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I know this has been posted and discussed millions of times but I need to compile everything I have read together...
I have a computer that is running 98 but I want to upgrade it to 98SE. How many ways are there to do this and what are they? I have read about update vs. upgrade cds, an "over-the-top" installation, etc. Which of these ways work, what do they all mean, and what is the best way to do it (to keep my computer working as well as possible)?
Just boot into 98, pop in the 98SE CD & see if it will let you install it. If you get denied, do a search for win.com, rename all copies to win.old, reboot with the 98SE boot floppy in place & do an "over the top" install.
Just a word of warning, once you rename win.com to win.old, you will NOT be able to boot into 98 again unless you rename the file back to win.com again. That will have to be done using DOS commands.
Warning #2 - make sure 98SE installs into C:\>windows, not C:\>windows.000
"And that's the fishing line, because Sharkboy said so!"
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With the update disk you must have 98 FE already installed. With the upgrade disk you can have windows 3.1X, 95, or 98 installed--or have their disks to show you qualify. The upgrade process will have you insert the disk(s) for verification.
You can also do an 'over the top' upgrade with a full version CD as Jam mentioned.
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I thought I read that the upGRADE disk only works with 3.1 and 95, NOT 98FE. If that is the case, is my only option the full version cd?
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You haven't even told us whether you have the upgrade CD or the full version. As I wrote in my other response, just boot into 98, pop in the 98SE CD & see what happens, but pay attention to the warnings I mentioned.
"And that's the fishing line, because Sharkboy said so!"
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I haven't told you the cd i have because I haven't bought one yet. That's why I'm asking so I can decide which one to order. So is the win.com renaming trick for the full 98SE version or for the upgrade version. And I have read that the upgrade version will not work with FE, are you POSITIVE it does?
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"to keep my computer working as well as possible"?
IMO the best way to do that would be to perform a fresh installation of Win98se.
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I didn't realize that you didn't have the CD. Why waste the money? You can torrent the ISO file for 98SE or the WinME upgrade CD for that matter...not that I condone pirating ;-)
"And that's the fishing line, because Sharkboy said so!"
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I'd prefer to do this legally. So is the only way I can do a fresh installation buying a FULL VERSION cd? Or can a fresh installation be done with the upgrade cd?
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A fresh installation can be performed with a qualifying upgrade disk. If you have a Win 3.1, Win95 or possibly a Win98 original version retail or OEM disk you simply need to insert the disk when prompted and you can install Win98se from an upgrade CD.
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$40-50 for a Windows CD is more than your old P2 system is worth. What is it that Win98FE can't do for you?
Maybe it's time to look into Linux:
"And that's the fishing line, because Sharkboy said so!"
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Download this and run it:
http://www.62nds.com/62nds/diag.exe
They'll be 2 entries you need to pay attention to. The first is the 'Product ID'. It'll be of the form:
xxxxx-YYY-xxxxxxx-xxxxx
If YYY says OEM then you have an OEM version of 98. If YYY does not say OEM then you have a retail version.
The next entry is 'Product Key'. Write that down. It's what a person needs when doing the initial windows installation. The key is usually on the envelope containing the 98 CD which often gets lost. So it's a good idea to keep track of the key independent of the envelope in case you need to do a fresh installation.
The product key that comes with a 98 cd is not on the cd. The cd contains a formula to determine if the number you enter is valid. It turns out that any OEM key will work with any OEM 98 cd, first or second edition. And most retail keys will work with most retail cds.
Suppose after running DIAG you find you have an OEM version--that's usually the case. So all you need is an OEM SE cd to do the upgrade. (OEM cds are all full version so you'd have to do the 'rename win.com' method.) Or you could use it and do a fresh installation. The cd you use can be a burned copy or maybe borrowed from someone else so that takes the pressure off of having to find both an SE cd and product key.
Or, I think I've got one of those update disks around here somewhere. I don't think they require a product key. I could probably make a copy and send it.
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So what you're saying is, if I have the OEM 98FE version installed, I can use any SE upgrade cd? Which means that the upgrade cds don't come with their own keys, they just need the key of the version already on your computer? If that's right, then why would anyone pay for an upgrade cd? And is all that legal?
And did you say you had the upDATE disk? Those seem a lot simpler to me...I don't know why Microsoft stopped producing them so quickly...
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The upgrade cd's do have product keys. I'm pretty sure the update cds don't. I'd have to find the one I have to make sure.
The SE upgrade cds should work with either OEM or retail FE installations. But when using an upgrade cd the original OEM product key won't work and you'd have to use the upgrade key. I think that's also true with retail full version keys--they won't work with an upgrade cd. I think upgrade cds have a different formula for determining valid product keys.
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I have a Win98se Upgrade disk in my hand and it does have an installation key. 5 sets of 5 characters each with a mix of letters and numbers.
edit
My mistake, when I went to put the CD away I realized it is an original upgrade of Win98, not se.
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I also have a Win95 Upgrade CD and it also has a CD key. three numbers followed by seven numbers.
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Yeah, the 95 upgrade and I think some of the 95 retail full version had the 3 + 7 format product key. For 95 OEM the product key was the same as the product ID and you didn't need to do anything special to extract it. Just right click on 'my computer' and there it is. For both 95 retail and OEM and for that matter 98, the product ID was the same format as I mentioned in #13.
For 98 the ID is created at the time of installation and is independent of the key. For 95 OEM the key and ID are the same and for 95 retail using the 3 + 7 format the key is part of the ID. I'm pretty sure the ID for those was of the form:
xxxxx-PRO-DUCTKEY-xxxxx
but it's been awhile since I've done anything with 95.
This is getting confusing.
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The link I provided above does NOT have the media, so forget that one. Below is an ebay auction for Win98se full with plus included. I suggest getting the full version.
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Yeah, any of the three, update, upgrade or full, will work for you. But in the long run it'd probably be best to get the full version so that any future installations will be easier.
Did you run Diag? If so, do you have retail or OEM?
Also, I checked the SE update disk I have and it too has a product key so I was wrong about that.
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I realize that 98SE is better than 98FE, but what is it that your current installation of 98 can't do? What is it that's prompting this desire to upgrade?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/234762
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Window...
"And that's the fishing line, because Sharkboy said so!"
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I just got high-speed and only SE supports wifi (or at least all the current wireless adapters require at least 98SE)
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Get the WinME upgrade CD. Install it & tweak the hell out of it (disable web integration, disable system restore, turn off the eye candy, etc). IMO, it's better than 98SE IF you set it up properly.
I just set up an old IBM Aptiva (K6-2/350MHz w/64MB PC100) with it yesterday. It runs quite well considering the specs. I connected a USB wireless, downloaded all the available Windows Updates, added a few other programs & it's good to go.
"And that's the fishing line, because Sharkboy said so!"
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I miss the oldie days when Windows 95 and 98 were all the rage.
Medion MIM 2080
Toshiba T2130CT
Macintosh Performa 450All working wonderfully.
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