WIN98 install

Hi, First time in this forum. Getting ready for A+ cert exam. Have a question about installing WIN98. After you installed OS to the drive and then it gets to the WIN98 logo and says windows is starting for the first time, then it goes back to the prompt screen and doesn't start. Tried safe mode and won't even start in safe mode. Went to BIOS did checks thier, nothing will get it to start. When you have a bootable drive what can cause it not too boot? Wanted too install WIN98, NT, WIN2000, and XP for study resources but having a install problem with WIN98. Can any one help me? Need to study! Thank you!

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entzilla

What does it say when it goes back to the prompt?

examman123

It goes to the option menu,F8 screen with the prompt at the bottom of that screen.

examman123

Continued from last reply. It is at the c: prompt with nothing after that.

jheal00

There are quite a few unknown variables in responding to this question, starting with how exactly this installation was initiated. Was it a clean install on a newly formatted hard drive, an upgrade from Win95 or an attempt to install on a drive with another OS already in place? Without asking a million questions, I would look in the root of the installation drive for the 3 files that windows creates during installation. Those files are: BOOTLOG.TXT, DETLOG.TXT and SETUPLOG.TXT. The BOOTLOG.TXT file shows you the success or failure of real mode drivers like HIMEM.SYS and also VXD's (among other things). BOOTLOG.TXT is created during the first boot after setup. This file may give you a hint as to where the problem lies. After that, you can force the creation of a new BOOTLOG.TXT by hitting F8 at startup and choosing "Step by Step Confirmation" or by booting to a command prompt and starting Windows by using the "win /b" command. The previous copy of BOOTLOG.TXT will be renamed to BOOTLOG.PRV.

I'm not a Windows 98 installation expert but this should give you a starting point and then there are plenty of resources available through Microsoft support.

Plantwiz

Not certain how you are starting:

CD-Rom install; make certain your bios boot order is set to read the cd-rom first. (are you using and OEM or Retail disk?) I've been able to use both over the years, but a friend of mine always ran into trouble with the Retail disks. Anyway, the disk should take you straight through a setup including formating your HDD.

Boot Disk (A:>\ )
FDisk
reboot
Format C: /s/u/ or just Format C:
a:\> d:
where d: is your CD-ROM drive letter.
d:\> cd win98
d:\win98 > setup
(from memory so I'd read the MS link below...seems right, haven't installed 98 in a while).

(or read HERE )

Do you know if your CD-Rom functioning i.e. is the driver being detected?

examman123

Thats for all the help!

Plantwiz

You are welcome!

I take it you fixed the problem? What was wrong?

examman123

Not yet. I went to the web sight you directed me to and gathered up some info. Didn't get time to try the install. Thanks!

Plantwiz

examman123 wrote:

Not yet. I went to the web sight you directed me to and gathered up some info. Didn't get time to try the install. Thanks!

Well, keep us posted