I have an IBM Aptiva that came with Windows Me installed. No boot disk or anything. However I must run Windows 98SE as programs required for work will not work with Windows Me. How do I install Windows 98SE? I've got the disks for 98SE but what do I do?

Rosie, can you please list the programs that will not work.... windows ME claims to be compatible with windows 95 98 and 98SE programs. That claim might not be true Regards Miro

you need to reformat your hard drive. at the dos prompt type Format c:. then after that is finished put your win98 floppy disk in your computer and reboot. leave floppy disk in and choose boot with cd support. put your win 98 cd in your drive. choose the drive letter your cd rom uses (ex.e:) and type e:setup. you are on your way. goos luck

I am so glad I went from Me to '98. I've had no errors since doing this earlier in the week. Anyhow, I like this idea I got from a Gateway tech on reformatting my HD: 1. Insert a clean diskette into your A drive. 2. On your screen, locate, and click the Start button. 3. From the Start menu click Programs and MS-DOS prompt. 4. From the C:\windows prompt, type: Format A: /s and press ENTER. Note: There is a space between Format and a: and another space between A: and the /s. 5. After the diskette format is complete, press ENTER when prompted for a volume label. 6. When done with the format process, from the c:\windows prompt, type: Exit and press ENTER to get back into Windows. 7. Download the file located at the address below and then skip to step 8. ftp://ftp.gateway.com/pub/hardware_support/drivers/win3.x_and_dos/mass_s torage/hard_drives/7508504.exe If you are having troubles using this address, make a connection to the Internet and then go to this page on our Internet site: http://www.gateway.com/support/product/drivers/hdd/index.shtml 8. Double-click the file 7508504.exe 9. Save the file to the diskette that is still in your A drive. 10. After downloading, disconnect from the Internet. 11. Double-click My Computer from the Desktop. 12. Double-click the A drive. 13. Double-click the file 7508504. 14. The file will expand into 4 other files. Close the small black DOS window when the process is completed. 15. With the diskette still in the drive, on your screen, locate, and click the Start button. From the Start menu click Shut Down, Restart the computer, and Yes or OK. 16. The system will boot to the A: prompt. From this prompt, type: GWSCAN.EXE and press ENTER. 17. From the menu, select the option to Write Zeros to the Drive utility. This will remove everything including the partition. The program will also test the drive for any physical problems. Note: If asked to obtain a password from Gateway Tech Support, it is GW2K. After using GWSCAN.exe and writing to 0's, I knew there were no problems with the integrity of my system, but that it was Me all along causing all of the trouble.

patsies answer sound a longwinded to me,no offence patsy, but why not simply go to control panel, add/remove programs and create a start-up disk for ME. format the hdd using that. it will serve as a start up disk for 98 ok untill you finish installing 98.

It takes a heck of alot more than that to offend me. I just copied what the Gateway tech sent to me. I made the startup disk the way you said with the addition of the GWSCAN.exe file. Since I was having so much trouble with a brand new computer, I was relieved to find out that the problem wasn't the integrity of my system. The GWSCAN not only formatted my HD by writing it to 0's, but it also let me know that my system was okay and that the problems were coming from ME.