upgrading

The best WAY, is to backup your data, format the hard drive, and start from scratch.

You can do this with either the FULL or UPGRADE versions of W98.

Backup data and critical settings

Download and store ALL device drivers needed
(use a utility such as Belarc Advisor www.belarc.com to assist in creating a hardware list)

Get or Create a W98 startup disk.
(www.bootdisk.com)

Boot from the startup disk.
Run fdisk. Answer yes to enable large drive support if your drive is over 2GB,and you want to use partitions larger than 2GB.
Delete all logical drives and partitions.

Re-boot,
Run fdisk, and partition the drive as desired.

Re-boot, format at least the C: drive.
Insert the W98 CD, and run setup.

I always choose a custom installation, and choose the options I desire.

As Windows completes the installation, I install drivers in the following order.
Motherboard / chipset
DirectX (from Microsoft)
Video card
Monitor (if not listed)
Modem
Sound card
Other devices

Then, go on-line, and run Windows Update.
I install ALL security and critical updates.
Then pick and choose the others.

There is a work-around to install W95B onto a system with W95 allready installed that I believe also works for installing W98 from a FULL or OEM CD posted at www.onecomputerguy.com

I have tried both the upgrade installation, and a clean install myself.
While it takes longer to perform a clean installation, you will have fewer problems, and faster performance, so it is WORTH the extra effort.

Chas

The Chas has it right all the way through, but for another step-by-step for the beginner try the link below.
http://www.easydesksoftware.com/youformat.htm

It will render a very clean proper install which is preferable over just an upgrade install.

Backup to external media or another disk anything you need to save.

Restart the computer and enter BIOS (press F12 or del or esc while it is checking your RAM...it should tell you what key to press which can be any of hte F# keys or a few others)

Set your computer to check for a bootable CD before going to the hard drive

Save changes, Restart. Boots off the CD

In setup, delete the partition that the current windows OS is on, then select it as the install partition and format.

Follow the setup process.

Once setup ends, reset your BIOS to your previous configuration (if desired)

Start windows, install device drivers, software, restore backed up information, use normally.

All the above answers suggest a clean install, which in the majority of cases is unnecessary. What a "clean" install entails (and what no one mentioned) is that you would need to reinstall every piece of software you now have on your hard disk, which may take you a week.

A simpler solution is to get a Win98SE upgrade CD and install it over your Win95 operating system. It will automatically upgrade all your drivers, at least to 1998 drivers, the rest you will be able to get from the Windows update site.

You can get an upgrade disk for about $20 from Microsoft or even cheaper on eBay.

There's absolutely NO need to "ERASE" everything on your hard drive and start from scratch. The people that have given this advice usually have some of the best answers and I don't think they're taking into account that you're asking for assistance on performing the "UPGRADE".
If you wanted to erase your computer that would have been the question. Otherwise, to tell an experienced user to attempt all of this is irresponsible.

This is just too complicated and so much to do. Yes files can be backed up and all but does the person know how to do this and have a medium to save to?

As mentioned all software will have to be reinstalled, that's if the user still has everything. There's internet settings, passwords, email and on and on that will be gone. Yes they'll all be on the backup but again an inexperienced user wont know where to look for all this. I get so many PCs from customers that have either tried this or had their hard drive restarted (crashed) by techs that use this asan easy way out. The tech doesn't care about your data it's just easier for them to get the system loaded with an OS then let the user worry about the rest.

Don't get me wrong the answers are correct but in this and so many other situations theadvice is bad.

You are better off getting the upgrade and install it like the millions before you.

Read the setup text file located on the win98 CD. You can print it and use it as you go through the steps. It lists the major concerns and explains how to properly upgrade the system.

Good Luck

Interesting, almost heated, discussion...

I've done both (Win95-Win98 upgrade and Format-install Win98) many times and I have to say that even though it's longer, it's definately worth the effort to "start from scratch". Too much orphan data andlingering problems to carry over from 95-98.

Personally, I keep only MS system stuff on C: and all my stuff on D: (used Partition Magic the day I got the PC to split the drive). If you do (or have done) this, you eliminate/limit the amount of data you need to move before you reinstall.

I have it down so well that I can reinstall anytime I need to without losing any data and have my PC back to "normal" within an hour after the OS is reinstalled.

All the above gave you the info you need to decide on, obviously a heated discussion has been opened here. Windows 9X is self destructive and as such I would recommend the clean install as well. I haved played the DLL-Hell game before and its' no fun. Best response woudl probably be buy a new hard disk and start from scratch, you'll have more disk space, still have your old data in its original form, just make it a slave drive. Otherwise start by backing up anything you can't afford to lose and follow your chosen path of upgrade or fresh start. Keep in mind if you upgrade moving 95-98, and then problems come about, you'll be formatting, loading 95, then loading 98 upgrade again. To date of 3 windows 98 systems I've had from 98,99,2001, only 1 has not needed a disk replacement or an operating system reinstall. Thats a 66% failure rating, not very good odds. I still recommend the backup of imprtant data first!

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