_ie]

A friend of the family was recently infected with a virus and went out and bought NAV 2004. Grand. Except she has an old Dell Latitude laptop running Windows 95 and NAV only runs on 98 and up. So she tried to upgrade to Windows 98.

During setup she gets the error:

SU0168: Setup cannot continue because an operating system is already installed. Get the upgrade version.

(Not exact text, I paraphrased )

I did a lot of research and was told to rename setupx.dll to setupx.ol1 and setupx.w95 to setupx.ol2. Also to rename win.com to win.old. Also to edit some registry keys like removing the product id so as to fool setup.

Unfortunately, none of these steps have worked! Has anyone any advice for me?!

I appreciate any help

eoin

[GaryRouth]

Which virus was it? Has it been removed yet? (You probably "won't be able to/won't want to" install Win98 until the virus has been removed). The Norton CD should be able to boot the Latitude if you set the boot order to CD - it will start an "Emergency Scan" in DOS.

Once it's taken care of the virus, here are the over-the-top instructions: http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.p...threadid=70846 [this procedure works for both 95-to-98 as well as reinstalls]

Best of luck
. . . Gary

[is this the same machine with the video problems?]

[eoin_ie]

i removed the virus using a free tool from symantec. so theres no worries there.


i have tried installing win98 from DOS but the damn laptop cant access the CD-ROM drive. it has something to do with dosstart.bat and the config.sys and autoexec.bat files. i have to put in a line to run mscdex but it says i am missing a driver. im at my wits end with this...

[GaryRouth]

Try a bootdisk from http://www.bootdisk.com = be sure to match the Win98 version you're installing. Their bootdisks have a couple extra CD drivers that might work.

If the bootdisk.com floppy won't work, you'll have to track down the DOS driver for the Latitude's Cd-rom and add it to the bootdisk manually. Try the bootdisk.com floppy first.
. . . Gary

[reboot]

Open Explorer. Rename win.com to win.bak
DO NOT restart.
Install 98.
Change the install path from c:\Windows.000 to c:\windows.

[eoin_ie]

I've tried that. Believe me, I've tried every trick I could find on the net. And I still get the SU0168 error. I admitted my failure on this problem and she is bringing it to the store to get looked at where they will probably charge her an arm and a leg to upgrade it.

[HAL9000]

Create the directory;

C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS

If the directory already exists, call it

C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\INSTALL

Copy the WIN98 directory (without subdirectories) from the CD to the directory you created above.

Reboot the machine, hit CTRL to bing up the startup menu, boot to safe mode command prompt only.

Switch to the Windows directory and rename WIN.COM WIN.XXX as suggested by reboot.

Start the install by running SETUP in the directory you created and copied the install files too... when prompted for the installation directory, be sure to change it from C:\WINDOWS.000 back to C:\WINDOWS (Jim.. you finally remember that one ).

If that doesn't work.. the machine has other problems... possibly bad RAM.

[AlwaysUp]

squeek squeek....Hal9000, I can't resist. What on earth is the second line of your siggy referring to?

[pcmechanic]

SU0168: "Your Computer Already Has an Operating System..."

Upgrading Win98 with a CD supplied by an OEM (sold with new computers) can fail.

If you received a Warning SU0168 when attempting to upgrade or install another Windows OS, then its likely you're using an OEM version CD. You will be told "Your Computer Already Has an Operating System...", and the install aborts.

OEMs are Original Equipment Manufacturers like Gateway, Dell, and many others - they assemble/market new computers containing parts made by other manufacturers.

OEM upgrades are actually full version CDs. They're adjusted to artificially prevent them from installing another copy, or upgrading an existing Windows 9x. OEM CDs usually have words on the label similar to 'For Distribution Only with a New PC'.

Retail versions are always full versions and will install wherever you want.

Another reason for a failed installation is described in this Microsoft article: Error Message: Your Computer Already Has an Operating System... [Q225252] which refers to a dirty/damaged installation CD, or a corrupt Setupx.dll in Windows\System)

You can often fool the OEM installation CD into upgrading the current Windows 9x.

Solution 1.
Caution: It's possible some OEM upgrade versions may be specific to them. Using a different OEM full version to upgrade a non-matching Windows could possibly damage the existing Windows. That would force you to reinstall the current Windows with subsequent loss of data. It's a possibility, so please be aware of it!

Use your bootdisk to boot to true MS-DOS
Do not use Windows Explorer, or a DOS Prompt or 'DOS Box'.
Press Enter after typing in each of these in true DOS
C:
CD\
CD WINDOWS (or the name of the existing Windows directory)
ren win.com win.ada
ren winver.exe winver.ada
Now install the OEM version to the existing Win 9x/Me directory (usually C:\Windows).

If your current installation directory is called Windows then Setup will attempt to install the CD Windows to Windows.000. Change this to the existing Win 9x/Me directory (usually C:\Windows).

Solution 2.
See http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;225252

This second method is from Microsoft.

Microsoft explains how to manage this in Setup.txt (on the CD). Microsoft says:

Message SU0168
" Your computer already has an operating system installed, which cannot be upgraded by this version of Setup. Please obtain the Windows 98 (or Windows Millennium) Upgrade."

This error can occur when you are attempting to install an OEM version of Windows 98 over a previous version of Windows.
-or-
An application has installed an OEM version of SetupX.dll that makes it appear that your current version of Windows is the OEM version.

If you suspect this, replace SetupX.dll with the correct version from your current install media.
1. Place your Windows 98 or Windows Millennium CD in your CD-ROM drive.
2. From a command prompt, change to your CD-ROM drive letter.
3. Type Extract /a base4.cab SetupX.dll /l C:\
4. Copy the SetupX.dll from your C: to your Windows\System directory.
5. Run Windows Setup again. "


Try Solution 1 first. Hope it helps

[HAL9000]

You should be able to upgrade as suggested above.. but you really only need to rename the WIN.COM file... never had to change the WINVER.EXE ever.

Originally posted by AlwaysUp squeek squeek....Hal9000, I can't resist. What on earth is the second line of your siggy referring to?

Its from a song by The Kings... actually, it's two songs that run into one. The first being called The Beat Goes On, the second half is called Switching to Glide. Take the statement just as it sounds.... easiest way to describe it... just cruising.

[Sauron]

Cuz Hals turning hippy!