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    installing windows 98 on a very old laptop

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by highfly, Feb 15, 2011.

  1. highfly

    highfly Notebook Consultant

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    hi guys

    I don't no if anyone can help me but i bought a very old laptop of ebay a dell latitude lm-2 (TS30g) however it has shipped to me with no OS so I'm trying to install windows but none of my boot disks (CDs) will install.

    when i go into the bios to try and change boot order i have the options of diskette first or hard drive only not matter what setting i choose it wont boot on the cd will not boot.

    this laptop does not have a floppy drive at all so i cant create a boot floppy disk is there anyone that can give me some advice

    thanks
     
    highfly, Feb 15, 2011
    #1
  2. crazycanuk

    crazycanuk Notebook Virtuoso

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    the easiest is to pull out the hard drive put it in another computer and format the drive, make it bootable ( many guides for that or can be done with format utilities )
    on the root of the drive create a windows folder then a " cabs " folder in there. copy your win 98 install files ( CAB ) folder into x:/windows/cabs

    then pop the drive back into the laptop and boot up to command prompt
    then cd windows/cabs
    and run setup.exe

    if you get stuck let me know.
     
    crazycanuk, Feb 15, 2011
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  3. highfly

    highfly Notebook Consultant

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    thanks i have just ordered a usb to ide cable so i copy over the files but i may need your help when it arrives

    thanks
     
    highfly, Feb 15, 2011
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  4. chimpanzee

    chimpanzee Notebook Virtuoso

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    that would need some form of DOS(FreeDOS?) in order to make a HDD bootable.

    Have you considered trying linux instead ? linux is perfect for old machines. That is assuming you don't have specific reason for 98.
     
    chimpanzee, Feb 15, 2011
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  5. highfly

    highfly Notebook Consultant

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    I bought this computer specificity to run an old dos game that seems insistent that its not going to work with any dos emulator or Virtual machine. Its probably more trouble than its worth but its something i want to get done the operating system can be windows 95-98 (98 was just the disc i had to hand) as they still have real dos. i would use windows 3.1 one but i have no idea how to use it.
     
    highfly, Feb 16, 2011
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  6. highfly

    highfly Notebook Consultant

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    ok i'm now stuck on how to make the drive bootable can you tell me which program would be easiest and if there is no easy option can you give me a step by set instructions on what to do

    thanks
     
    highfly, Feb 17, 2011
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  7. wave

    wave Notebook Virtuoso

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    just format it with format X: /s
    Where X is the drive letter of the external usb

    then follow the instructions above. Should work.
     
    wave, Feb 17, 2011
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  8. chimpanzee

    chimpanzee Notebook Virtuoso

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    that is assuming you are formatting it from a 98/ME. Anything NT+ would not work this way.

    edit:
    you may try it this way

    http://www.freedos.org/freedos/files/

    have a machine that can boot CD and have the HDD connected(primary as C and nothing else).
    boot the free DOS CD and treat it just as dos, i.e. format c: /s
     
    chimpanzee, Feb 17, 2011
    #8