Go to EBAY or similar and purchase an OEM W98SE CD with KEY, create a startup floppy so you can boot the PC into MS-DOS with CD support. When in MS-DOS you need to find the file WIN.COM and rename to WIN.OLD. Then change to the CD drive and SETUP W98SE and use the same directory ie C:\windows, this will undertake an over the top install. If done correctly you will not loose any software, though you will need to go to Windows Update afterwards to download the 20-50mb of updates. FYI: W98FE can not be updated to W98SE via Windows Update, the core files were changed substantially.

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I think dave357 short explanation is a picture worth a thousand words over this article.... The Scoop on Windows 98 Second Edition i_XpUser

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"FYI: W98FE can not be updated to W98SE via Windows Update, the core files were changed substantially." The Win98SE 'Update' CD 'does' change the core files. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the 'upgrade' CD and it 'must' be installed from a running win98FE system. It cannot be installed from Dos. But it will make a Win98FE system Win98SE Dave357 was correct in all his facts.

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smitty, you can absolutely rename win.com and upgrade but what that is really for is using an OEM CD to upgrade a system that the cd wasnt intended for. basically it tricks the cd into thinking there is no os there so it will install. that really wouldnt apply here but yes, that can be done in other situations.

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Well gee folks...<blushing>...thanks. Dave If Wile Coyote had enough money for all that Acme crap, why didn't he just buy dinner?

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I tried the above suggestion and it works in as far as it loads the win98SE but it does not upgrade the win98FE .....it replaces it ... I have a Compaq presario and when I format the hard drive and install the win98SE I lose drivers ...the only way I could save the Compaq set up is but using the upgrade but I have no idea where I could get this CD. Is there another step that I may have overlooked with the above advice? thanks Eleanor

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An SE upgrade using any of the above methods will replace your FE version. But your drivers and software will be unchanged. You can't format the drive when doing an upgrade because that removes everything on the drive. If you format it then the installation is a fresh installation and not an upgrade. When using a full version SE disk to upgrade FE you need to rename the win.com file in the windows folder to something else before doing the installation. You can do it this way: Boot up the computer with a 98 bootdisk and choose cdrom support. Pay attention to the last few lines that load prior to the final a:\> prompt as that will tell you the cdrom drive letter (some bootdisks temporarily change that letter). At the a:\> prompt type ren c:\windows\win.com win.old and enter. That renames win.com. Then with the 98 cd in the cdrom type X:\setup and enter, where X is the cdrom drive letter indicated when you booted up. That will start the installation process. Setup will ask what directory to install windows in and will default to 'windows.000' because it detects you already have a directory named 'windows'. Change windows.000 back to just windows so that everything installs in your old directory. The rest of the installation should continue normally.

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Thank you. I formated and installed Win98SE and found it replaced the drivers, etc. I then reinstalled the compaq software and renamed win.com to win.old as suggesed above and ...like I said it did install the win98SE but it deleted the old files. I will follow your message to a t ...to see if that works any differently ..when I get back working on the machine. Hopefully will get a chance tonight I'll respond to let you know what happens thanks Eleanor

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I'm not exactly sure what you're doing. If you format the drive that removes everything. If you then install windows--any version--the only drivers that are loaded are those that are already on the 98 cd. It was the formatting that removed all the old stuff, not the installation. I've upgraded dozens of times by renaming win.com and using a full version of 98 so I know it'll work for you. I'm just not sure if you've already formatted the drive. If you have then there's nothing to upgrade. You just use the SE disk and do a normal (fresh) installation.

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Thank you Dave I will explain what I had did earlier. I formated the hard drive and installed win98se, which didn't turn out very good. I then formated again and reinstalled the compaq presario to return it to it's original factory set up. At this point I attempted to use the above advise to update to Win98SE but this didn't work as it erased the compaq software. Tonight I followed your instructions (the key was changing the windows.000 to windows. and it worked!! Thank you so much ...I have been working on that computer for some time now and so glad I can finally ship it out (I take in computers that are no longer wanted or needed and fix them up to give to people who can't afford to buy one) .. I have a couple more that I will be able to get out soon ..thanks to the experts on this forum!! One needs a new CD rom so when I start on that I may be back for advise :) thanks again Eleanor

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You're welcome. I'm glad you finally got it going. Come back anytime you need help.

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