If I want to install WIN 98 on an empty HDD, how do I go about it?

Question

I have however copied the setup files to the disk. Can I use a WIN 98 startup disk and run the setup from the HDD?

Answer 1

Don't install win 98. MS has declared it as obsolete OS. So, you might face problem of hardware detection and many other software support. So, get latest OS like win xp.

If you don't want to spend money on this, then install open source free Linux operating system.
For example, kubuntu is a good one. The best thing is that it come with a cd version. you cna first try the system before installing and see whaether you like it or not. get it from: http://www.kubuntu.com/download.php

Answer 2

You may be able to run the setup through DOS by booting off of the Win98 startup disk, and afterwards just erase the setup files. It may actually speed up the install by running it directly from HD.

You could also do it by using the Win98 startup disk to boot to DOS, run FDISK and format the drive. Then on next bootup go to your system's BIOS by hitting delete (or whatever key specified when your computer is booting), set the first boot device as the drive that you're going to be installing from and the second as HD. Put the install disk in and reboot and you should be in the setup/install.

Answer 3

Well depending on your disk if it says bootable then put it in the top drive and it should ask you to boot from cd and then run the install if you do this and the disk is bootable and it does not come up you need to go into your bios (cntrl,del, f1, f2 when booting) and change you cd-rom to first boot device.

If your disk is not bootable then you need a floppy boot disk you can make one on another windows machine in controlpanel.

Answer 4

you can run the win98 setup disk from the floppy drive

or you can put the win98 cd in the reader and then boot to the cd rom drive - you change that in the bios.