How to Repair or Reinstall Win98SE
If a virus attack or other computer issues cause the Windows 98 operating system to stop working properly, you can upgrade to a more recent version of Windows, or you can fix Windows 98. If you would like to repair Windows 98, Microsoft provides tools that can help you. If you want to reinstall the standard edition of Windows 98 to your computer, you must have the original installation disc, because it is no longer available for download.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
Repair Windows 98
-
1
Launch Internet Explorer by double-clicking the desktop icon or going to "Start," "All Programs," and "Internet Explorer." If Internet Explorer isn't installed on your Windows 98 computer, go to the Microsoft download page for Explorer and download the program. Double-click the Internet Explorer file in the "Downloads" folder on the "C:" drive and follow the screens.
-
2
Open the Windows Live OneCare tool for Windows XP and earlier versions of Windows. This tool works on Windows 98 systems.
-
-
3
Click "Full Service Scan," and then click "Accept" when the service agreement appears. Press the "Install Now" button on the screen to install the components of Windows Live OneCare to your computer. Once the components have installed, a "Launch Scanner" button appears in the Windows Live OneCare window.
-
4
Press "Launch Scanner." Windows Live OneCare scans the computer's registry and looks for corrupt files. Once Live OneCare has found all of the bad files, follow the instructions provided on the screen to restore the files for your operating system and get it in working order again.
Reinstall
-
5
Enter the BIOS of your computer. To get into the BIOS, restart your computer and press the key listed in the "Press "X" to enter setup" message that comes up on the black screen during the booting process. This key varies by make and model of computer, but it is usually an "F" key, such as "F1" or "F2," or the "Delete" key.
-
6
Insert the Windows 98 standard edition CD into the CD drive of the computer, and press the "2" key on your keyboard to tell the computer to boot from the CD drive. Press "2" again to choose "Start with CD-ROM support." A DOS prompt appears on the screen.
-
7
Enter "D:" at the prompt and press "Enter." Then enter "\WIN98" and press "Enter."
-
8
Type "Format C:" and "Enter," and then press the "Y" key and "Enter" to confirm that you want to format the computer's hard drive. When you return to the main prompt, enter "MD C:\WIN98," press "Enter," type "COPY*.* C:\WIN98" and press "Enter" again. This creates a folder for the program files and copies all of the installation files from the CD to your computer's hard drive.
-
9
Type "C:\WIN98" at the next prompt and press "Enter." Type "Setup" and press "Enter." Remove the Windows 98 CD from the CD drive, press "Enter" and follow the onscreen instructions to complete the re-installation.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Reinstalling Windows 98 wipes the entire hard drive. If you have files on the hard drive that you want to keep, save them to an external drive before reinstalling.
