Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (
More info?)
Your computer (16 MB RAM) is under powered for Windows 98.
I would make a good DOS 6 pc.
You need to boot from the DOS 6 disks, then Fdisk to get rid of the FAT32
partitions. Repartition with the DOS 6 boot disk and then install DOS 6x
from these disks. (Do not use your Win98 boot disk)
If you have not worked only in DOS before, have fun.
"ms" <ms@nospa.com> wrote in message news:3f1fbkF5hrrqU1@individual.net...
> This ng moves so fast, I thought it better to start a new thread.
> I have this unknown 486/25 with only 16 MB RAM and no OS. I thought to use
> it for a basic W98 puter, but no need for it. I do need it as a DOS 6.22
> puter.
>
> A W98SE boot disk did work, but I stopped before formatting.
> As someone advised, my DOS 6.22 boot disk copy didn't work then because it
> was not a byte-by-byte copy. I did that and it works fine.
>
> Now I am getting the error message "DOS 6.2 can't load as there is another
> DOS already running". Don't know what was on there, no OS, probably W9X.
>
> At this point, to clean the disk and start over, my DOS 6.22 won't load,
> as above. If I format with the W98SE boot disk, won't that surely put a
> later version of DOS (DOS 7.0) on the hard drive so I then cannot load DOS
> 6.22 for sure?
>
> TIA
>
> below is one of the replies from the previous thread for reference.
> ------------
> From: "Brian A." <gonefish'n@afarawaylake>
> Subject: Re: DOS question
> Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 16:43:16 -0500
> L
> "ms" <ms@nospa.com> wrote in message news:3ehlgjF37etpU1@individual.net...
> > An update: It must have had 9X on before, the 98SE boot disk ran fine.
> >
> > chkdsk showed the harddrive is full of files, yet no OS? If they wiped
> the HD,
> > it would be empty?
>
> Not necessarily, a formatted drive may have data on it that can be
> retrieved.
> It also may be that they didn't format the drive, yet they simply deleted
> either
> what they thought was vital to remove or simply what they were capable of
> getting at/seeing/finding.
>
> >
> > It has 16 MB RAM, looks like a 1.4 GB hard drive. I'm not an expert, but
> got a
> > similar P133 working for my wife for casual use, loads 98SE slow, but it
> > works.
>
> The memory is at the least required and the drive is small but possibly
> large
> enough for your app trial needs.
> Win98 requirements:
>
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;182751
>
> >
> > This machine is a 486 something, so a question:
> > There are some programs I would like to try out on another machine than
> > my
> > regular W98SE machine. With 16 MB RAM, if I can format, then load W98 on
> this
> > 486, will this be useful?
>
> Depending on the size of the apps when installed will determine if it's
> useful.
> If they're small enough, have at it, although as you note it will be slow.
> However if the apps are not compatible with Win98, then it's not useful
> unless
> there is a way to get them to run properly. Bottom line, it all depends on
> the
> apps.
>
> >
> > Or, how to get 9X totally off the machine so I can boot up in DOS 6.22?
>
> If there are files on the drive, then there must be a partition (volume),
> at the
> a: prompt type:
> format c:\
>
> also have a read here:
>
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;221829
>
>
> --