Problem installing W2K. Can I go back to my 98config?

[music1111]

We tried installing W2K on my brother-in-laws computer and the installation hung. Instead of doing a clean install, is there anyway to delete the W2K I tried to install and just go back to my original hard drive configuration with 98? I want to try and avoid the clean install if at all possible. Looks like I will be scrapping the attempt at W2K if I can save my info.

Thanks,
Christine

 

[wolluf]

What happens if you try to boot from the hard drive now?
How did you start win2k installation (eg, from within 98, or booting from 2k install CD or setup floppies?). Were you doing a clean install or an upgrade? Did you change the filestore from fat32 to ntfs?

Have you tried restarting the install?

Depending how far install has got, I would think your best option is to put the drive as slave in another machine & save/backup required data (if you didn't do this before you started - the safest approach). Then do a clean install of whichever operating system you want (ie, wipe the hard drive - at least format it, better, remove partition & create new one). Its highly unlikely that if you did manage to rescue the win98, it would be anything but trouble.

PS. If it is still fat32, you might try booting from a win98 boot floppy and running sys C: from the A: prompt (to restore the win98 boot sector). Then try booting again. If it boots to a dos prompt, recreate the msdos.sys file (sys C: creates a minimal one if none there) like this:-

[Paths]
WinDir=C:\WINDOWS
WinBootDir=C:\WINDOWS
HostWinBootDrv=C

[Options]
BootMulti=1
Logo=1
BootGUI=1
DoubleBuffer=1
AutoScan=1
WinVer=4.10.2222
;
;The following lines are required for compatibility with other programs.
;Do not remove them (MSDOS.SYS needs to be >1024 bytes).
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxa
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxb
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxc
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxd
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxe
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxf
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxg
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxh
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxi
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxj
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxk
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxl
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxm
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxn
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxo
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxp
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxq
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxr
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxs

(just use a text editor). Then see if it boots 98.

 

[music1111]

Thanks for responding. It was not a clean install, it was an upgrade. When the system rebooted after the install is where it got hung and won't move. It's stuck on a black DOS screen. I don't believe he changed the filestore to fat32. Is that why it got hung?

Just to make sure he started the install correctly, don't you have to create another partition when installing the upgrade?

I guess if we have to do the clean install, he can try installing W2K or 98 at that point.

Thanks,
Christine

 

[wolluf]

'When the system rebooted after the install is where it got hung' - you mean the last reboot?

Filestore should have nothing to do with problem - just it has to be fat32 to have a chance of resurrecting 98.

Also - upgrade overwrites 98 on the same partition. If you want to dual boot 98 & 2k, then you need another partition.

 

[music1111]

Oh, we wanted to override 98 so I guess we did it right. Yes, it stalled after the last reboot. Here's the details...Installation went through and it went to reboot the system. On reboot, it started going through everything and then right after it recognized the drivers, the screen said "Verifying DMI" and this is where it hung. Does this shed new light on the problem?

Thanks,
Christine

 

[jonhiker]

Try this for a quick fix. Clear the BIOS by either removing the CMOS battery or shorting it with a jumper, the MOBO manual should explain how to do it. I had a silmilar problem with a new install on a machine w/ W2K hanging in the same place.