Loading Windows 98 on to Gateway 2000 Solo Laptop

Lynchc · 06-29-2009, 12:29 PM

I know this laptop is very old, but thought we would see if it would work. When we got it the operating system had been removed. I have Windows 98SE which I can get to load to a certain point then it freezes on the Windows 98 screen. I can get it to copy the files onto my computer, reboot and then start looking for drivers and then when it starts looking for plug and play items it will shut back down and when it restarts it will only go to the Windows 98 screen and then it freezes..... any suggestions?
Thanks!

**OldGrayGary** · 06-29-2009, 04:11 PM

Hi Lynchc

The Gateway Solo notebook series has been around quite a long time - early models ran original Pentium processors (as in the 133mhz to 233mhz variety).

If the old Solo can boot from a CD, you can test its hard drive, memory, & processor by starting the Solo with a "UBCD" (Ultimate Boot CD). This will let you know if the old Solo's parts are defying time & continuing to operate in good working order (truthfully, they are well into their golden years).

From another computer in good working order, download the ".iso" image for the "Ultimate Boot CD" & use a CD-burning program such as Roxio or Nero to burn the bootable image onto a CD-R. You'll need to use the "Burn an Image to Disk" option when burning the disk, as simply copying the file to the CD will not result in a bootable CD. Full instructions are on the website --- http://www.ultimatebootcd.com

It may be that the CD drive in the Solo is faulty. You can try taking the hard drive out & use an external 2.5" IDE-to-USB adapter to connect it to another working PC, and then copy the Win98 CD's files directly onto a folder on the Solo's hard drive. Then place the Solo's hard drive back in the notebook case, use a bootable floppy diskette to start the Solo into the DOS command prompt, and from the command prompt start Setup. If you are lucky enough to try this method & need more details, let us know.

It will be a testament to Gateway's selection of quality parts & the Solo's past owners if the laptop is still in good working order.

Best of luck
. . . Gary

06-29-2009, 12:29 PM	#1 (permalink)
Lynchc Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1 OS: 98	Loading Windows 98 on to Gateway 2000 Solo Laptop I know this laptop is very old, but thought we would see if it would work. When we got it the operating system had been removed. I have Windows 98SE which I can get to load to a certain point then it freezes on the Windows 98 screen. I can get it to copy the files onto my computer, reboot and then start looking for drivers and then when it starts looking for plug and play items it will shut back down and when it restarts it will only go to the Windows 98 screen and then it freezes..... any suggestions? Thanks!

06-29-2009, 04:11 PM	#2 (permalink)
OldGrayGary Mentor, Microsoft Support Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Woodland Hills, CA Posts: 2,240 OS: Windows 98se/2000/XP/Vista	Re: Loading Windows 98 on to Gateway 2000 Solo Laptop Hi Lynchc The Gateway Solo notebook series has been around quite a long time - early models ran original Pentium processors (as in the 133mhz to 233mhz variety). If the old Solo can boot from a CD, you can test its hard drive, memory, & processor by starting the Solo with a "UBCD" (Ultimate Boot CD). This will let you know if the old Solo's parts are defying time & continuing to operate in good working order (truthfully, they are well into their golden years). From another computer in good working order, download the ".iso" image for the "Ultimate Boot CD" & use a CD-burning program such as Roxio or Nero to burn the bootable image onto a CD-R. You'll need to use the "Burn an Image to Disk" option when burning the disk, as simply copying the file to the CD will not result in a bootable CD. Full instructions are on the website --- http://www.ultimatebootcd.com It may be that the CD drive in the Solo is faulty. You can try taking the hard drive out & use an external 2.5" IDE-to-USB adapter to connect it to another working PC, and then copy the Win98 CD's files directly onto a folder on the Solo's hard drive. Then place the Solo's hard drive back in the notebook case, use a bootable floppy diskette to start the Solo into the DOS command prompt, and from the command prompt start Setup. If you are lucky enough to try this method & need more details, let us know. It will be a testament to Gateway's selection of quality parts & the Solo's past owners if the laptop is still in good working order. Best of luck . . . Gary __________________