win98 setup won't start

[rrnbcas]

windows 98 second edition will not start on setup after format.  after I have format my HDD and proceed to setup as a clean installed.  after scandisk had check the HDD it went straigh to the dos prompt, gave command line N:--- N:\setup. prompt to insert my win98se CD, then it stated to give message: intitializing setup ---- checking registry ---- copying files.  after this message the cursor just keept blinking and nothing happens, it just stayed on the same black screen. I left it for over an hour and a half, and it still is on the same black screen "copying files."  I check my HDD led activity and
it was not blinking telling me there is activity.  I have use a bootup disk called CD Boot 3.
Use FDISK and the partition information is that it only has one partition(primary) and that it is active.  no extended partition. and there is no space to create the extended partition.  the old OS was win98 se before format. please help!!!

[2k_dummy]

Try booting directly from the windows CD.

[pcdoc4christ]

rrnbcas:

It's good that you waited awhile and checked the HDD for activity.  Now that you are sure setup has hanged, press the power switch and hold the system turns off.  Count to 10, then with the Windows 98 CD still in the optical drive, power up the system again.  If you see a message to press any key to boot to the CD, do NOT press that key!  Setup should then resume.  It may go a little further in the process and then hang again.  If it does, wait awhile (several minutes), check for HDD activity, and if there is none, complete the steps above again.  Setup should resume and complete the job or go a little further than it did last time.  You may have to repeat this process a few times.  

If you run into further trouble, let us know.

Regards,
Doc  

[patio]

I could be mistaken but i believe Win98 CD's were not bootable...i would travel  to http://www.bootdisk.com/[url] and grab a WinME bootdisk and make yourself a new one.
The reason i recommend WinME is that it had a newer version of FDisk on it that didn't have the older size limitation issues for today's larger HDD's.
I would then re-run FDisk and set up that drive to your liking.
When you are done reboot the machine with the floppy in and choose option #2 in the opening screen which should be " Start the computer with CD-Rom support "
You will then be at a Dos prompt C:\
Providing you created only 1 partition your CDRom will be D:\
Simply type D: and hit Enter. At the D: prompt then type setup and hit Enter and the Win98 Setup process will start.

Good Luck and let us know,

patio.

[Raptor]

I could be mistaken but i believe Win98 CD's were not bootable

Windows 98SE is bootable.

[2k_dummy]

i believe Win98 CD's were not bootable

Win 98 CD's are, indeed, bootable.

[patio]

Thanx guys.
It's been awhile and i wasn't sure.

patio.

[promsan]

Hello there - similar problem, but some slight differences:

When running through Win98se setup I can't seem to get past the following screen:

"Please wait while setup initialises.
Scanning system registry...
Copying files needed for windows setup..."

There is no CD drive activity, and I don't get to the pretty black and blue setup screen.

I've noticed that when you leave the PC to boot from hard disk that the system halts on startup; displaying the following:

"Microsoft Windows 98 (r) 1981-1999
C:/>"

Are these related?

I've done Fdisk etc... and deleted, created and formatted the HD several times in order to start from scratch, but no joy.

I already installed Win98 on this disk a couple of times a couple of days ago, but reformatted following messing up the installation of the AGP card (I used the wrong CD, and then removed the display device on the device manager, and got digital tartan and auto restarts).

I've also noticed that even though I've set the boot device to CD-Rom only in the BIOS, that when I start it up it displays:

"Boot from CD:
1. FD 1/44mb"

(or something like that)
before taking me to the
"select:
1. boot from hard disk
2. boot from cd"
options.

Could anyone suggest anything? I'll post the results of any actions.

cheers,

Jack

[promsan]

btw - I used Fdisk and Format from Win XP Pro.

[pcdoc4christ]

btw - I used Fdisk and Format from Win XP Pro.

Did you choose the default files system when formatting the drive with the XP CD?  If you chose NTFS rather than FAT32, you will be unable to install Windows 98 SE.  

Use the Windows CD to delete the partition, create a new partition, and format it with FAT32.  Then, install Windows 98 SE.

Regards,
Doc

(BTW, it is against Netiquette to post your question in a discussion topic that someone else has started.  You probably didn't know.  Next time, just start your own topic.)

[promsan]

Did you choose the default files system when formatting the drive with the XP CD?  If you chose NTFS rather than FAT32, you will be unable to install Windows 98 SE.  

I selected large file support on the first screen of FDisk - which is FAT32 isn't it?

Use the Windows CD to delete the partition, create a new partition, and format it with FAT32.  Then, install Windows 98 SE.

Regards,
Doc

(BTW, it is against Netiquette to post your question in a discussion topic that someone else has started.  You probably didn't know.  Next time, just start your own topic.)

As far as I am aware, it is against nettiquette to post on a same subject when it already exists on a forum. Why? because a. this site asks that you search FAQ rather than post on the same subject; and b. because it helps people consolidate info on the same subject area - so if someone else comes along and has a similar problem they can find lots of useful, relevent data and potentially increase their understanding.
Perhaps my (country's) nettiquette is different from your(country's) nettiquette?

Posted by: Mac Posted on: Today at 1:46pm
on Today at 5:20am, promsan wrote:btw - I used Fdisk and Format from Win XP Pro.  



You should use fdisk and format from a Windows '98 bootdisk.

XP has diskpart instead of fdisk.

Did you use A:\>format c:/s  

I did. It sounds like use of XP to do FDisk might be the problem - I'll post results when I get round to it, perhaps on Monday.

Thanks to you both for the help

[promsan]

ps...

what I don't understand is how did I manage to successfully install Win98se only a couple of days ago?

I suspected the current problems to be related to messing up the AGP installation; and even to sticking the motherboard CD in at one point after formatting (those disks always seem to cause trouble - pointless!)

I don't remember 100% whether I used the XP disk to do the Fdisk, but I think I probably didn't, so I'll give it a go.

[merlin_2]

I've also noticed that even though I've set the boot device to CD-Rom only in the BIOS, that when I start it up it displays:

"Boot from CD:
1. FD 1/44mb"

(or something like that)
before taking me to the  
"select:
1. boot from hard disk
2. boot from cd.............................<<take the option m_2

[GX1_Man]

Windows 98SE is bootable.

Not all were. I know because I had one - direct from Microsoft even. I think the OEM's were, but not all of the consumer ones. I've seen this argued back and force, but since I have seen it with my own eyes - it's fact.

[p r o m s a n]

2. boot from cd.............................<<take the option m_2

as mentioned, it will not boot from cd.

- - - -

Upon reaching the blue DOS-style pre-setup screens, it also states that I may have a previous version of windows or a disk compression programme, and even when selecting "install over previous versions" I still have to press F3 to go to the black DOS screen with:
"D:/WIN98>" there to type setup... returning to the problem.

This seems rather odd after deleting all partitions, re-creating a primary partition, and then formatting it - where's it getting data about Windows from? It shouldn't be on the freshly-formatted HDD, should it?