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Author Topic: Need Windows 98 Boot CD  (Read 6649 times)

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photowrench

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Need Windows 98 Boot CD
« on: September 01, 2006, 05:18:34 PM »
I have an older Gateway 2000 Solo laptop, model no. SOLO 2300.
Processor is Intel 233 MMX
HDD: 3.2 GB
RAM: 32MB
single partition on hard drive
CD ROM drive.
NO floppy drive.
The problem I am having is this:
I had Win98 installed. I upgraded to W2k, but am dissatisfied with the performance, understandable, given the system specs., but now I want to downgrade to 98 again, and can not get a good bootable CD to start the system with. I made a boot disk using NERO, and it boots the system just fine, but won't let me format the drive. When I open my 98 setup.exe file, it refuses to complete setup.
I need an ISO of a windoze 98 boot disk, so I can use fdisk, and format to get this system running again. When I boot from the Nero made CD, it starts Caldera DR-DOS. The fdisk and format don't work like the MS versions do.
Please help, I have tried everything I can think of.

photowrench

ale52



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    Re: Need Windows 98 Boot CD
    « Reply #1 on: September 01, 2006, 05:38:40 PM »
    Here's a start for a bootdisk:

    http://www.bootdisk.com/

    Alan <><  :D
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    patio

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    Re: Need Windows 98 Boot CD
    « Reply #3 on: September 01, 2006, 06:41:54 PM »
    Purchase a legitimate Win98 CD and this should solve your dilemna as they are bootable...

    patio.   8-)
    " Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist should have his head examined. "

    photowrench

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    Re: Need Windows 98 Boot CD
    « Reply #4 on: September 01, 2006, 08:16:49 PM »
    I have a "legitimate" copy of 98, but it doesn't contain a copy of "format" that I can locate.
    Funny how a real copy of win98 will boot, but my "backup" CDs wont.....

    patio

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    Re: Need Windows 98 Boot CD
    « Reply #5 on: September 01, 2006, 08:38:07 PM »
    Quote
    I have a "legitimate" copy of 98, but it doesn't contain a copy of "format" that I can locate.
    Funny how a real copy of win98 will boot, but my "backup" CDs wont.....

    A legitimate copy of anything MS ever produced contains the format tool...stop dancing around the issue.
    " Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist should have his head examined. "

    photowrench

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    Re: Need Windows 98 Boot CD
    « Reply #6 on: September 01, 2006, 08:54:05 PM »
    Then please explain why, when I boot my laptop from the so called legitimate copy of windows 98 second edition, (which is now working properly) I still can not format my hard drive. I get " Bad command or file name" ?  It makes no difference whether I type the format command from a:, c:, or D:, I still get the same response.
    And, by the way, patio, my dance card is full!

    Thanks for any "legitimate" help from anyone.

    patio

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    Re: Need Windows 98 Boot CD
    « Reply #7 on: September 01, 2006, 09:00:03 PM »
    What command are you typing ? ? I'm unclear how this is not working for you....
    " Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist should have his head examined. "

    photowrench

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    Re: Need Windows 98 Boot CD
    « Reply #8 on: September 01, 2006, 09:05:30 PM »
    at the DOS prompt, typing format c: /s
    this confuses me also, as I dont find it on any of my copies of win98, either the legitimate one or the copies that I have, and yes, I do have a copy that I purchased......
    but then I burnt a copy of format.exe from my W2k machine, and when I execute that one, it tells me this program can not be run from DOS......
    the biggest problem here is that I dont have a floppy on this laptop.

    Thanks for the response back......

    photowrench

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    Re: Need Windows 98 Boot CD
    « Reply #9 on: September 01, 2006, 09:18:57 PM »
    OK, I finally located format.com  on the win98 disk, and now the drive on the laptop is formatting. For  future reference, format.com is located in the WIN98 directory of the win 98 CD.
    Issue resolved,
    Thank you to all who responded.

    photowrench