How to Install Windows 98 Into a New Folder (193902)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 98
This article was previously published under Q193902

SUMMARY

When you upgrade Microsoft Windows 95 to Windows 98, you may not be able to install Windows 98 in a different folder from the existing Windows 95 folder. However, there may be situations in which it is necessary to install Windows 98 in a new folder, such as in the following situations:
  • You are troubleshooting hardware or software problems.
  • Your computer has damaged or missing files.
  • The Windows 95 registry is damaged.
When you install Windows 98 in a new folder, Windows 98 Setup ignores previously installed programs and registry settings.

This article describes how to install Windows 98 in a different folder from the existing Windows 95 folder.

MORE INFORMATION

NOTE: Before you attempt to install Windows 98 in a new folder, verify that you have enough free hard disk space. For information about the free hard disk space that is required for the different Windows 98 installation methods, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

182751 Minimum Hardware Requirements for Windows 98 Installation

To install Windows 98 in a different folder from the existing Windows 95 folder, use the following steps.
  1. Create a Windows 98 Startup disk by using the Fat32ebd.exe utility, which you can run in Windows 95 or MS-DOS.
    The Fat32ebd.exe utility creates a 3.5-inch, 1.44-megabyte (MB) Windows 98 Startup disk.

    Depending on your computer's hardware configuration, the Windows 98 Startup disk may provide access to your CD-ROM drive from a command prompt. For additional information, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    190303 How to Use Real-Mode Drivers from Windows 98 Startup Disk

  2. Restart your computer by using the Windows 98 Startup disk, and then choose Start Computer With CD-ROM Support on the Windows 98 Startup menu.
  3. Insert your Windows 98 CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive, type the following command at the command prompt, and then press ENTER

    drive:

    where drive is the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive.

    If you can gain access to your CD-ROM drive at the command prompt, follow the steps in the "Running Setup from the Windows 98 CD-ROM" section later in this article. If you cannot gain access to your CD-ROM drive at the command prompt but can in Windows 95, follow the steps in the "Running Setup from a Folder on Your Hard Disk" section later in this article.

Running Setup from the Windows 98 CD-ROM

  1. To prevent other support issues from occurring, rename the Program Files folder. To do so, type the following commands at the command prompt, pressing ENTER after each line:

    cd\
    c:\windows\command\move progra~1 oldprog

  2. If you want to use "Windows" as the name of the folder in which Windows 98 is installed, rename the existing Windows folder. To do so, type the following commands at the command prompt, pressing ENTER after each line:

    cd\
    c:\windows\command\move windows oldwin

  3. Insert your Windows 98 CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive, type the following command at the command prompt, and then press ENTER

    drive:\setup

    where drive is drive letter of your CD-ROM drive.

  4. Follow the instructions on the screen. When you are prompted to provide a destination folder for Windows 98, click Other Directory, and then click Next.
  5. When you receive the following prompt, click Yes:

    If you install Windows 98 in a new directory, you must reinstall all of your Windows-based programs to make them work properly under Windows 98.

    You cannot run your programs under Windows 98 by copying .grp and .ini files from your Windows directory.

    Do you want to continue?

  6. Follow the instructions on the screen to finish installing Windows 98.

Running Setup from a Folder on Your Hard Disk

  1. Remove the Windows 98 Startup disk, and then restart your computer.
  2. Click Start, point to Programs, and then click MS-DOS Prompt.
  3. At the command prompt, type the following commands, pressing ENTER after each command:

    cd\
    md winflat

  4. Insert your Windows 98 CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive.
  5. At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER

    xcopy drive:\win98\*.* c:\winflat\*.* /s

    where drive is the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive.

  6. After the Windows 98 Setup files are copied to the Winflat folder, restart your computer. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press the F8 key, and then choose Safe Mode Command Prompt Only on the Startup menu.
  7. To prevent other support issues from occurring, rename the Program Files folder. To do so, type the following commands at the command prompt, pressing ENTER after each line:

    cd\
    c:\windows\command\move progra~1 oldprog

  8. If you want to use "Windows" as the name of the folder in which Windows 98 is installed, rename the existing Windows folder. To do so, type the following commands at the command prompt, pressing ENTER after each line:

    cd\
    c:\windows\command\move windows oldwin

  9. At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

    c:\winflat\setup

  10. Follow the instructions on the screen. When you are prompted to provide a destination folder name for Windows 98, click Other Directory, and then click Next.
  11. When you receive the following prompt, click Yes:

    If you install Windows 98 in a new directory, you must reinstall all of your Windows-based programs to make them work properly under Windows 98.

    You cannot run your programs under Windows 98 by copying .grp and .ini files from your Windows directory.

    Do you want to continue?

  12. Follow the instructions on the screen to finish installing Windows 98.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:1/20/2006
Keywords:kbhowto kbsetup KB193902
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