How to Repair Win98SE Installation

Users can fix many computer errors by reinstalling the operating system.

If your Windows 98SE (Second Edition) computer locks up during boot or reports that you have missing or corrupted system files, you may need to repair the operating system. To repair a Windows operating system, reinstall Windows over the copy of Windows already on your computer. Any missing or corrupted Windows files should be restored, and any programs and data on your hard drive should still work. Because Windows 98SE is an upgrade for Windows 98, first reinstall 98 and then reinstall the 98SE upgrade.

Things You'll Need

• Windows 98 CD
• Windows 98SE CD

Instructions

1. Back up important data stored on your hard drive. While reinstalling Windows over itself should leave the data intact, there is always a small chance things will go wrong.

2. Disable any tools and programs that automatically run when Windows starts. This includes screen savers, anti-virus programs and disk encryption tools.

3. Reboot your computer and wait until Windows starts. If Windows will not load, reboot and hit the "F8" key during startup, then select "Safe Mode" from the options. If this doesn't work, boot from the startup disk that came with Windows.

4. Put your Windows 98 CD into the CD drive, then run the "setup.exe" program from the CD. Follow the instruction to complete the installation. Do not select options that will repartition or format your hard drive.

5. Remove the Windows 98 CD and insert the Windows 98SE CD. Run the "setup.exe" program on the Windows 98SE CD. Follow the installation directions.

6. Check to see if your problems have been solved and that your programs still run. You may need to install updated Windows driver files for some of your programs to run properly. You can find updated Windows files at update.Microsoft.com.

References

• Microsoft Support: Windows 98 Second Edition Updates Setup.txt File
• Microsoft Support: How to Reinstall Windows 98