Re Installing Windows 98SE

Yes, this is possible. All you need is a Windows98 Boot disk, and the Windows98 CD-rom, or you can boot straight from CD-ROM on most newer systems to get the setup going straight from CD. Either way, you need to get to a command prompt on the drive that currently does not have a working copy of Win98 on it. At the command prompt navigate to either C:\Windows or C:\windows\system directories, and delete the "WIN.COM" file that you find in either directory. You will then be able to re-install Windows98 without it detecting the current version of Windows98 on the drive. You will still have all your associated program files, and user settings in tact without harming the orginal install....other than over-writing basic system files.

Good Luck!

Paul M. Chavez

This will take you about 30 to 40 min.But it is worth the wait.put in the boot disc as described in the other responceturn the power on,insert cdrom.you will see boot with cdrom support ,boot without ect.ect.pick with cdrom support.it will go through its little speal and finally an a prompt.just type setup
it will see the setup files on the cdrom and you will reconize the install procedures.(do not format is the key so if it ask dont do it .This is the same with most of the windows os.
have fun.I do this sometimes just to keep things running good .

It would be safer to copy your old hdd to the new one and then do the overinstall. If your harddrive is failing, it will continue to fail and put you back in the same condition again. If you have a 2nd machine, put both the bad and good hdd on thesecond bus, and copy the files from the bad on to the good one, (remember to show all files in order to get the hidden files). When that is complete, reinstall the new hdd in the machine in question and over-install if needed.

Good luck,

Vickie

Try this: Boot from a 98SE boot disk and change to drive C: then at the propt type this: fdisk MBR. (without the period) sometimes that will work, sometimes not.

If you can boot to the drive in question, then back up all the data. Then, perform a clean install of 98, including fdisk and format. Once you have a complete installation, migrate the data back to the drive. If you back up your registry you should have no problem as far as needing to reinstall apps. There is a possiblity ofneeding to reinstall some but with a clean registry backup you should do fine. Just take each step carefully so as to not destroy any existing data.

I recently had a similar situation and that worked for me.

Have a boot disk and run sys c: to make ur windows bootable and copy all ur data to the other disk first and then reinstall windows .since the data sector was corrupted be sure to confirm ur data is ok once machine boots.

Try this: take three shots of Jack, run around the pc in question 4 times, sacrifice a live chicken, pray to Allah at 1,3,5, and 7pm on a odd numbered day pointing in the wrong direction, leave your computer off overnight and the next morning it should work. I've had to do this twice before and it worked fine.