Hi. My friend has a Sony Vaio computer that cam with Win XP, however, he absolutely hates it because none of the programs he wants to use will work on it. So, until they do, he wants to uninstall XP and clean install 98 instead. I told him I'd help him out, but I had no experience with XP at all. I tried the conventional ways of formatting and installing via the start up disk through DOS, but I have a few problems: C: cannot be formatted (as I'm sure you all know and I didn't LOL) The only drives recognised are A: B: and C: (he does not have a B: drive) The Win98 CD is recognised by the C:! His CD-ROM/DVD drive is called E: and his CD burner is called F:, but they aren't recognised in DOS. Does anyone know how I can help him format the C: and install Win 98? I thank you!!

Also, as I read someone else's post, they mentioned that you can insert the XP CD in the drive and so forth to format---since this was a Sony package, he has no XP CD---it's about 6 restoration CD's to use if anything goes wrong with the computer

What you can do is Get a HD utility disk either for IDE or Scsi and format it threw their having to do new partitions you can download it off the net. Note: Need the Full Master Cd of 98 no upgrade!!!

Oh really? I didn't know that was a downloadable thing! i'm going to search it out now on the web. Thanks!!! And he has the full version of Win 98 from his previous computer purchase. :

Go to bootdisk.com and download a bootdisk. How big is the Harddrive? If it is over 64 Gigs use the bootdisks for Windows ME. The Fdisk has been updated. What kind of harddrive is in the computer? Western Digital and Samsung have a utilities disk that you can download and use to clean and repartition the HD's. Just seach the WEB for HD manuf. There should be a utilities disk for the one that he has. Hope this helps>>>

create a boot disk on a floppy from another computer format main HD then reinstall 98 if that doesn't work goto the bios >resrt & depress F2 or Delete ky< make the cd rom the first boot device restart to the 98 disk& reinstall 98]]] this is a "dirty install" but you can then do a real format of the HD by restarting in DOS and then do a clean install

You could always fdisk (delete the partitions) on the drive with either windows 98se or win2k boot disk. It will give you three options, quit win 98 s/u and you will have an A prompt, type in fdisk hit enter, answer is yes, go to display partition info,hit escape an follow the screen. You will delete a partiton and then create a pimary dos partiton and make it active in fdisk.