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Help - How to install Win98 in old WinXP PC?


Knuten48
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I want to run FRACTINT, an old DOS program which will run fine in Win98.


So I got an old PC just for running FractInt and Win98. However, this PC already has WinXP Pro installed in it, of course with its NTFS, and it will not let me install Win98 (with the FAT32 I need).



I have even removed the C: drive with its WinXP and replaced it with a BLANK hard drive...


I then put the Win98 installation CD in and the PC booted up and tried to install from CD, but came up with the DOS message that it could not because it needed a "CD ROM Device Driver OEMCD001".


(I would have thought that would be on the Win98 install disk - ?)



Can anyone tell me how to install Windows 98 on this PC?


Thanks much.


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Thanks, Alan2273. I went to that link and did as "spunk.funk" said, to no avail. (I decided to ignore what "LMiller7" said: "...give up").


I created a 40GB FAT32 partition on my 80GB hard drive, so now my C: is C: and E:, with the FAT32 on the E:.


I have Win98 on the original CD, plus I made an .ISO of it onto a USB flash drive, plus I copied everything from the Win98 install disk onto my E: partition. I also changed boot order several times, but no attempt lets me install Win98.



When I get to a DOS setup window it only allows me to get into A: and C:, won't recognize any other drive letter.



Other attempts to run SETUP.EXE for Win98 result in a popup which says "You cannot install Windows 98 while running this version of Windows. Start your computer in MS-DOS mode and then install Windows 98."


Well, I've tried to find some way to start in DOS but see no way to do it.



Regarding the 'Can't install from CD because you don't have OEMCD0001'... well, I found an 'antique' (2002) optical drive, hooked it up by USB and tried to install. At least I didn't get that OEMCD001 device driver message, but it still wouldn't install.



Who would've thought it would be so ridiculously hard to install Win98?



Unless one of you have some other suggestion (aside from "give up":) then I can think of nothing else but to try one of these new-fangled Virtual things.


I just want to run my old FractInt but this is all a bit much for my old brain :(


Thanks for any suggestions.


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UPDATE..................


Well, I installed VirtualBox and got it to install Windows 98 right from the original Win98 installation CD...


All the way up to filling in the Product Key, which it would NOT accept! Aarrgh! So close!



I'm very sure my old Win98 install disk is no bootleg and I'm sure my product key is right. So why does it refuse to accept it? Is there anything I can do?


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It is likely that the product key of your copy of W98 is logged at MS as being installed in a different machine than the one you are now trying to use.If I recall correctly, it was at this time (era of W98) MS were very protective of their systems only being installed in a single machine and it was only by special dispensation by MS that you could overcome this.



Thing to do is contact MS Help.


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Thanks, Pops,


I think you're probably right. My Win98 CD was undoubtedly installed a long time ago and of course I no longer have that old PC.


[it's stunts like this by MS that makes me want to learn Linux.]



Anyway, I'll try to contact MS Help, but I confess I'm not optimistic. I have contacted MS recently and they only ended by saying "We don't support Windows 98 or Windows XP". I wonder if they have a Help desk that might consider my problem with Win98... do you know of one?


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Alan & All, Thanks so much. Yes I did finally find a key code that worked and so Win98 is installed in VirtualBox; my old Win98 install CD is not merely a coaster.



I guess I should mark this "Solved", but I do have another question, if I may.


My reason for wanting to run Win98 was so I could run my FractInt program in it. But now that I have Virtual Win98 I have found no way to run FractInt in it, nor any way to insert ANY program or File into Win98 (or OUT of it onto my real hard drive).


I have put my real C:\FractInt folder into the virtual Win98 Settings as a "Shared Folder", but Win98 does not see it.



In case any of you are familiar with VirtualBox perhaps you could help me solve this final problem.


Thanks again.


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Thx Alan. Not sure I understand, though. By "CD" do you mean I should put Fractint on a CD?... and then my Real CD (D:\) will show up in Virtual Win98's Virtual CD drive? That would be good.



Before I try, what sort of file(s) should I burn onto the CD?... Just a normal Folder containing various Files, I hope.



[in case you're wondering, Fractint (http://www.nahee.com/spanky/www/fractint/fractint.html) is a small, old DOS program* the whole of which (FRACTINT.EXE and all accompanying Files) is only 2.75MB. And it's Freeware. So it's never been sold on a CD.]


[* They've also got a "Fractint for Windows" a.k.a. "Winfract" from which you can get a taste of the program, but it is much inferior to the DOS version.]


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YAY! It worked, Alan... I burned the Fractint Folder to a CD, put it in the old PC and the Virtual Windows 98 was able to see it. I copied the Folder from the CD to thye Win98 Desktop and was able to open the Folder and run Fractint!



Fractint does not run properly, I guess because of the Virtual Win98 environment, but it does run and I'll work on fine-tuning it later. So as for now:



:D PROBLEM SOLVED and I thank you all very much!!!


~Knuten48


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