how to delete xp and install win 98

[jim178]

i have a need to install win 98 on several machines. these machines came with win xp already installed and they are using ntfs. how do i clean the hard drive and reinstall windows 98

thanks in anticipation

 

[mb34124]

Boot from the windows 98 cd (don't launch the win98 setup) and get to a command prompt with cd support. cd to \win98 and type in fdisk. Delete the xp partition and create a new primary partition. Reboot the machine when told to and boot from the win98 cd again. Go to the prompt with cd rom support and cd to win98 again and then type format c:. It will ask you if you are sure, just chose 'y'. After this is done boot from the win98 cd one more time, but this time run setup. This should get you going. If you get into any problems, just let me know. (I think I got all the steps in there. I wrote this from memory.)

 

[jim178]

tried that came up with "fdisk is not recongnised as an internal or external command" and had to go into safe mode to get to the c:

 

[SESaskDFC]

Howdy:

First of all, Win98 is NOT a self-booting program so the advice given you won't work..

Get yourself a Win98SE startup floppy (dowwnload one from

http://www.bootdisk.com

and install it on a floppy)..

Now, boot using the floppy.. Go into fdisk.. First option will be to remove all non-dos partitions.. That is the NTFS partition.. Then, you will have to reboot.. Next, you will need to setup a Primary-Dos partition.. If you want to use the entire hdd, then just enable large disk support.. Follow the prompts..

Once the partition has been made, you will need to reboot again.. Now, you can format the drive.. Once the drive has been formatted, change the prompt to the cd-rom drive, put the Win98 cd in and type setup..

Away you go !!

Murray

 

[mb34124]

You CAN boot from a win98 cd. I have done it a thousand times... You need to find where fdisk and format are on the cd before you try it and cd to those directories. Good luck! Murray's way will work to. I just like booting from the CD rather than creating a boot disk. It isn't necessary.

 

[wolluf]

mb34124,

you can BOOT from 98 install CD, but you CAN'T run fdisk from it. It will offer to format an existing unformatted fat/fat32 partition before running setup, but it has no partitioning tools available to it. So as Murray says - use a boot floppy.

 

[jim178]

thanks for all those who gave info to me.
all worked out now by getting a 98 boot disk and fdisked then formatted followed by normal installation of win 98
thanks again for your input

 

[mb34124]

I used fdisk somehow so it must have been using a different disk. (I might have used fdisk when I installed win2k or winxp.) I knew you could boot from the win98 cd though! Glad you got it working!

 

[fuunstatic]

reading from above everyone is right if you consider the following

you can boot from a win98 but the installation files cannot be copied over to the ntfs partition which is the issue at hand

if the partition was fat/fat32 then this wouldn't be a problem

hopes this helps "Work to live, don't live to work"

"The problem with troubleshooting is that sometimes it shoots back"