Windows 98 on Floppies???

[Jewels1968]

I have on older laptop that came with win 98 installed. Now when I boot up I just get errors and it tells me to try re installing windows again. Problem is I have win 98 on cd, but the laptop has only a 3 1/2 inch floppy drive. Now what?? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!!

Jewels1968

 

[shmoes]

Do you have a working network connection on this computer?

you could copy the cab files over the network and do an install from there.



~Shmoes

I lay claim to nothing and everything. My words may be wisdom or disaster. In the end you make a choice. Noone is perfect.

 

[shmoes]

sorry, just noticed it was on boot up ...

well, you could go through the painstaking process of copying the cab files over on 1.44mb :\ ...

it'd take a while, but should work.



~Shmoes

I lay claim to nothing and everything. My words may be wisdom or disaster. In the end you make a choice. Noone is perfect.

 

[Enkrypted]

What is the error message you are getting? There might be a workaround for this...

Enkrypted
A+

 

[drdebit]

a) two suggestions i've seen in other threads in terms of repairing win98 are running SFC (system file checker) or installing win98 over itself.

b) in terms of a fresh install, other suggestions in the past have been to parallel/serial port transfer, or to get a 2.5" to 3.5" drive converter and put the laptop drive in a regular pc to get the win98 files on it (if they're not already there).

c) in terms of making floppies

http://www.btinternet.com/~robert.bale1/bkup/win95backup.htm

contains instructions for win95. I saw it suggested for win98 a few months ago but I don't know if it was tried or worked.

 

[edfair]

Because of the difference with cab file sizes, you would have to split the individuual files.
FWIW, I load dos and network, or parallel zip, or laplink.
I also have the temp drive swap capability. Use whichever is more convienent at the time.

Ed Fair
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[shmoes]

i would just create a self extracting archive with winrar. with 1.2mb archives .. IF i was going to copy them over via floppy.

Laplink is a good bet. if you don't have any troubles setting it up .. and you have a parrellel cable handy!



~Shmoes

I lay claim to nothing and everything. My words may be wisdom or disaster. In the end you make a choice. Noone is perfect.

 

[mot98]

You can create win98 install floppy's from the win98 CD.

First step is to make the floppy disks.

You will need 29 floppy disks

Download Maxi Disk from the following

http://www.herne.com/

Then format all the disks to 1.7mb using Maxi Disk.

Now copy (not extract) to floppy CAB’s win_95 03 to win_95 28 (26 cab’s to 26 floppies).

Then copy (not extract) to one floppy file’s, precopy1 and precopy2.

Now send the rest of the files over two floppies (29 floppies in all)

Okay now you have your install disks.

Next to install you have to do the following,

Boot using a win98 boot disk to a command prompt. Then (assuming your HD is formatted) make a dir called "win98"

Then cd to that directory, and start copying all the files from the floppy disks into that directory.

Once this is done, run "setup.exe" from that directory.

This should work.






mot98

"Do, or do not. There is no 'try'."
- Yoda ('The Empire Strikes Back')

 

[AirCon]

Another suggestion.

AFAIK, some laptop vendor had prepared in case like this (laptop with no CD drive). Usually they copy the installation file into HD. The directory name can be vary, but usually "\Win98" or "\Install".

Another thing, for WinME the installation itself copy the install file to the HD. It's under "C:\Windows\Options\Install". I don't remember whether W98 also did this.

So, try to look around in your HD. I hope you can find it.

Regards


-- AirCon --

 

[edemiere]

The cab files *might* be in:

C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS
If they are not there, I would use a boot disk and run a program like winlink. I have winlink (it works in DOS and Windows v3.xx and higher) over a serial cable.

Really handy for emergencies, has saved me more than once in these types of situations.

Good luck!

 

[Marcs41]

See also thread750-518668