Installing Windows 9x in 2018
- Thread starter britain4
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Just looking into it now for you. I will message you in trust shortly.
EDIT: Meh! You don't have trust enabled and I'm not posting links here. Do you have an email address at all?
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That’s strange, do you know how to enable that? I’ve got PMs enabled and that’s all I’m aware of...
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Soldato
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Wow Windows 98 is almost 20 years old when it was launched back on 25 June 1998.
I seemed cant find my Windows 98SE CD in my room, my sister probably still got it so anyway I managed to find Windows 98SE at Internet Archive to download it and found out it is bootable. I installed it on VMWare, managed to figured out how to setup internet access after half hour since it did not have modem lol. Windows Update not worked, have to downloaded Windows 9x power pack 4.1, Internet Explorer 6 is the last version for Windows 98SE but latest version of WinRAR, Chrome, Firefox and K-Meleon would not installed so I have to googled to find out which latest HTML5 browsers or old versions are still worked on Windows 98SE.
Found list of software last versions that worked with Windows 98SE.
The list was last edited on 21 November 2011, it seemed Opera 11 would not installed so Opera 10.66 was probably the last version so I will edited to change ONGD to LAST in bold. Will test all other browsers to determind what version is last. I would be really surprised if there are one or more browsers latest version still supported Windows 98SE.
https://msfn.org/board/topic/105936-last-versions-of-software-for-windows-98se/
Internet Browsers
LAST 2010 - FREE - Opera 10.66 --- http://www.opera.com
LAST 2001 - FREE - Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1 --- http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...;DisplayLang=en
LAST 2008 - FREE - Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.20 --- http://www.mozilla.com
LAST 2010 - FREE - Maxthon 2.1.15.1000 --- http://www.maxthon.com
LAST 2010 - FREE - SlimBrowser 5.00 --- http://www.flashpeak.com/sbrowser
LAST 2010 - FREE - K-Melon 1.5.4 --- http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/
LAST 2009 - FREE - Sea Monkey 1.1.18 --- http://www.seamonkey-project.org
LAST 2007 - FREE - Avant Browser 11.0 build 46 --- http://avant.it-mate.co.uk/?c=Download&.../11_Series/11_0
LAST 2009 - FREE - GreenBrowser 4.9.0111 --- http://www.morequick.com/IndexEn.htm
LAST 2008 - FREE - Netscape 9.0.0.6 -- http://www.oldapps.com/netscape.php?system=Windows_98
LAST 2006 - FREE - Modzilla 1.7.13 -- http://www.oldapps.com/mozilla.php?system=Windows_98
Well just finished tested all browsers, all not worked with latest versions on Windows 98SE.
I seemed cant find my Windows 98SE CD in my room, my sister probably still got it so anyway I managed to find Windows 98SE at Internet Archive to download it and found out it is bootable. I installed it on VMWare, managed to figured out how to setup internet access after half hour since it did not have modem lol. Windows Update not worked, have to downloaded Windows 9x power pack 4.1, Internet Explorer 6 is the last version for Windows 98SE but latest version of WinRAR, Chrome, Firefox and K-Meleon would not installed so I have to googled to find out which latest HTML5 browsers or old versions are still worked on Windows 98SE.
Found list of software last versions that worked with Windows 98SE.
The list was last edited on 21 November 2011, it seemed Opera 11 would not installed so Opera 10.66 was probably the last version so I will edited to change ONGD to LAST in bold. Will test all other browsers to determind what version is last. I would be really surprised if there are one or more browsers latest version still supported Windows 98SE.
https://msfn.org/board/topic/105936-last-versions-of-software-for-windows-98se/
Internet Browsers
LAST 2010 - FREE - Opera 10.66 --- http://www.opera.com
LAST 2001 - FREE - Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1 --- http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...;DisplayLang=en
LAST 2008 - FREE - Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.20 --- http://www.mozilla.com
LAST 2010 - FREE - Maxthon 2.1.15.1000 --- http://www.maxthon.com
LAST 2010 - FREE - SlimBrowser 5.00 --- http://www.flashpeak.com/sbrowser
LAST 2010 - FREE - K-Melon 1.5.4 --- http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/
LAST 2009 - FREE - Sea Monkey 1.1.18 --- http://www.seamonkey-project.org
LAST 2007 - FREE - Avant Browser 11.0 build 46 --- http://avant.it-mate.co.uk/?c=Download&.../11_Series/11_0
LAST 2009 - FREE - GreenBrowser 4.9.0111 --- http://www.morequick.com/IndexEn.htm
LAST 2008 - FREE - Netscape 9.0.0.6 -- http://www.oldapps.com/netscape.php?system=Windows_98
LAST 2006 - FREE - Modzilla 1.7.13 -- http://www.oldapps.com/mozilla.php?system=Windows_98
Well just finished tested all browsers, all not worked with latest versions on Windows 98SE.
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Well this is awesome thank you. Great info. Do you mean they all didn’t work or just some of them?
I may try to brave the internet with some of them at some point but not on a 75mhz Pentium and 16mb RAM lol.
Soldato
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I have fond memories of Windows 9x 
20 years ago like someone already said.
Wasn't there a CPU limit and a RAM limit for Win 9x? I thought that the CPU limit was 2.1GHz and the RAM limit was 640MB? Back in 2004, I tried to dual-boot Windows 2000 and 98SE on a P4 2.8GHz PC with 512MB RAM. Windows 2000 flew, but 98SE gave error messages during the install. When I underclocked the PC though, 98SE ran fine.
20 years ago like someone already said.Wasn't there a CPU limit and a RAM limit for Win 9x? I thought that the CPU limit was 2.1GHz and the RAM limit was 640MB? Back in 2004, I tried to dual-boot Windows 2000 and 98SE on a P4 2.8GHz PC with 512MB RAM. Windows 2000 flew, but 98SE gave error messages during the install. When I underclocked the PC though, 98SE ran fine.
I have fond memories of Windows 9x
Wasn't there a CPU limit and a RAM limit for Win 9x? I thought that the CPU limit was 2.1GHz and the RAM limit was 640MB? Back in 2004, I tried to dual-boot Windows 2000 and 98SE on a P4 2.8GHz PC with 512MB RAM. Windows 2000 flew, but 98SE gave error messages during the install. When I underclocked the PC though, 98SE ran fine.
Yup 20 years is pretty insane, can remember mucking about with this stuff when it was new.
I’ve read different things about the CPU and RAM limits for 98... I won’t be meeting them on any of the machines I’m reinstalling it on! I’ve read that 98 can’t use more than 128mb RAM effectively, not sure how much truth there is in that. I’m surprised 98 had trouble running on a P4 though.
512MB was the practical maximum limit for physical RAM in 98. More than that and you'd get weird problems kicking in like (perversely) out of memory errors.
CPU speed - there was a bug in the original 98 on machines faster than 2.1GHz with the network driver. There's probably a patch for it if you can find it. 98SE doesn't have that problem, it'll probably run any CPU.
CPU speed - there was a bug in the original 98 on machines faster than 2.1GHz with the network driver. There's probably a patch for it if you can find it. 98SE doesn't have that problem, it'll probably run any CPU.
Soldato
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Yes, I had an AMD Thunderbird 1.2GHz in late 2001 with 512MB RAM and I decided to stick with Windows 98 instead of buying XP which was new at the time. I can confirm that 98 ran fine on 512MB RAM. This was an era where I usually stayed behind by 1 OS version just so that my hardware was over-specced for the software.
As for the CPU limit, I might have confused 98 and 98SE sorry, but I definitely had 2.1GHz in my head as being the limit when I was testing it on the P4 2.8GHz.
As for the CPU limit, I might have confused 98 and 98SE sorry, but I definitely had 2.1GHz in my head as being the limit when I was testing it on the P4 2.8GHz.
Soldato
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I mean all browsers latest current versions don't worked on Windows 98SE, I also tried all browsers versions number 1 step higher than on list don't worked on Windows 98SE.
Here is a screenshot what will happen if you want Windows 98SE to run latest Opera version by download OperaSetup.exe direct from opera.com website or download old version Opera 11 from oldversion.com website. The dialog error message tell me that application will not work on Windows 98SE, advised me to upgrade to new Windows version.
Any browsers versions higher than on the list are not worked on Windows 98SE as Windows 98SE browsers support ended in 2010.
I mean all browsers latest current versions don't worked on Windows 98SE, I also tried all browsers versions number 1 step higher than on list don't worked on Windows 98SE.
Here is a screenshot what will happen if you want Windows 98SE to run latest Opera version by download OperaSetup.exe direct from opera.com website or download old version Opera 11 from oldversion.com website. The dialog error message tell me that application will not work on Windows 98SE, advised me to upgrade to new Windows version.
Any browsers versions higher than on the list are not worked on Windows 98SE as Windows 98SE browsers support ended in 2010.
OK got you, that’s good to know. Very helpful list. I think I may give the internet a shot and see what happens.
Just to clear something up - I gather the most efficient way of installing 9x is to copy the setup files over to the hard drive thenrun them from DOS.
Problem is what’s the best way of getting a bootable DOS install on a laptop with no CD or floppy drives?
Can I just copy the DOS files from a floppy image onto the HDD and it will be bootable or do I have to run the installer?
If the latter what’s the best way of doing that if I were to use a USB to IDE adapter?
Problem is what’s the best way of getting a bootable DOS install on a laptop with no CD or floppy drives?
Can I just copy the DOS files from a floppy image onto the HDD and it will be bootable or do I have to run the installer?
If the latter what’s the best way of doing that if I were to use a USB to IDE adapter?
The hard drive needs system files installing onto it. Usual way would be to sys the disk or format the partition with the /s switch from the version of DOS you want to use.
Does proffer the question of why doesn't the laptop have floppy or CD drives?
YMMV depending on the laptop, if it's old then it might have a non-standard way of accessing the hard drive which would stop those methods working...
Does proffer the question of why doesn't the laptop have floppy or CD drives?
YMMV depending on the laptop, if it's old then it might have a non-standard way of accessing the hard drive which would stop those methods working...
Thanks for that. That’s what I thought.
Do you think I could either:
Plug the HDD into a USB adapter and use Rufus to make a bootable FreeDOS/MS-DOS install on it
or
Use Rufus to make a bootable FreeDOS/MS-DOS USB stick, boot using it and install one of them onto the HDD plugged into a USB adapter?
Do you think I could either:
Plug the HDD into a USB adapter and use Rufus to make a bootable FreeDOS/MS-DOS install on it
or
Use Rufus to make a bootable FreeDOS/MS-DOS USB stick, boot using it and install one of them onto the HDD plugged into a USB adapter?
I don't know. I'm old enough to have done tech support on this kit in period, not touched DOS type OS on modern hardware!
Given the option I'd go with physical hardware, then maybe a virtual machine. Last time I tried to make a USB hard drive work in MS-DOS about 10 years ago the drivers were a right pain.
Given the option I'd go with physical hardware, then maybe a virtual machine. Last time I tried to make a USB hard drive work in MS-DOS about 10 years ago the drivers were a right pain.
Soldato
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I got other great idea that you could:
1. Plug the HDD into a USB adapter and use VMWare or VirtualBox to create 1 or 2GB virtual disk and boot Windows 98SE bootdisk on it then copy all files to virtual disk, when you done it and close VM.
You can download Windows 98SE bootdisk from http://www.bootdisk.com/
2. Go to VM settings/hard disk and click on Map button to mapping virtual disk to your physical local disk and click OK. Virtual disk will show up in Windows Explorer then copy all files to USB HDD.
3. Create a new folder W98SE on USB HDD and copy all files from Windows 98SE CD to W98SE folder then disconnect USB HDD.
4. Install HDD in your old laptop and boot it.
5. On C: prompt, type "cd W98SE" and press enter then type "setup" and press enter to install Windows 98SE.
This is a really good idea... thanks. I definitely need a USB adapter either way so will try it and report back on how it goes. I’m not sure if the USB HDD would then be bootable though?
Someone else suggested to me I could plug the HDD into a USB adapter, then use a partition manager to make the disk bootable (don’t know exactly how), then copy the Windows files over and boot in the laptop.
I had success today booting from the W98 CD in a laptop with bootable CD drive, using the sys command to make the HDD bootable, copying the setup files over from the CD then putting the hard drive back in the old laptop and running setup from there. Works nicely but quite clunky so I would rather find a way to do it over USB. I may try out the Rufus method too as that would make it a piece of cake if it worked.
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I think the preload is probably the best solution. The DOS that comes with Win9x wasn't designed with any USB devices in mind. The only reason input devices work is that they're controlled by the BIOS.
Soldato
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You don't really need to use a partition manager to make disk bootable.
All you need to do is simple connect USB HDD to your desktop PC, go to Windows Start and hold right click on Disk Management and you will see USB HDD partition. You can formatting USB HDD as FAT32 then after that, just right click on USB HDD partition and click on Mark Partition as Active that will make your USB HDD bootable.
https://macrorit.com/partition-magic-manager/set-active-partition-diskpart-command-line.html