Need Help Windows Installation Problem

I had an older computer that ran windows 95 I tried to install windows 98 but it says my cdrom drive is not there so it aborted I am stuck in the ms dos mode what can I do? I have tried to go through the set up mode but it will not even accept my password Help!!

 

Since you say "older computer ", if you're trying an install from a CD, then I would guess it's your CDrom, and not your system. The older CDroms can't read the newer speeds. I tried installing Office 2000 on any older computer via CD, it couldn't read the CD. Only after putting in a new CDrom was it able to install.

 

If you are talking about entering the Setup Mode in the BIOS, like when you first turn the computer on, that will not help you get Windows going. That only changes the CMOS settings.
Just how far did the 98 install get? And did you try to install it while 95 was running?
Regardless, go to Bootdisk's and download the file for 98SE OEM, Doubleclick the downloaded file with a floppy disk in the drive. It will create the boot floppy for you.
Put the boot floppy in your computer, choose with CDROM support. Watch the screen for the drive letter for your CD drive, it will not be the normal letter. Then put the letter where I have the X in the command below.
X:\win98\setup <Enter>
Note: I used \ and not / .

 

I started the computer with the 98 floppy in so it started by running the win98 it got as insert cd in cdrom and press any key to continue...at that point it tells me bad command or file name...so now when I try and start the computer it will not run anything without the 98 floppy but it gets to the same point and stops is there anyway to input the cd from another computers cd rom ?? but I am going to try your solution and see how it goes thanks

 

If you had the CD in the drive, and you did this command at the prompt, anything happen?
dir x:\win98 <<X being the drive letter for the CD

You got a bad file or command name? Did you sub the X for the drive letter? or make a typo?
Put in a new cdrom if all else fails, or take one out of another computer, and plug in exactly where the old was. Now this brings up something else. Look at the back of the old one, there will be a jumper on it, with a diagram printed on the drive corresponding to it. You old drive will have the jumper so the drive is a Slave or a Master. The replacement should have this jumper set so it is the same as the old.