Reformatting XP to 98 or 95?

Question

I need to reformat my computer to 98 SE or a last resort, 95

It has Win.Xp on it righ now. Its just too old and slow, plus it has virus mania


I have a Windows 98 SE Installation disk.
If I put it into my top DVD driver it doesn't react
I put it in the Cd-Writer drive and right-click on the Cd's icon and click Open. The files come up.I click set-up and it says I need to re-boot the system in MS-DOS mode.

How do I get my computer in MS-DOS mode?

I cant, not enough money

Answer 1

My suggestion is to download Ubuntu Linux and burn a Ubuntu CD. It is a FREE DOWNLOAD. You also get the equalvalent of MS Office in the OpenOffice suite that is included. One benefit of installing Linux is the fact it works well with older computers and you do not have the virus worries with Windows. Viruses may be worse with Windows 98 because 98 does not have a firewall. As for 95, you will have a hard time even getting a browser to work with 95 because IE 6 won't work with 95 and you can't download IE5 anyore from Microsoft. There are 4 steps in getting Ubuntu Linux installed:

1. Backup every data file you want to keep.
2. Download Ubuntu Linux from Ubuntu.com
3. Burn a Ubuntu boot disk
4. Boot your computer from the Ubuntu disk

The really cool thing about the Ubuntu CD is you can boot your computer from the Ubuntu CD and use the operating system WITHOUT INSTALLING it! This allows you to evaluate Ubuntu and see what it is like before you install it. It will be a bit slow but you can see how it works. I changed to Linux 4 years ago and I would not have recommended Linux in the past but Ubuntu is so friendly, I am comfortable recommending that version of Linux to a Windows user.

Answer 2

First things first, if I were you, I would partition my hard-drive to have two separate partitions. One would be the windows 98 setup and the other would be the xp version. You are having difficulty because the boot drive is configured to look for the xp bootstrap, thats the file that starts the computer. Or reformat the drive and erase everything on it, then you can load the windows 98 version. Either way, its going to take some work
You need to make decisions on what you want.

The question about command mode, in windows xp, click start, run, "type in", cmd, click ok, that will open the command prompt, once there, u have to change directorys to the directory where the windows 98 is, cd drive letter enter, then dir, then type setup.exe, that should run the format process

Answer 3

Booting from the Windows 98 SE CD-ROM disk will do it and is what I'd recommend.

You may need to go into the BIOS and change the boot order so that the DVD (it'll probably call it a CD-ROM, but it's the same thing) drive is the first device to boot.

If that doesn't work, you may have a 98SE upgrade version.
In that case, boot from the windows 95 CD and them switch to the 98SE CD.
At worst case, install 95 and immediately upgrade to 98SE.


Also, from XP you can create a MS-DOS floppy disk.

Open Windows Explorer, right-click on the floppy drive and select format, one of the format types will be an MS-DOS disk.
It may not have all of the CD drivers in it however, which is why I recommend the CD-ROM.

Answer 4

You have to use the XP disk to delete the NTFS partition and then reformat the storage device, from that point you can then install 98, but you might need a floppy boot disk to initiate the CD-ROM drive depending on the computer.
You cannot use 98se or any other OS to repartition the XP storage device because XP uses NTFS and 98 uses Fat32. Only the XP OEM disk will access the partition for deletion.

Answer 5

I have some old Windows 3.1 diskettes if you really want to get into a retro groove.
Seriously though, don't go there. Win 95 and 98 aren't even supported by MS anymore. You'll have more trouble than you have now. You can get a refurbished computer cheaply these days. That's the way to go.

Answer 6

To format your computer and load Win9x or XP you would just need to insert the Operations System CD (Win98X or XP) into your CD Rom Drive doesn't matter which one and restart your computer with the disk inside. You should get a notice that it is trying to boot up the CD and follow the menu prompts to get started.

If nothing happens when you boot up the computer with CD inside then you will need to restart your computer and go into setup (depending on your Computer for example you would press F1,F2 F12 or Delete key when your computer restarts in the beginning you usually see this when you are 1st truing on your computer.

Once you have gotten into setup you goto
(boot options and select to boot from CD)

you restart your computer and try again to run the setup from CD

Answer 7

record allocation tables ensure what number bits you're able use for an operating gadget. residing house windows XP is 32 bit and hence use the NTFS record structure. i'm not confident what you advise about making XP files well matched with ninety 5 or ninety 8? what type of files do you advise?

Answer 8

XP will not allow you to install a lower operating system. You have
to format the hard drive and start from scratch. If I were you I
would have someone else do it or put up with the slowness of
the system.

Thank you very much, while you're up!!!

Answer 9

window's XP the newest and it wont let u put an older version of vindows on it. just get another computer from a pon shop

Answer 10

Buy another computer, you can get a new one for very cheap nowadays.