Windows 98 SE Setup error

[jpodge]

Use to have Windows XP... Ran FDISK to delete partitions and create primary, then i format c:/s .... everything is going smooth

Reboot and put the windows 98 dicc in and changed the boot sequence so the cd rom is 1st. Ran with cd rom support or whatever it says and then it says error with CONFIG.SYS on line 16,17 and a whole bunch of other lines lol
it says its curropt or missing...

The thing is i just recently ran the setup on another computer and everything worked perfect.. any ideas?

[Paul Komski]

If there's an error with config.sys on the CD then it implies that the CD has become corrupted/scrached/dirty. Problem is you need config.sys and autoexec.bat to load the CDROM drivers.

Try cleaning the drive or try using another installation CD if you have one available.

Some other alternatives are to:

Boot from a startup boot floppy with CDROM support and see if you can run setup that way.

Use a boot floppy or floppy image to create a new bootable CD with your own burning software, burn a copy the win98 folder to the CD as part of the process and then boot to the new CD (with cdrom support) and run win98\setup that way.

Use a boot floppy with CDROM support to copy the Win98 folder to the C drive. Then boot directly to the hard drive (since you sysed it earler with the /s switch after format) and run win98\setup from the HDD.

[jpodge]

Use a boot floppy with CDROM support to copy the Win98 folder to the C drive. Then boot directly to the hard drive (since you sysed it earler with the /s switch after format) and run win98\setup from the HDD.

can u please explain that simplier, and a little more detailed (how to do what your saying... like makin a boot floppy) because i cant quite understand it but it seems like its the only 1 that has a chance of working

thanks a lot paul i hope ur gettin payed for doing all helping on this site

[Sylvander]

MAKING PARTITIONS (a strategy)
It's even better if you make more than one partition and copy the Windows installation files to a partition other than C:
That way you can install Windows from there, and make backup images of C: to there also, and when you restore a backup of C: to C: all your info on other partitions is untouched and up-to-the-minute.

A. A 2GB or 3GB C: partition would do [I use only 1.96GB] if you hold only the "Windows" & "Program Files" [plus odds] on C:

B. Move the following to a 1GB D: partition:
a) My Documents. [Use “TweakUI” to move their home]
b) E-mails for all identities. [use the email client to move their home]
c) Internet Explorer Favourites. [Use “TweakUI” to move their home]
d) Temporary Internet Files. [use the browser (Internet Explorer) to move them]
e) Re-home the Windows Address Book as shown here http://tinyurl.com/24q6l . Use the key “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\WAB\WAB4\Wab FileName” to specify its new address. [Its normal home address [in Win98] is C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book\(the name you gave your PC).WAB]

C. Put all your data files on other partitions according to file type/size.
I have 20GB E: and 45GB F:

D. Make a partition for backups and installation files.
I keep the Windows and Office installation files on this 12GB G: partition.


HAVING MADE PARTITIONS
What I did was to boot from a Startup floppy to an a:\> prompt [with CD-ROM support], and enter the following DOS commands, hitting "Enter" after each:
[You can modify these to suit your own partition arrangement.]

1) a:\>g: [change focus to g:]

2) g:>md win98 [make sure you include the space][make win98 directory in g:]

3) g:>cd win98 [change to win98 directory]

4) g:\win98>copy I:\win98\*\* [I is my CD drive letter holding the files in the win98 folder]
[copy the files from the CD to g:\win98 folder]

5) g:\win98>setup [run setup to install]

[Paul Komski]

can u please explain that simplier, and a little more detailed (how to do what your saying... like makin a boot floppy)

I assumed you had a boot floppy because of "Ran FDISK to delete partitions and create primary, then i format c:/s" but perhaps you did that from a CD.

If you dont have a boot floppy suggest you download the Win98se OEM file from http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm and run the exe with a blank floppy in its drive.

Boot to that floppy (it has intrinsic cdrom support) note the drive letter it assigns to the CDROM drive (from memory its R:) and then just see if you can access the Win98 installation CD from that floppy by typing dir at the R: (or whatever) prompt.

[jpodge]

o ya i have i got a boot disk thing from there but i didnt no it worked for what i asked because i only ran instructions to run fdisk with it and format c:/s

i was acctually already trying to run it from boot floppy and then after it says to run setup the errors come then about blah blah config.sys blah blah... but it runs fine on my other computer? and this computer reads disks fine so i dont think the drive is dirty

i was looking for an operating system i could just download and burn to a cd but when i do that nothing comes up so i may be doing that wrong... but the windows 98 cd is my own so i dont no why it doesnt work on that computer

[Paul Komski]

after it says to run setup
You shouldnt be asked to run setup. You just run it yourself when you are ready.

You need to be at the a: prompt and either simply enter setup at the a: prompt if using a Win9X startup diskette or if you want to run the setup.exe file that lives in the Win98 folder you would enter X:\win98\setup from any command prompt; (where X is the drive letter of the drive in question).

Can you enter dir at the Y: prompt; (where Y is the drive letter of the CDROM)?

[jpodge]

o ok i never knew you could run setup by doing that... ill try that and get back to u because im at a different place right now but thanks a lot for the help

[Sylvander]

Oh no!
Just noticed an error in 4) above. :(

g:\win98>copy I:\win98\*\* should read g:\win98>copy I:\win98\*.*

It's a pity I cannot edit the error above.

[jpodge]

Can you enter dir at the Y: prompt; (where Y is the drive letter of the CDROM)?
Answer: Yes

OK... now ive gotten passed the errors with the config.sys on line...blah blah

- Boot floppy is in A:
- Windows 98 SE in D:
- boot sequence: floppy 1st
- A:>setup (have tried a variety of different ways starting setup all end up the same
- starts up windows 98 setup
- on the 3rd step ( Copying Windows 98 Files to Your Computer )
- at 8% everytime the cd stops making the usual humming noise and starts kind of scratching noise and i get an error...
- 'Setup interupted'
Source File: 'E:\wind98\IEJAVA.CAB
Destination File: 'C:Windows\System\IEJAVA.CAB blah blah
- even if i try skipping that file it keeps doing it with different files
- all of these problems are only being caused on 1 computer... others the whole installing works fine

[Paleo Pete]

Sounds like you might need to try another CD ROM drive, this is sounding like the drive is having problems reading CDs.

If you're mechanically inclined and able to handle delicate parts, you can open up the CD ROM drive, carefully, and clean the drive capstans with q-tips and rubbing alcohol, it might last another 6 months if done correctly. It sounds like what happens when the capstans get dirty, the drive can't spin the CD at the proper speed, dust and lint build up on the capstans and they can't hold the disk tight enough to spin it, then you get read errors. Again, BE CAREFUL if you try it and do not touch the laser lens.

I would try a known working drive and see if it will read all the way through setup. You can pull one temporarily from another computer if you have one available, it's not difficult. Watch the Master/Slave jumpers and orientation of the IDE cable. [Ask here in this thread if you need more detailed information] Also it might help if we can see the entire error message, just the first line or two if it's a whole screen of numbers, it should have a line or two detailing the error, that would help us.

[jpodge]

ive decided to pull a cd rom drive off of the computer im on right now
ive just taken off the connections that were on the other drive and put them on the working one (on the other computer) and im able to open the cd rom thing to put in a cd.. but when i start up the computer i get this... Secondary Hard Disk 0 Not Found

How can it install the driver if i dont have an operating system?

Help ASAP please because the rest of my family doesnt feel safe with both the computers opened up and running

[Fruss Tray Ted]

Please explain how you have your ide devices arranged and how you have set their respective jumpers. Also what your boot order is and type it as it is written such as

1st boot dveice: floppy
Second boot device: CD-ROM
3rd boot device: HDD-0

I'm leaning on the possibility you have the 3rd one set somehow in error to your arrangement on the ide cables.

[jpodge]

umm im not really sure but i no i have the ide connectors where they were from the last cd rom drive... my boot sequence NOW only has 2 things: Floppy, HDD

is the jumpers the things that have like p5 and p6 on them and the wires r black, yellow and red i think?

on my other computer the ide connector went from the cd rom drive to the floppy drive and then down to the green computer stuff lol (obviously dont know the lingo sorry bout that) but i think because i had an additional drive to hook up (CD Burner)

[Fruss Tray Ted]

the green computer stuff
Oh, no!!! Not the green computer stuff!!! :eek: :eek: :eek:

I think you should have a peek at this thread (http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?t=25502) and learn what the things are inside your case to make sure you have them setup correctly and also to help you with terminology so you can more effetively communicate your situation so we'll be able to get a better idea about how to prescribe your solution(s).

The jumpers I was asking about are the ones on the harddrive and cd-roms themselves, not the ones on your motherboard.

[jpodge]

reading what Paleo Pete said this seems like it should be way simplier
the power is on to the cd rom drive but the computer wont recognize it... it seems like its just a matter of installing the new drive without needing an operating system because when u have new drive and restart your computer it says its builder a driver or whatever but it cant get to that screen without an operating system

[jpodge]

OK I HAVE CHOSEN THE EASY WAY OUT AND BY PUTTING WINDOWS XP ON
But im happy ive learned some other things and thank everyone who helped out