How do you remove XP & replace with 98se?

How does on remove Windows XP from an older computer so that I can Install 98se ?
Tried w/ recovery discs (generic) x3.
Then used "Data Life-Guard Tools "
It allowed me to clear the partition (which seems to be the entire hard drive) and prepare it for 98se.
When I ran the 98 disc it would tell me to put the O.S. into the drive? and would not boot. However, when I used the XP disc it installed normally.
Again this is a friends comp. and Ive used MY XP to get it running...30 days he'll not be able to register it...?
Please explain how I can Replace XP w/ 98SE.
MUCH Thanks
Keith

 

If I'm reading your post correctly.
My understanding that most 98 cd's were not bootable, so you must start the comp with a 98 boot floppy. www.bootdisk.com

 

The Western Digital Data Life-Guard Tools CD can Fdisk and Format the drive in one fast step for 98SE, but you are prompted to insert a bootable 98 floppy so that it can put an Operating System (OS) onto the drive. The WD CD is not very good at getting what it needs off of a CD, needs a floppy. This OS is nothing more than a Disk Operating System (DOS). It will run the hard drive(s) and floppy, it will not run a CD. There will no other files other than the basic OS.

Your 98 CD is not the bootable type, that is why you are getting the message about needing an OS.
Farmer has posted where you can create a floppy, here is a more direct link.
http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm
Download the file for 98 SE OEM. Insert a floppy, then run the downloaded file. A bootable floppy will be created for you. Do not copy the downloaded file onto the floppy and expect it to work.
You can now use the WD CD to create a partition (or Fdisk it) and format it.

But you will need the floppy to boot the computer to use the CD to install windows. Now, since you are doing this for a friend, what I would do is copy the setup files from the CD onto the hard drive and run Win98 setup from there so that in the future the friend will not be prompted for the Win98 CD when installing a piece of hardware, or you when installing the network drivers, or if a system file gets corrupted and needs replacing.

Instructions here:

Boot the computer with the floppy, choose With CD Rom support. Just before the A:\> appears, there will be a message giving you the drive letter(s) for the CD(s), it will not be the usual letter, it will look something like one of these.

Drive X: = Driver MSCD001

Drive X: = Driver OEMCD001

Where the X is will be the drive letter, use this letter in place of the X below. In most cases the letter could be E: . Insert the 98 CD now, and use these commands, pressing Enter at the end of each line. {Type in exactly as I have them in BOLD}
md c:\win98 << appears nothing happened when done correctly
copy X:\win98\*.* c:\win98 << should end with message 98 file(s) copied[/B]
c:\win98\setup << starts installing windows
You can take out floppy, not needed anymore.

If you do not want to copy the files from the CD onto the drive and just install windows, use this command instead.

X:\setup

After Win98 is installed, install the motherboard drivers first, then video, then do any other hardware drivers.

 

Keith, FWIW, Have a look at this link:http://www.pctechbytes.com/repair/detail.php?Creating-and-Deleting-Partitions-Using-FDISK-7
I don't want to upset the advice you're getting from Mark, but if you read the info I was under the impression that FDISK alone will not remove NTFS completely from the HDD. The WD tool should have but---- Neil.

 

Buy yourself a can of compressed air from a computer store, and blow out those drives with it. It is doubtful your friend has used his floppy drive in the recent past, and cooling fans bring in air from every source, along with dust.

 

Hi guys
For me i not really recommend if you want to use win 98 and replace win XP. This because you wont find any update for win 98 anymore. But if you still want to use win 98, you need a startup disk,which is not included with 98 cd. First,restart you pc with Startup Disk, then it will ask you Win98 cd, then you just follow the instruction. That it.

 

If it happens to be a "custom built" computer, a standard version of Windows should work. If it is an OEM computer, a standard version of Windows might not work. OEM manufacturers might use proprietary drivers.

You seemed astounded when the "whole drive" was formatted. Was there a partition originally on the hard disk drive that could have been the OEM Recovery Partition?

We don't know anything about the computer. If it is an OEM machine, that could be important. OEM manufacturers have their own method of installing Windows.

You need to give us some feedback on the suggestions and tell us what the system specifications are.

Matt

 

strange i don't know what win98 disks you all are using but every win98 disk i have is bootable from the cd you sure your not all thinking of win95