From98 to 98se

[Foxbat266]

Can I install 98se on top of 98? have both cd and diskette, can fdisk be done at ms dos prompt or some way else. I set first boot device cd-rom that was the 98 version. Can I change the first boot to floopy? then install 98se from diskette.

[Darthtanion]

Re: From98 to 98se

If you have a floppy drive already installed on a full-time basis, it is best to set it as the first boot device. If it is empty, the bootup sequence will continue normally. It also saves you time and trouble when you need to boot from it.

As to the other issue, yes you run fdisk from a DOS prompt. And while you can install Win98SE over the older version, it is best to install it fresh so that all of the system files are reset to a good status. The only exception to this is if the Win98SE is an upgrade only disk. In this case you will need to install it over the old version and "Update" it.

[Foxbat266]

Re: From98 to 98se

So I can install win 98se over 98 you mentioned a fresh install, explain fresh? and how do I accomplish this fresh install. Sorry if I'm being a pain in the a--
but I have to know what you mean, exactly.

[Darthtanion]

Re: From98 to 98se

A fresh install means you format the drive and completely install the OS on the clean drive. When you install over an existing copy of Windows, some of the files don't always copy over properly and you get some corruption in your system files. Most of the times the corruption is minor and doesn't cause any real problems, but it isn't that uncommon for the corruption to cause problems with stability and performance of the system as a whole. Installing fresh simply means that you start with a brand new OS installation and it is always the preferred method as the chance of problems goes down dramatically when using this type of installation routine.

One word of caution... make sure you have backed up all vital data before the reformat or you'll lose it!

[wayout44]

Re: From98 to 98se

If you have a full version of Win98SE then you will need to do a clean install and use the floppy to start the process (full Win98SE versions will not upgrade an existing operating system so a startup disk in the floppy drive is necessary and the floppy drive must be set as the 1st bootable device).
If you have an upgrade version of Win98SE then you'll need to be booted into Win98 to start the upgrade process (upgrade Win98SE versions can't be cleaned installed).