Name: Peter Biere Date: December 22, 2007 at 22:56:52 Pacific Subject: Windows 98 instialization problems OS: 98 2nd ed CPU/Ram: Pentium D/2gigs Corsair Model/Manufacturer: Intel
Comment:
Hi, I am trying to dual boot windows 98 second edition with windows xp pro and as I start the initializing process for 98, it stops and gives me an error message saying (insufficient memory to initialize windows 98) then it shuts down. In the initialization process, I followed all default/recommended settings, including the partitioning portion of the setup. It just won't initialize setup.
Can anyone tell me what the problem might be.
Could it be something I did during setup? Or maybe my mobo doesn't support 98!
Follow the advice in response #2. After you get Win98 installed and working you can modify some entries to allow additional RAM to be present so it will be available for WinXP. You are using separate partitions for each OS?
You may want to search for drivers prior to installing Win98, as some hardware may not have support for the older OS.
What size is the partition you are using for Win98?
Should have also mentioned, if you are installing Win98 for program compatibility reasons, there are other option to consider. You can run some programs in compatibility mode or you can install Virtual PC 2007, which is a MSoft free program that allows you to run Win98 or other OSes from within WinXP. If you have 2 1GB stick of RAM, for instance It will be hard for you to install Win98 as a free standing OS. Drivers may also be an issue, as I mentioned above. The only downside to Virtual PC is that it uses additional system resources, which whouldnt be an issue when running Win98. Below is a link to the program.
If you already have XP installed & it's on an NTFS partition, you can't install 98 without a 3rd party boot loader. Also as the others have stated, you'll have to temporarily reduce your RAM amount to 512MB or less. Once Win98 is installed, you can edit the vcache entry in the system.ini file...then you'll be able to reinstall the full 2GB.
Ok I'm back. This time I have read all of the above and carried out all advice as mention but, I think I might be doing something wrong here. I think this might be me, or I am not seeing something. Firstly I have replaced all the RAM and fitted 3 X 64mb in the slots. Whatever that comes to. All seem fine. I boot up the PC with all the original 98 boot disc and CD installed in the PC and go through step by step to the start the system without win98. This then prompts the a: drive. I then type in fdisk and then read where it says to choose the (Y) as I have a hard disc greater than 512 etc, etc. I then go through and deleted the the logical partitions and the extended partions etc. I loop around this again and again until I set up or create my dos partion at 50% and then I go and partion the second 2 at 50%. I follow this through until I allow the PC to reboot and save the setting and then this starts to reformat the c drive. Again all looks well until it reaches 100% and then it comes to a halt and the error message is displayed that the hard disc is incompatible with the system I am trying to install. Then it asks me would I like to format this drive ( recommended ). I am left with no option but to exit or select this option. So I do and then it starts all over again from 0% to 100% formatting, for the second time around. But still no good. This time I am getting the message
Setup cannot install Win98 on your computer. An error was detected while formatting your primary hard disc partition.
The hard disc I am using is a 4.3 gig and was previously working fine on Win98 but it did have some missing files so I used this as a testing sample to load a fresh copy of win98. What a mistake. "Things got worse".
I know I am doing something very wrong. It never was like this. I found installing 98 a sinch? I have now tried 5 hard drives and only two are working, but I should mention that the other two have win98 already working perfectly and installed in them with no problems. I now fear that if I try to reformat these hard drives that are working very well, then I will only make things worse for myself, so I will leave things as they are, on these two units. Any suggestion out there. This must be me, doing something very wrong here.
