Reinstall win98se on laptop with swapable drives

bscqclab · 12-09-2005, 08:20 PM

I had to format c: on my dell lattitude laptop with swapable drives. Well when I put in the floppy boot up disk after it finishes it gives me three options and I choose number 2 with cdrom support then I have to take the floppy drive out and slide in the cd drive but by then it displays invalid system disk Replace teh disk, and then press any key. Another told me to enter bios on boot up press f2 and change boot sequence to cd drive. I only have option to change it from diskette first or hard disk only. Is there such a thing as a win98se boot up cd and will this work starting from refomatted drive? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated (dell lattitude LM P133ST)

Chevy · 12-09-2005, 08:29 PM

Yes, you can make a 98SE boot CD.

You'll need your 98CD and the boot floppy.

First, make a folder on the pc called 98boot (or whatever). In that folder, create another folder called Win98, and copy the files from the WIN98 folder on the cd to it. Start up your burning software, and tell it to create a new bootable CD (each burning app has this option in a different place). When you get to the point to add files to the project, select the Win98 folder you created. It will prompt you for the boot floppy when it needs it.

bscqclab · 12-10-2005, 12:22 PM

thanks for the info except my bios will not give me the option of boot sequence from cd, (only diskette first or Hard disk) is there a way to change these if there arent any administrator passwords enabled. maybe some default i can change it to?

Chevy · 12-10-2005, 05:32 PM

You don't get a boot from cd option even when the cd is installed?

Ok ... do this:

1 - Boot to boot floppy (start without cd-rom support)

2 - Format the c: with the /s option

3 - copy the entire floppy to c:\

4 - remove the floppy, insert the cd drive, then reboot to the hard drive (choose the "with cd-rom support" option.

5 - insert your 98 cd, and run setup.exe from it.

bscqclab · 12-12-2005, 05:50 PM

okay i really appreciate your knowledge but i boot up with my win98floppy boot up disk, it gives me three options, i choose the one without cd rom support then it moves on to A:\>_ so what do i do then when c: has already been formated? I dont know how to format c: with /s option.

bscqclab · 12-12-2005, 07:35 PM

okay i can manually copy files from the bootup floppy in a: to c: but it wont let me there are three files it wont let me copy aspi2dos.sys aspi4dos and aspi8dos.sys what can i do? cause it wont boot up from hard disk drive with all of the other files there and the bios boot sequence set on hard disk only. please help me if you can

Chevy · 12-12-2005, 10:38 PM

Formatting with the /s option is this command (type what is in bold):

A:>format c: /s

(then press ENTER)

This will make the c: drive bootable. After the above format, do this command:

A:>copy . c:\

(then press ENTER)

This will give the c: drive enough info to boot on it's own and load the DOS cd-rom drivers.

12-09-2005, 08:20 PM	#1 (permalink)
bscqclab Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 4 OS: win98se	Reinstall win98se on laptop with swapable drives I had to format c: on my dell lattitude laptop with swapable drives. Well when I put in the floppy boot up disk after it finishes it gives me three options and I choose number 2 with cdrom support then I have to take the floppy drive out and slide in the cd drive but by then it displays invalid system disk Replace teh disk, and then press any key. Another told me to enter bios on boot up press f2 and change boot sequence to cd drive. I only have option to change it from diskette first or hard disk only. Is there such a thing as a win98se boot up cd and will this work starting from refomatted drive? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated (dell lattitude LM P133ST)

12-09-2005, 08:29 PM	#2 (permalink)
Chevy Retired Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Notlob Posts: 5,452 OS: Vista Ultimate My System	Yes, you can make a 98SE boot CD. You'll need your 98CD and the boot floppy. First, make a folder on the pc called 98boot (or whatever). In that folder, create another folder called Win98, and copy the files from the WIN98 folder on the cd to it. Start up your burning software, and tell it to create a new bootable CD (each burning app has this option in a different place). When you get to the point to add files to the project, select the Win98 folder you created. It will prompt you for the boot floppy when it needs it.

12-10-2005, 12:22 PM	#3 (permalink)
bscqclab Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 4 OS: win98se	thanks for the info except my bios will not give me the option of boot sequence from cd, (only diskette first or Hard disk) is there a way to change these if there arent any administrator passwords enabled. maybe some default i can change it to?

12-10-2005, 05:32 PM	#4 (permalink)
Chevy Retired Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Notlob Posts: 5,452 OS: Vista Ultimate My System	You don't get a boot from cd option even when the cd is installed? Ok ... do this: 1 - Boot to boot floppy (start without cd-rom support) 2 - Format the c: with the /s option 3 - copy the entire floppy to c:\ 4 - remove the floppy, insert the cd drive, then reboot to the hard drive (choose the "with cd-rom support" option. 5 - insert your 98 cd, and run setup.exe from it.

12-12-2005, 05:50 PM	#5 (permalink)
bscqclab Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 4 OS: win98se	okay i really appreciate your knowledge but i boot up with my win98floppy boot up disk, it gives me three options, i choose the one without cd rom support then it moves on to A:\>_ so what do i do then when c: has already been formated? I dont know how to format c: with /s option.

12-12-2005, 07:35 PM	#6 (permalink)
bscqclab Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 4 OS: win98se	okay i can manually copy files from the bootup floppy in a: to c: but it wont let me there are three files it wont let me copy aspi2dos.sys aspi4dos and aspi8dos.sys what can i do? cause it wont boot up from hard disk drive with all of the other files there and the bios boot sequence set on hard disk only. please help me if you can

12-12-2005, 10:38 PM	#7 (permalink)
Chevy Retired Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Notlob Posts: 5,452 OS: Vista Ultimate My System	Formatting with the /s option is this command (type what is in bold): A:>format c: /s (then press ENTER) This will make the c: drive bootable. After the above format, do this command: A:>copy . c:\ (then press ENTER) This will give the c: drive enough info to boot on it's own and load the DOS cd-rom drivers.