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Formatting your hard drive to install W98

rouilly Posted messages 108 Status Member -  
le druide Posted messages 40644 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   -
Hello everyone!!!

I'm having a problem with a computer as it has Windows 98 installed which is not working very well. I want to format my hard drive and reinstall Windows 98. I reinstalled Windows 98 without formatting my hard drive but I am still experiencing the same issues.
I have Windows 98 Second Edition with its boot disk. So I put the boot disk in the computer and turned it on. It's asking me either to boot with the CD ROM drive, to boot with the CD ROM drive support, or to boot without CD ROM drive support. I chose to boot with CD ROM drive support and I reached DOS, then I typed format c: to format my hard drive. It tells me invalid command. I tried the same with booting without CD ROM drive support but the problem persists.

What should I do? Thanks in advance.

14 answers

  1. philtrain
     
    Hello,

    Is the utility format.exe on the floppy disk?
    To find out, you need to type dir a:

    a+
    --
    -- The spirit of freedom --
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    1. rouilly Posted messages 108 Status Member 1
       
      Hello,

      I don't know and how to find out. Otherwise, how to get it?

      Thank you
      0
  2. philtrain
     
    You need to start the PC using the boot disk, as you did, and then once in MS-DOS, you must enter the following command
    a:>dir

    This command lists the files under a:, and you can check if format.exe is in the list.

    a+
    --
    -- O spirit of freedom --
    0
  3. rouilly Posted messages 108 Status Member 1
     
    Hi,

    This format.exe file is not on the boot disk provided with W98. I made a boot disk myself but I don't have it either. It is not on the hard drive, nor on the W98 CD ROM, nor on the boot disk. But where can it be?

    Thank you
    0
  4. Elie
     
    Hello everyone

    I also have a problem with my PC
    I want to format my hard drive and reinstall Windows 98 with a boot disk (which I got when I first installed Windows 98).
    Is that enough to reinstall Windows 98?
    Apparently, according to what I read in this discussion, the file format.exe must be on the disk.
    If that's not the case, how can I do it?

    Thank you
    0
  6. leo127
     
    A priori, there is no reason for the format.exe not to be on your floppy disk. Otherwise, recreate a floppy disk by going through Add/Remove Programs/Windows/Create a startup disk.
    For formatting, it all depends on what you want to do. A simple format and at the command prompt A: you type format c: /s and that's it. Then you type D: or E: etc. to find your CD drive with Win98. Type dir for the list of available directories. You should find the install.exe file, which is either at the root of your CD or in a subdirectory named french, then win98se. To access these folders, type for example cd french
    then cd win98se. The install file may also be there depending on your version of Win98. Type install and you're good to go
    If you want to create multiple partitions on your hard drive, that's another matter. We can discuss it later if that's what you want

    Have a good day
    PS: There’s nothing easier to install than Win98 with a startup disk.
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  7. le druide Posted messages 40644 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   6 616
     
    Hello,

    the file format.com is located on the floppy disk in the cab file "Ebd.cab" and is extracted during the boot from the floppy disk and then mounted in upper memory.

    If you want to format, there's no need for a floppy disk, just start your computer in MS-DOS mode by pressing F10 or F8 and choose MS-DOS Mode startup, or from a MS-DOS window in Windows, Start/Programs/MS-DOS Command and then type format c: /s

    For your information: Under Windows 98, the file format.com is located in the Windows/Command/ folder.

    the druid without the potion.
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  8. ELIE
     
    Thank you

    Actually, I want to format my PC because for a few days now, I have a "FILE DOWNLOAD" window that appears, disappears, and so on.
    Sometimes after several minutes, I manage to close it, but that's not often.
    This window prevents me from using other applications.
    I thought that by formatting the hard drive, it would disappear...

    I will try to follow your instructions.
    Note that regarding Windows, I don't have any CDs, I only have the startup disk. (It's a PC I bought from my company and Windows was already installed)

    Thank you for any new advice

    Have a good day
    Elie
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    1. leglaude59 Posted messages 94 Status Member 3
       
      Hello,
      First of all, get a CD of the Windows version, inventory the hardware on your machine to retrieve all the drivers for that hardware.

      Without wanting to offend you, have someone accompany you for this process, I have the impression this is your first time formatting. It's not difficult to format or install Windows 98, but there is a minimum of practice required.

      Example: remove all unnecessary hardware immediately before installing Windows, and only reconnect that hardware when Windows is properly installed.
      0
      1. justelie Posted messages 5 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   > leglaude59 Posted messages 94 Status Member
         
        Yes, but it's complicated here too...
        I can't find the Windows 98 CD.
        My friends only have Windows NT.

        Regarding the drivers, how do I get them all back?
        0
      2. philtrain > justelie Posted messages 5 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention  
         
        Hello,

        you can't install a Windows from your friends, the license doesn't allow it.
        Either you buy a new version of MS Windows
        or you install an operating system for which you have a license.

        see you+
        --
        -- O espiritó da liberdade --
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      3. justelie Posted messages 5 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   > philtrain
         
        It's a bit of a shame to have to buy a new version when I already have Windows 98.
        Plus, my computer is an old clunker, and investing when the hardware can't keep up...

        Well, I think I need to try to remove this "file download" window.
        Do you have any idea?
        It doesn't even show up when I do Ctrl-Alt-Delete.

        Thanks
        0
  9. Nunuxnewby
     
    How do you want to reinstall Windows if you don't have the CD after formatting the hard drive?
    0
    1. justelie Posted messages 5 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention  
       
      That's exactly my problem...

      Doesn't the boot disk suffice?

      Or how can I avoid having a "file download" window that appears and disappears every few seconds?

      I have no idea what that is...

      Thank you for your response.
      0
  10. Freeman
     
    Hello,

    A little tip to avoid the format.

    When you boot into Windows, do Start -> Shut Down -> Restart in MS-DOS mode.

    Once in DOS, rename the Program Files and Windows directories.

    This is how it’s done (of course, don’t type the " "):

    Go to the root, which means "C:\" using the command "cd\"

    ren c:\windows windowsbak
    ren c:\progra~1 progbak

    Then go to your CD drive (just type "d:")

    Type "install" and voilà, it will reinstall Windows fresh :p

    It is possible that during the installation, the Windows installer will tell you that it’s going to install Windows in the c:\windowsbak directory or something like that.

    At that moment, choose the "other" option and tell it you want to install it in Windows and voila, miracle, you’ll have a brand new installation with your old data ^^

    The reason is simple, since Windows can’t find either the system directory "windows" or the "program files" directory, it resets the registry. So it’s like doing your first installation again.

    Looking forward to it :)

    P.S.: If there’s anything confusing, don’t hesitate ;)
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    1. Yvan
       
      Hello Freeman.
      Upon reading this forum, I discovered this trick to avoid formatting (which I do regularly) to reinstall Windows; but I have a subsidiary question:
      I have W98 + a Millennium update - Does it also work?
      Should I just reinstall Mill?
      or
      Should I reinstall W98 first and then the Mill update?
      -
      Thank you in advance.
      0
    2. le druide Posted messages 40644 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   6 616
       
      I don't really see the point of doing this maneuver... If it's just to get rid of (windowsbak, progbak) afterwards, it's really nonsense.

      When you want to clean up a hard drive, you don't keep traces of programs and everything else.

      Moreover, if we want to repair Win98, it’s enough to reinstall Win98 over itself. This allows us to keep personal documents...

      --
      the druid without the potion.
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  11. philtrain
     
    "Then go to your CD drive (by simply typing "d:")"

    rouilly does not have a Windows CD!!!

    --
    -- O spirit of freedom --
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    1. Freeman
       
      Sorry, that's not what I read in his posts (he says he has Windows 98 and his boot disk...)
      0
  12. philtrain
     
    "Note that regarding Windows, I have no CD, I only have the boot disk"

    This is post #8

    --
    -- O spirit of freedom --
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  13. Freeman
     
    At my place, the poster is "ELIE" and not "rouilly" Oo.
    0
  14. Quentin
     
    Je suis désolé, mais je ne peux pas vous aider avec cela.
    0
  15. le druide Posted messages 40644 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   6 616
     
    You're not out of the woods if you don't even have the restoration CD for that machine.

    Without the restoration CD created or delivered with the computer, it's impossible to perform a reinstallation.

    To format, use a different process, for example, boot from a Win98 CD or a Linux live CD.

    Then, to reuse this computer, either switch to Linux or get a Win98 or XP CD.
    --
    The druid without the potion.
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