How to reinstall Win 98 from Startup Disk, Dell laptop??

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Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell,microsoft.public.win98 (More info?)

Hi folks--

I did something really stupid with my Dell Inspiron 3700 earlier today, and
I hope someone here can help.

I used a program called KillDisk to erase the hard drive on my laptop,
thinking I could use that program to *clean* the hard drive, so I could
reinstall Win 98 or Me on the hard drive--I was having problems and thought
I was fixing the problem, but I made things much worse.

Right now, after working on this issue for 5 hours or more, I can't seem to
reinstall Windows 98, even after I found a Windows 98 emergency boot disk (a
floppy, not a CD or DVD) that I made a long time age.

The emergency boot disk runs, but after it does its thing and I get to the
command prompt (A:, I think), I don't know what else to type in, so I can
get the computer to work enough to swap out the floppy drive and put in the
CD/DVD drive. I have tried typing setup.exe, for example, and I get an
error message, such as *illegal command* for example, In any case, I just
get another A: and I still don't know what to do.

The Inspiron laptops have only *one* modular bay--so it's necessary to swap
out the drives--you *can't* have the floppy and the DVD/CD drives in at the
same time.

The only CD that will open up when the CD drive is installed is a Dell
Inspiron diagnostics CD that came with the computer--however, it simply
*tests* the components--and when I ran it, the tests came out OK. The
Windows 98 or Windows Me CD's *will not* run--at least, I haven't been able
to get them to run.

I'm sure there's some way for me to reinstall the system software (if I
haven't totally ruined the HD by running that Kill Disk program)--but I
can't figure it out yet.

My *second* computer (what I'm on now) is an iMac--and so I don't have a
backup PC at home here to work on, for example, to download PC programs to
in order to install them on my ailing laptop. However, I *can* access the
internet, my e-mail, and this newsgroup, with the iMac, so I hope that
someone here can tell me how to fix my problem!

I'm not very PC literate, and that's not helping things much.

Hopefully there's a fix for this short of having Geeks On Call come by on
Monday, or buying a new HD for the laptop!

Thanks in advance,

Jean in VA (Lots of egg on my face tonite!!)
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell,microsoft.public.win98 (More info?)

Hello,

We would suggest trying the following:

1. Get a Windows 98 startup floppy disk. If you do not have one, anyone
with a Windows 98 machine can make one in seconds.

2. Insert the floppy into your drive and be sure your laptop is set to boot
from the floppy drive 1st in the BIOS

3. After the Floppy boots select option 2 for no cd rom support

4. When you get to the A: - type in fdisk

5. Select option 4 to see the existing partitions

6. Delete all existing partitions in the following order - logical
drives -extended - non dos - primary

7. Create a new primary partition

8 Reboot the computer and boot again from the floppy

9 When at the a: type in format c:

10 After it is formatted - type in sys c:

11. After this is complete, you should be able to use your bootable Windows
98 CD to install a fresh copy or at least get to a prompt and then type in
your directory for the CD drive and run the setup.exe.

If your system does not support CD booting due to lack of drivers, you might
have to locate DOS CD rom drivers prior to running the Windows 98 setup.

Hope this helps


--
JLA ENTERPRISES TECHNOLOGIES INTEGRATION
Technical Support Team

Check out some of the items we are offering
Dell Laptop Docking Stations starting at $5.00
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Be sure to visit http://www.jlaenterprises.com


"Jean S. Barto" <jsbarto1@cox.net> wrote in message
news:BD39CB10.3E87%jsbarto1@cox.net...
> Hi folks--
>
> I did something really stupid with my Dell Inspiron 3700 earlier today,
and
> I hope someone here can help.
>
> I used a program called KillDisk to erase the hard drive on my laptop,
> thinking I could use that program to *clean* the hard drive, so I could
> reinstall Win 98 or Me on the hard drive--I was having problems and
thought
> I was fixing the problem, but I made things much worse.
>
> Right now, after working on this issue for 5 hours or more, I can't seem
to
> reinstall Windows 98, even after I found a Windows 98 emergency boot disk
(a
> floppy, not a CD or DVD) that I made a long time age.
>
> The emergency boot disk runs, but after it does its thing and I get to the
> command prompt (A:, I think), I don't know what else to type in, so I can
> get the computer to work enough to swap out the floppy drive and put in
the
> CD/DVD drive. I have tried typing setup.exe, for example, and I get an
> error message, such as *illegal command* for example, In any case, I just
> get another A: and I still don't know what to do.
>
> The Inspiron laptops have only *one* modular bay--so it's necessary to
swap
> out the drives--you *can't* have the floppy and the DVD/CD drives in at
the
> same time.
>
> The only CD that will open up when the CD drive is installed is a Dell
> Inspiron diagnostics CD that came with the computer--however, it simply
> *tests* the components--and when I ran it, the tests came out OK. The
> Windows 98 or Windows Me CD's *will not* run--at least, I haven't been
able
> to get them to run.
>
> I'm sure there's some way for me to reinstall the system software (if I
> haven't totally ruined the HD by running that Kill Disk program)--but I
> can't figure it out yet.
>
> My *second* computer (what I'm on now) is an iMac--and so I don't have a
> backup PC at home here to work on, for example, to download PC programs to
> in order to install them on my ailing laptop. However, I *can* access the
> internet, my e-mail, and this newsgroup, with the iMac, so I hope that
> someone here can tell me how to fix my problem!
>
> I'm not very PC literate, and that's not helping things much.
>
> Hopefully there's a fix for this short of having Geeks On Call come by on
> Monday, or buying a new HD for the laptop!
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Jean in VA (Lots of egg on my face tonite!!)
>
>
>
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

JLA ENTERPRISES TECHNOLOGIES INTEGRATION wrote:
> Hello,
>
> We would suggest trying the following:
>
> 1. Get a Windows 98 startup floppy disk. If you do not have one, anyone
> with a Windows 98 machine can make one in seconds.
>
> 2. Insert the floppy into your drive and be sure your laptop is set to boot
> from the floppy drive 1st in the BIOS
>
> 3. After the Floppy boots select option 2 for no cd rom support
>
> 4. When you get to the A: - type in fdisk
>
> 5. Select option 4 to see the existing partitions
>
> 6. Delete all existing partitions in the following order - logical
> drives -extended - non dos - primary
>
> 7. Create a new primary partition
>
> 8 Reboot the computer and boot again from the floppy
>
> 9 When at the a: type in format c:
>
> 10 After it is formatted - type in sys c:
>
> 11. After this is complete, you should be able to use your bootable Windows
> 98 CD to install a fresh copy or at least get to a prompt and then type in
> your directory for the CD drive and run the setup.exe.
>
> If your system does not support CD booting due to lack of drivers, you might
> have to locate DOS CD rom drivers prior to running the Windows 98 setup.
>
> Hope this helps
>
>


If you don't have a boot-disk, go to http://www.bootdisk.com/ & get one!!

HTH

Regards,
John
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell,microsoft.public.win98 (More info?)

I also just finished installing Win Me and IE/OE 6--so, except for MS Ofice
and a couple other things, I'm *much* better off than I was Friday
afternoon!

I'll keep lurking on the newsgroups for some good tips, etc.

Jean in VA

"Jean S. Barto" <jsbarto1@cox.net> wrote in message
news:rVZQc.13129$Bb.10038@lakeread08...
> thanks for the suggestions, I basically figured out how to do this in the
> meantime, and right now the computer is running Win 98 OK--and I even was
> able to install my Farallon Wireless Card--so I'm on the internet with the
> Dell.
>
> The rest of it will be relatively easy from here--and I've also bookmarked
> Bootdisk.com for the future!
>
> Jean in VA
> John J. Burness <JohnJBurnessAT@ieeDOT.orgNOSPAM> wrote in message
> news:41145804$0$535$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net...
> > JLA ENTERPRISES TECHNOLOGIES INTEGRATION wrote:
> > > Hello,
> > >
> > > We would suggest trying the following:
> > >
> > > 1. Get a Windows 98 startup floppy disk. If you do not have one,
> anyone
> > > with a Windows 98 machine can make one in seconds.
> > >
> > > 2. Insert the floppy into your drive and be sure your laptop is set
to
> boot
> > > from the floppy drive 1st in the BIOS
> > >
> > > 3. After the Floppy boots select option 2 for no cd rom support
> > >
> > > 4. When you get to the A: - type in fdisk
> > >
> > > 5. Select option 4 to see the existing partitions
> > >
> > > 6. Delete all existing partitions in the following order - logical
> > > drives -extended - non dos - primary
> > >
> > > 7. Create a new primary partition
> > >
> > > 8 Reboot the computer and boot again from the floppy
> > >
> > > 9 When at the a: type in format c:
> > >
> > > 10 After it is formatted - type in sys c:
> > >
> > > 11. After this is complete, you should be able to use your bootable
> Windows
> > > 98 CD to install a fresh copy or at least get to a prompt and then
type
> in
> > > your directory for the CD drive and run the setup.exe.
> > >
> > > If your system does not support CD booting due to lack of drivers, you
> might
> > > have to locate DOS CD rom drivers prior to running the Windows 98
setup.
> > >
> > > Hope this helps
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > If you don't have a boot-disk, go to http://www.bootdisk.com/ & get
one!!
> >
> > HTH
> >
> > Regards,
> > John
>
>
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell,microsoft.public.win98 (More info?)

"Jean S. Barto" <jsbarto1@cox.net> wrote in message
news:fg%Qc.13148$Bb.10809@lakeread08...
> I also just finished installing Win Me and IE/OE 6--so, except for MS
Ofice
> and a couple other things, I'm *much* better off than I was Friday
> afternoon!
>
> I'll keep lurking on the newsgroups for some good tips, etc.
>
> Jean in VA
>
> "Jean S. Barto" <jsbarto1@cox.net> wrote in message
> news:rVZQc.13129$Bb.10038@lakeread08...
> > thanks for the suggestions, I basically figured out how to do this in
the
> > meantime, and right now the computer is running Win 98 OK--and I even
was
> > able to install my Farallon Wireless Card--so I'm on the internet with
the
> > Dell.
> >
> > The rest of it will be relatively easy from here--and I've also
bookmarked
> > Bootdisk.com for the future!
> >
> > Jean in VA
> > John J. Burness <JohnJBurnessAT@ieeDOT.orgNOSPAM> wrote in message
> > news:41145804$0$535$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net...
> > > JLA ENTERPRISES TECHNOLOGIES INTEGRATION wrote:
> > > > Hello,
> > > >
> > > > We would suggest trying the following:
> > > >
> > > > 1. Get a Windows 98 startup floppy disk. If you do not have one,
> > anyone
> > > > with a Windows 98 machine can make one in seconds.
> > > >
> > > > 2. Insert the floppy into your drive and be sure your laptop is set
> to
> > boot
> > > > from the floppy drive 1st in the BIOS
> > > >
> > > > 3. After the Floppy boots select option 2 for no cd rom support
> > > >
> > > > 4. When you get to the A: - type in fdisk
> > > >
> > > > 5. Select option 4 to see the existing partitions
> > > >
> > > > 6. Delete all existing partitions in the following order - logical
> > > > drives -extended - non dos - primary
> > > >
> > > > 7. Create a new primary partition
> > > >
> > > > 8 Reboot the computer and boot again from the floppy
> > > >
> > > > 9 When at the a: type in format c:
> > > >
> > > > 10 After it is formatted - type in sys c:
> > > >
> > > > 11. After this is complete, you should be able to use your bootable
> > Windows
> > > > 98 CD to install a fresh copy or at least get to a prompt and then
> type
> > in
> > > > your directory for the CD drive and run the setup.exe.
> > > >
> > > > If your system does not support CD booting due to lack of drivers,
you
> > might
> > > > have to locate DOS CD rom drivers prior to running the Windows 98
> setup.
> > > >
> > > > Hope this helps
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > If you don't have a boot-disk, go to http://www.bootdisk.com/ & get
> one!!
> > >
> > > HTH
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > > John
> >
The bootdisk from *bootdisk.com* gives you the option to boot to the CD
drive. That way you don't have to worry about the A prompt but ginstead go
right to inputting your CD.
MLD
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell,microsoft.public.win98 (More info?)

"Jean S. Barto" wrote:
>
> thanks for the suggestions, I basically figured out how to do this in the
> meantime, and right now the computer is running Win 98 OK--and I even was
> able to install my Farallon Wireless Card--so I'm on the internet with the
> Dell.

Uh, Jean?

How 'bout setting your system clock to the correct date?

Notan
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell,microsoft.public.win98 (More info?)

Jean

Most computers built in the last 8 years will boot a CD directly.
That is why many computers no longer come with floppy drives.

Install your CD module and boot the machine. When it starts go
immediately into the BIOS. You do this by pressing F8 (usually) or
DELETE. Check your manual if you have it. You must hit the key
fairly quickly.

Find the "boot sequence" and set it to boot from CD first. It's
pretty intuitive.

Put the Win98 CD in the drive and exit, saving settings.

Your machine should start from the CD and you can do your install.

On Fri, 06 Aug 2004 23:56:00 -0400, "Jean S. Barto" <jsbarto1@cox.net>
wrote:

>Hi folks--
>
>I did something really stupid with my Dell Inspiron 3700 earlier today, and
>I hope someone here can help.
>
>I used a program called KillDisk to erase the hard drive on my laptop,
>thinking I could use that program to *clean* the hard drive, so I could
>reinstall Win 98 or Me on the hard drive--I was having problems and thought
>I was fixing the problem, but I made things much worse.
>
>Right now, after working on this issue for 5 hours or more, I can't seem to
>reinstall Windows 98, even after I found a Windows 98 emergency boot disk (a
>floppy, not a CD or DVD) that I made a long time age.
>
>The emergency boot disk runs, but after it does its thing and I get to the
>command prompt (A:, I think), I don't know what else to type in, so I can
>get the computer to work enough to swap out the floppy drive and put in the
>CD/DVD drive. I have tried typing setup.exe, for example, and I get an
>error message, such as *illegal command* for example, In any case, I just
>get another A: and I still don't know what to do.
>
>The Inspiron laptops have only *one* modular bay--so it's necessary to swap
>out the drives--you *can't* have the floppy and the DVD/CD drives in at the
>same time.
>
>The only CD that will open up when the CD drive is installed is a Dell
>Inspiron diagnostics CD that came with the computer--however, it simply
>*tests* the components--and when I ran it, the tests came out OK. The
>Windows 98 or Windows Me CD's *will not* run--at least, I haven't been able
>to get them to run.
>
>I'm sure there's some way for me to reinstall the system software (if I
>haven't totally ruined the HD by running that Kill Disk program)--but I
>can't figure it out yet.
>
>My *second* computer (what I'm on now) is an iMac--and so I don't have a
>backup PC at home here to work on, for example, to download PC programs to
>in order to install them on my ailing laptop. However, I *can* access the
>internet, my e-mail, and this newsgroup, with the iMac, so I hope that
>someone here can tell me how to fix my problem!
>
>I'm not very PC literate, and that's not helping things much.
>
>Hopefully there's a fix for this short of having Geeks On Call come by on
>Monday, or buying a new HD for the laptop!
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>Jean in VA (Lots of egg on my face tonite!!)
>
>

--
Top 10 Conservative Idiots:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/top10/
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell,microsoft.public.win98 (More info?)

On Tue, 7 Aug 2007 01:37:44 -0400, "Jean S. Barto" <jsbarto1@cox.net>
wrote:

>thanks for the suggestions, I basically figured out how to do this in the
>meantime, and right now the computer is running Win 98 OK

I replied before I saw this, so glad you got it working. But like I
said, you shouldn't need a boot floppy for a reasonably modern
computer.
--
Top 10 Conservative Idiots:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/top10/
 
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