want to go back

jorj82 · 06-28-2008, 09:31 AM

i have windows 2000 pro, and i think it sucks. i'm trying to go back to windows 98 se. so i took my win2k hard drive and slaved it into my friends pc (the one i'm on now) and formatted my drive. then, when i try to install 98se, it says "incompatable with this version of windows", which is win2k. now my hard drive is BLANK, it doesn't even have dos. what do i do?

**af3** · 06-30-2008, 08:35 AM

You must boot from the Windows 98 disc, and not run the disc in Windows 2000.

Put it in the drive and restart your computer. Make sure you do this in YOUR computer and not your friends. Even if you choose to install it to the slave, it will modify the boot sector of the master in yoru friends computer to boot from Windows 98 on the slave rendering his machine useless.

Good luck! If you need clarification on anything, please let us know.

JiB410 · 06-30-2008, 09:08 AM

Insert the OS Disk you want to install.
Boot from CD.
Make sure you format the partition and install a new copy of windows.

Can i ask why your choosing 98se over 2k?

jorj82 · 06-30-2008, 11:50 AM

my machine wouldn't let me format (disk in use), so i had to put it in another pc to format. now that my drive is blank, it won't boot in my machine, it always says "non-system disc, replace and strike a key". i have the discs for win2k and 98se, and now i regret upgrading my old machine because now it won't run old games properly. win2k won't let me install the 98 and my machine won't boot at all anymore. i don't know what to do, how do i make it boot from cd-rom? all my drivers got wiped in the format (i know i'm dumb for not backing it up) and now i don't get to boot options or c: promt, just "non system disc".

does it make a difference that i formatted to nstf instead of fat32?

**af3** · 06-30-2008, 12:21 PM

It does not make any difference.

Do you get a "press any key to boot from cd..." when you start with the Windows disc in your CD drive?

If not you may have to enter the BIOS setup. Your computer should say something like "press del to enter setup" or f1 or whatever the setup key is. Once you get into the setup, look for a boot priority, or boot order. Put the CDROM Drive above the Hard Drive in the priority list and exit. It will ask you if you want to save, and need to choose yes.

Then it should give you the choice to boot from CD, unless this computer is too old to boot from CD...

jorj82 · 06-30-2008, 12:41 PM

you see, that's what's troubling me. i used to get those options on startup, but now my drive seems to be completley blank. it counts 24576 kb ok, then immediately "error 1701", then tells me i have a bad disk. it won't let me do anything.
its a compaq pressario cds 772. is there some way i could fiddle with the hardware to make it boot from cd? because my drive is BLANK and my boot disc doesn't even work.

**af3** · 07-01-2008, 06:47 AM

Common keystrokes that will access the BIOS Setup are F1 , F2 , F10 , and Delete.

You COULD use a computer that is known to work and will boot from CD without a problem. Just unplug the good computers master hard drive, and put the blank drive in and start the setup CD. I would call this a force-feed method.

Once you finish, you can just pop it back into the other PC and see if it will boot. It will take a few minutes for Windows to reconfigure itself to the alternate motherboard and attached components.

jorj82 · 07-01-2008, 12:23 PM

thank you thank you thank you af3 force-feeding worked!! now for a wolfenstein marathon...

**af3** · 07-01-2008, 01:15 PM

lol good old ID software games. Have you played Commander Keen? Quake? Heretic?
I spent a lot of time playing Sierra On-Line games. Kings Quest, Space Quest...

jorj82 · 07-02-2008, 11:07 AM

no, just quake & heretic. i should check out the others. they're shareware right? i guess they'd be abandonware by now.

**af3** · 07-02-2008, 12:23 PM

The first episode of each game is shareware.
Have you been to Abandonia?

06-28-2008, 09:31 AM	#1 (permalink)
jorj82 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 8 OS: win 2k sp4	want to go back i have windows 2000 pro, and i think it sucks. i'm trying to go back to windows 98 se. so i took my win2k hard drive and slaved it into my friends pc (the one i'm on now) and formatted my drive. then, when i try to install 98se, it says "incompatable with this version of windows", which is win2k. now my hard drive is BLANK, it doesn't even have dos. what do i do?

06-30-2008, 08:35 AM	#2 (permalink)
af3 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: USA Posts: 1,173 OS: XP32, the gaming OS. My System	Re: want to go back You must boot from the Windows 98 disc, and not run the disc in Windows 2000. Put it in the drive and restart your computer. Make sure you do this in YOUR computer and not your friends. Even if you choose to install it to the slave, it will modify the boot sector of the master in yoru friends computer to boot from Windows 98 on the slave rendering his machine useless. Good luck! If you need clarification on anything, please let us know.

06-30-2008, 09:08 AM	#3 (permalink)
JiB410 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: London Posts: 76 OS: 2000,XP,XP64,Vista	Re: want to go back Insert the OS Disk you want to install. Boot from CD. Make sure you format the partition and install a new copy of windows. Can i ask why your choosing 98se over 2k?

06-30-2008, 11:50 AM	#4 (permalink)
jorj82 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 8 OS: win 2k sp4	Re: want to go back my machine wouldn't let me format (disk in use), so i had to put it in another pc to format. now that my drive is blank, it won't boot in my machine, it always says "non-system disc, replace and strike a key". i have the discs for win2k and 98se, and now i regret upgrading my old machine because now it won't run old games properly. win2k won't let me install the 98 and my machine won't boot at all anymore. i don't know what to do, how do i make it boot from cd-rom? all my drivers got wiped in the format (i know i'm dumb for not backing it up) and now i don't get to boot options or c: promt, just "non system disc". does it make a difference that i formatted to nstf instead of fat32? Last edited by jorj82; 06-30-2008 at 12:13 PM. Reason: sudden thought

06-30-2008, 12:21 PM	#5 (permalink)
af3 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: USA Posts: 1,173 OS: XP32, the gaming OS. My System	Re: want to go back It does not make any difference. Do you get a "press any key to boot from cd..." when you start with the Windows disc in your CD drive? If not you may have to enter the BIOS setup. Your computer should say something like "press del to enter setup" or f1 or whatever the setup key is. Once you get into the setup, look for a boot priority, or boot order. Put the CDROM Drive above the Hard Drive in the priority list and exit. It will ask you if you want to save, and need to choose yes. Then it should give you the choice to boot from CD, unless this computer is too old to boot from CD...

06-30-2008, 12:41 PM	#6 (permalink)
jorj82 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 8 OS: win 2k sp4	Re: want to go back you see, that's what's troubling me. i used to get those options on startup, but now my drive seems to be completley blank. it counts 24576 kb ok, then immediately "error 1701", then tells me i have a bad disk. it won't let me do anything. its a compaq pressario cds 772. is there some way i could fiddle with the hardware to make it boot from cd? because my drive is BLANK and my boot disc doesn't even work.

07-01-2008, 06:47 AM	#7 (permalink)
af3 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: USA Posts: 1,173 OS: XP32, the gaming OS. My System	Re: want to go back Common keystrokes that will access the BIOS Setup are F1 , F2 , F10 , and Delete. You COULD use a computer that is known to work and will boot from CD without a problem. Just unplug the good computers master hard drive, and put the blank drive in and start the setup CD. I would call this a force-feed method. Once you finish, you can just pop it back into the other PC and see if it will boot. It will take a few minutes for Windows to reconfigure itself to the alternate motherboard and attached components.

07-01-2008, 12:23 PM	#8 (permalink)
jorj82 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 8 OS: win 2k sp4	Re: want to go back thank you thank you thank you af3 force-feeding worked!! now for a wolfenstein marathon...

07-01-2008, 01:15 PM	#9 (permalink)
af3 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: USA Posts: 1,173 OS: XP32, the gaming OS. My System	Re: want to go back lol good old ID software games. Have you played Commander Keen? Quake? Heretic? I spent a lot of time playing Sierra On-Line games. Kings Quest, Space Quest...

07-02-2008, 11:07 AM	#10 (permalink)
jorj82 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 8 OS: win 2k sp4	Re: want to go back no, just quake & heretic. i should check out the others. they're shareware right? i guess they'd be abandonware by now.

07-02-2008, 12:23 PM	#11 (permalink)
af3 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: USA Posts: 1,173 OS: XP32, the gaming OS. My System	Re: want to go back The first episode of each game is shareware. Have you been to Abandonia?