I have windows xp installed. I want to install windows 98 now and remove windows xp. when i tried to start the computer with the win98 startup disk it didnt work. The computer didnt now that the bootdisk was in maybe. Anyway, i have the newest upgrade of my bios and everything should work well. So i cant install windows 98. Im stuck with Windows XP. Everybody says that windows xp is better, but personally, it's just prettier. Plus alot of my programs and games dont work now and their upgrades dont help. Windows 98 has much better graphic drivers and it has no bugs that i have noticed.

Have you considered dual-booting your machine? If you have a decent-size hard drive there's no reason not to. Instructions can be found at this forum and elsewhere.

It is easier to delete XP and re-install your old '98 if that's what you want. Insert the 98 boot disk and the 98 CD and restart your machine.

If the computer doesn't look for the floppy when you first start the machine, you may need to change the BIOS setting. Or you may also be able to boot from the CD.

If you can be more specific about what happens when you try to boot, post back.

Best Luck,
Bob

I cant run the windows 98 installation because it doesn't allow me to. It says that it cant install from within windows NT. I have to install it from MS-Dos. And i cant boot from the win98 cd either when i boot my computer.

when i want to change my bios settings i don't see anything suspiciuos. On the screen it shows that it checks the cd-rom, floppy etc etc.

You will need to remove the NTFS partions and create a new Primary Dos Partition.

Fdisk will most likely not be able to perform this task.

You could use Delpart to remove all of the partitions and then use Fdisk to create a new Primary Partition.

To download Delpart go to the link below.

DOWNLOAD DELPART.EXE

I place the file on my Win98 bootdisk and run it from there.

Mesich

You cannot install '9x from within NT/W2K/XP. Install '9x ('98 in your case) via a CD boot (if bios allows) or via a '98 boot-disk with CDROM support - regardless of whether or not you go for a 'clean-install', or a dual-boot...

Remembering that XP can operate as fat16/fat32/ntfs...

'9x require that the C: (active Primary) partition be either fat16 or fat32.

If your current C: drive = ntfs then you will not easily be able to install '98... It can be done - but it's 'a lot' of work...

If your C: drive = fat32 (very likely?) then you should be able to install '98 in there along-side XP - and even go for a dual-boot. This style of dual-boot probably isn't advised (by M$ and the gurus); it certainly isn't for '98/W2K... But it may work OK ('usually' does for '98/W2K in most cases).

Note:
Installing '9x (after XP/W2K) will disable XP/W2K... See below for recovering access to XP, and thus turning this " '98 alongside XP installation " into a dual-boot if so wished...

If you have both Primary and Extended partitions on your drive, then you could install '98 into the Extended area, and thus go a (safer style) dual-boot (this extended partition will have to be fat32 - or even fat16 with the 2Gig limit applied). '98 boot/start-up files will go into current active Primary (C: ) partition - alongside XP. But XP access will be lost since '9x will overwrite/replace the XP mbr with the dos/'9x version - allowing access only to '98 in your case.

In either of the above scenarios, if you wanted to recover XP and complete the dual-boot, you would have to run XP set-up, choose fixboot/mbr routines and allow XP to restore the mbr to XP version, and complete the dual-boot. XP will detect '98, make the required bootsect.dos; complete the dual-boot arrangements.

If you decided to lose XP (and it sounds like you really would...?) then after installing '98 into the C: drive, just boot to '98, locate/delete (via '98 Explorer) the XP folder (winnt) from the C: drive; also the pagefile.sys. You can delete or leave the XP boot/start-up files; since they take so little space it's hardly worth the effort... - your choice. Once '98 running OK, empty recycle-bin and defrag to tidy up the scene. Then install all required apps/utils for '98.

This approach (to install '98 alongside XP)avoids having to reformat C: ; saves any data on that partition too. And if you have only a single partition (all too common these days...) then likely you do have data there as well? But it would be 'wise' to back-up/save date elsewhere first (if practical) - just to be safe?

Otherwise (for a 'clean-install' - '98 only system...) using a '98 boot-disk; reformat C: and install '98 (via CD boot/boot-disk as appropriate). If C: = ntfs then use Fdisk to delete the ntfs partition (non-DOS in Fdisk); reconfigure drive for '98; format as fat32; install '98.

If you do reconfigure drive - suggest you create both Primary and Extended partitions; Primary for OS/apps/utils, Extended for data. This allows you to reformat and/or re-install to C: without affecting data in Extended...

Fdisk tutorial and '98 installation etc.:

http://www.btinternet.com/~robert.bale1/formatinstall.htm

http://www.compguystechweb.com/index.html

XP repair routine:

http://www.wown.info/j_helmig/wxprcons.htm

courtesy of Jo Helmig at:

http://www.wown.com aka http://www.helmig.com

And if you want a starting from scratch - step-by-step - "how to" for '98/XP - with each in its own partition/logical-drive etc... browse thru:

http://www.computing.net/windows95/wwwboard/forum/130530.html (response #5).

The above link refers to '95/XP and applies equally to any version of '9x; also to '9x with W2K.

Need a '98 boot-disk; either make one via the '98 CD you have - and be sure it includes CDROM drivers/Fdisk/format; or download a complete image to your drive; (self-)expand it to a floppy. Images (get one with CDROM support) at:

http://www.bootdisk.com

and go to the w0rm link (it's OK...).

Fdisk will remove ntfs from a Primary partition; but not from Extended. Delpart will remove it from either - very useful util; removes just about any partition - permanently.