How can i install windows without installing DOS? Isn't there a disk that you can make that will let you access your CDROM and install Windows 98 without having DOS installed? Anyone know how to make this disk?

If the BIOS supports the CD-ROM as a boot disk, you can use an original windows 98 CD-ROM to begin installation procedures.
If the BIOS fails to do this, make yourself a boot diskette (preferably from a machine that already has the operating system installed) with drivers for CD-ROM access on a DOS session and HIMEM.SYS and run Setup from there.
This explanation is somewhat incomplete but we hope this helps!!!

Yeah, that should work. I'll change the settings in the BIOS to boot off the CDROM. Seems like it should work.

thanks!

I'm not sure that you have answered the question. I think Win 98 will still install DOS on the machine even tho you are attempting to install the O/S without having to USE DOS. I think you are going to find that once the O/S is up and running, there will be DOS command files installed on the machine.

The safest and most reliable method of installing Win 95/98, according to Microsoft is to do it from the DOS command prompt.

You might want to consult Microsoft KnowledgeBase Article Q186111 first. After reviewing this article, I do not see a SWITCH which will allow installation of the O/S without also installing the DOS files.

maybe he was thinking in terms of up grading dos 6.2 to windows 98. not a good idea

Dear Erg:

Yep, I thought of that...and was really really tempted to ask him if he was trying to upgrade from Win 3.1...but I went on ahead anyway and figured maybe it was a 95
->98 upgrade.

I recomend doing a clean install of win98. No need to install DOS first. Make a boot disk from another computer running windows 98 in add /remove programs, startup disk. When you put this disk in your floppy drive and turn on the computer the dos command interpiter loads into memory allowing you to issue some simple commands to copy files, look at what files are on a disk, ect. Also you should see the drivers for the cd-rom load. A Dos prompt is displayed. It looks like A:\> It means the floppy drive (A drive) is current. to see what files are on the boot disk type dir Type d: to make the cdrom current. The computer should return a d prompt that looks like D:\> after you get this far and you need any more help, repost.

Simple Answer.

1.
Win98 CD is a Bootable Disk if BIOS is capable.

2.
Use a Windows 98 Boot Disk - This will Boot you into MS-DOS (7.01) without installing it at this stage. Then run Setup from CD-ROM

Windows 9x Still installs MS-DOS into C:/Windows/Command if you want it or not. Fact is Windows 9x cannot live without it.

Windows 9x Boot disks available from www.bootdisk.com and whatever link is up today.

Maybe its too late for this post but it can be done easy. If you don't have the possibility to boot from CDROM as written above, you can use almost any boot disk (DOS, WIN95/98) modified to make your CDROM run under a specific drive letter (load proper driver for the CDROM in config.sys and run MSCDEX with some parameters in autoexec.bat). Then you will go to the win98 directory at your install CD and run from there OEMSETUP(.exe). Thats it!
NOTE please that oemsetup suggests that there is NO OPERATING SYSTEM on the PC(HDD), mean you have used FDISK before to erase/make new hdd layout which will wipe away all data(!) after that. Another note: enable the support for large hdds if you are asked for that - that is if you want to have fat32 from the begining [only at Win95 Bs and Win98].