# Solved: Trouble installing win98 .........Helpppppp...



## davidmfnc (Sep 22, 2004)

( My System Info) : CPU TYPE : Pentium S BASE MEMORY : 640K CO-PROCESSOR : Installed EXTENDED MEMORY : 48128K CPU-CLOCK : 133 MHz CACHE MEMORY 512K . My Computer would not boot up one day, and after VERIFYING DMI POOL DATA ........ It promted > :Insert system disk then press any key, I then inserted my boot up floppy disk and got this :>>>>>>>> Driver version :V340 Device Name : 'Banana'. No drives found , Aborting Installation. No valid CDROM device drivers selected A:\> So I am lost at this point , I don't know alot about computers , just a recent hobby to get this old windows 98 system up and running again . I would be grateful for any help i can get .


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## norton850 (Mar 9, 2004)

Your system is not finding the information it needs to run Windows. It doesn't seem that your floppy has what you need either. There could be several causes. Make sure that the power and data cables to your hard drive are secure.

If you have a Win98 CD, go into BIOS and select CDROM as first boot device, save the change and then reboot making sure your CD is in the drive. See if you get a choice to boot from the CD or the hard drive


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## davidmfnc (Sep 22, 2004)

undefined  I typed in (after getting A:/> prompt) c:= enter and then C:/>scandisk and scandisk started scanning C drive for errors. And it found some and then asked if I wanted scandisk to fix and I hit enter for yes. And since then, when I try to start my pc ,without any boot disk in, after verifying dmi pool data ........ i am getting this> missing operating system. i tried running scandisk on drive C now and it will not........thank you very much for any info you may have to help me along with this beastttt , lol


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## LINKUP20GS (Sep 17, 2004)

Did you try transferring the system to c drive? you say that you ran scandisk so apparently the computer found a hd upon reaching your dos prompt a: type a:\sys c: see if it will boot from your hd then. does your boot disk have all your utilities. have you checked your c drive for your windows directory. I know this is a project computer so let me ask if you have a windows cd. It seems that you have a rather old computer and are testing your skills.lets get going.
This method can be used to remove windows ready for a fresh install, while leaving all your other data on the hard drive. As you will be removing the Windows folder don't forget that you will need to re-install all your programs and also you will lose anything else that is contained in the Windows folder i.e. anything on your desktop, your Favorites, E-mails and address book etc. If your not sure then make sure anything important is backed up else where. The method is to remove the entire windows folder and its contents plus the files listed below which are in the root directory of your C Drive (assuming thats where you installed Windows).

1. To do this you will need a Windows start up or boot disk.

2. First, using Windows Explorer, copy 'Deltree.exe' and 'Attrib.exe' onto the boot disk. These files are located in your C:Windows\Command folder. 

3. When finished copying, insert the boot disk and restart the computer. You're going to delete some file from the C directory, but first change their attributes so that DOS can see them. 

At the 'A:\' prompt type:
attrib -h -r -s c:\*.*

(This command will clear the attributes of all the files in the root of 'C' i.e the -h -r -s will clear Hidden, Read Only and System attributes.)

4. Next, if your sure you have no files that need saving directly in the root of the C drive then its quickest and easiest to delete them all in one command:

del c:\*.*

Else, if you need to save files in your C:\ root directory, you can start deleting the system files below one at a time like this:
del autoexec.bat ( delete autoexec.bat ). Delete the following files: 
del Autoexec.bat (and any other autoexec files with other extensions)

del Bootlog.txt (and any other bootlog files with other extensions)

del Command.com

del Config.sys (and any other config files with other extensions)

del Detlog.txt (and any other detlog files with other extensions)

del Frunlog.txt

del Io.sys

del Msdos.sys (and any other msdos files with other extensions)

del Netlog.txt

del Scandisk.log

del Setup.log (and any setup files with other extensions)

del Suhdlog.dat (and any other suhdlog files with other extensions)

del System.1st
The del command will only delete files and not folders or anything contained in folders

5. Now to delete the entire Windows folder and its contents.

deltree c:\windows

The Deltree command will delete all files in the directory regardless of attributes. Don't think somethings not right if this function appears to take a very long time, 5 to 15 minutes is not unusual.

6. You're ready to reinstall Windows. Restart your computer, again using the bootdisk. Place the Windows Setup CD in the CD-ROM drive. At the command prompt type the letter of your CD drive (i.e. E, next type setup. Follow the Windows setup prompts. Note: When supplied with your computer, some versions of Windows require that you type oemsetup.exe
in our bios/setup make sure that your cd drive is set to auto


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## davidizmysn (Oct 4, 2004)

using my win98 cd and bootdisk to reinstall win98 on drive C . i used fdisk and formatted drive C and then when i get ready to install win98 i get thisEVICE DRIVER NOT FOUND:'MSCDOO1'. NO VALID CDROM DEVICE DRIVERS SELECTED...........a:/> WHY WANT IT RECOGNIZE X:SETUP? AND WHAT DO I TRY NEXT PLEASE HELP . COMPUTER WORK IS STILL NEW TO ME........BUT I AM TRYING TO LEARN...THANKS ...DAVID PS SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS , FORGOT IT WAS ON.  undefinedundefined


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## junker39 (Jun 13, 2004)

When you used the boot disk, did you select WITH cdrom help? I believe it's the first selection. If that is correct, go to bootdisk.com, follow directions and make a new boot disk and try again.


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## davidizmysn (Oct 4, 2004)

Yes I Have Several Boot Disks From Bootdisk .com


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## JSntgRvr (Jul 1, 2003)

Chances are that the Boot disk is malfunctioning, or there are no MSDOS driver for your CD_ROM drive in the Boot diskette. Although the Boot diskette provides drivers for most CD_ROMs, it could be the case that there isn't any compatible with your CD_ROM.

You can try to download the OEM version of the Boot diskette at www.Bootdisk.com and try again. Or post the make and model of your CD_ROM and we can help you obtain the MSDOS drivers for you. Post also the brand and model of your computer.


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## junker39 (Jun 13, 2004)

If you boot WITH cd support, when at the a: prompt try Eor whatever letter it assigns to the cd)(hit enter) then setup(enter).


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## davidizmysn (Oct 4, 2004)

OK THE CDROM IS MADE BY REVEAL...CPU TYPEENTIUM S BASE MEMORY 640K CO-PROCESSOR :INSTALLED EXTENDED MEMORY:48128K CPU CLOCK:133MHz CACHE MEMORY : 512K I ALSO GET THIS ON MY SCREEN RIVER VERSION:V34O DEVICE NAME :'BANANA'.


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## slingshotter (Aug 21, 2004)

Is this an actual CD-ROM drive you're trying to use, or a CD-RW (AKA "burner"), or maybe a DVD player (DVD-ROM) or DVD burner (DVD-+/RW)? Some of the newer devices do NOT work with the Windows bootdisks; you will need the real-mode / DOS device drivers copied to the bootdisk in order to make some optical drives work when you use the bootup floppy.

Let us know make and model of the optical drive(s) you have, and maybe someone can help you track down the DOS drivers for it.

-- slingshotter


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

I have a section with instructions for creating a boot disk at http://www.onecomputerguy.com/install/floppies.htm.

There is also the generic one which you can download and extract.

There are a lot of the DOS utilities there that don't normally get added when you make one from Win98. For example Diskcopy, Doskey, Format, More, Sys, Edit, Chkdsk, Deltree, Extract, Fdisk, Attrib, Label, Mem, Scandisk, Scanreg, Smartdrv and Xcopy.

Not only are there more utilities on there but it starts much faster since it doesn't have to create the RAM disk and then expand the cab file from the floppy to that RAM disk.

It automatically loads with support for a generic CD ROM and assigns it the drive letter of X:

Boot with the floppy, make a directory on the hard drive (like Win98se), copy the source files from the CD ROM to that directory on the hard drive. Then install from that directory. This way when the OS needs any files later on (like print drivers, network drivers etc.) it will just get them from your hard drive. You won't always be prompted to get out the CD.


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## davidizmysn (Oct 4, 2004)

It Is A Cd Rom , This Pc Is Kinda Old Its Been Upgraded From 95 To 98 , If Thats Some Help..... Where Do I Find Make And Model Of Drive?


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Just give the boot disk a try and see you can access the CD ROM after booting to the disk.


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## JSntgRvr (Jul 1, 2003)

Unzip the contents of this file in a new Folder. From the View Menu select "View all Files". Do not execute the install, just extract and copy all these files to the Startup diskette, especially those with an extension .sys.

In the Config.sys, of the startup diskette, under [CD], you must include the following line

DEVICE=A:\GCD540.SYS /D:MSCD000

In the Autoexec.bat, of the startup diskette, modify the MSCDEX.EXE line to read as follows:

LH %ramd%:\MSCDEX.EXE /D:mscd000 /L:%CDROM%

To edit These files, while holding down the Shift key, right click on the file and select either "Open With" or "Edit". The program should be Notepad.

Save all changes. Use the Diskette to boot the computer and select Command Prompt with CD Support from the menu. A letter will be assigned to your CD_ROM. Insert the Installation CD and at the prompt type:

X:SETUP

Where X is the letter assigned to the CD_ROM.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Which boot disk are you referring to. With mine you don't need to any of that. Just run the program and it will install everything to a floppy. None of the config.sys or autoexec.bat edits are necessary.


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## JSntgRvr (Jul 1, 2003)

The driver GCD540.SYS , compatible with the Reveal CD_ROM, is not included in the Windows 98 OEM startup disk. Consequently, starting the computer with CD support will not activate the Reveal CD_ROM unless this driver is loaded. In addition, and pursuant to the Readme file included as part of the Reveal softpack, the command includes the /D:MSCD000 switch, while the startup diskette uses the /D:MSCD001 switch. These changes are necessary to have the proper driver loaded and the similarity of switches executed. Both, the config.sys and the autoexec.bat in the Windows 98 OEM startup diskette files must be edited to comply with the Reveal CD_ROM activation process.


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## davidizmysn (Oct 4, 2004)

Please help explain in terms that I can understand lol  .I have never done any of this before now . all help is wanted  and can I edit the bootdisk on my new computer that i am on now?


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## JSntgRvr (Jul 1, 2003)

AIM, Aol Messenger Screen name JSntgRvr


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## JSntgRvr (Jul 1, 2003)

Yes you can. Just insert the Startup diskette. 

After you have unzipped the files I sent you, copy all these files to the startup diskette. With Windows Explorer of thru My Computer, navigate to the A: drive. From the Explorer menu select View, then Folder Options. Click on the View tab and selecy "Show all files", click Ok. While holding down the Shift key, right click on the Config.sys file and select either Edit or Open with. If Open with is selected, select Note pad from the list of programs, click Ok. Perform the modifications as instructed earlier and save the changes. Do the same with the Autoexec.bat. Once done remove the diskette and use it to boot your problem computer.


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## davidizmysn (Oct 4, 2004)

my aol s/n is davidizmysn....tyvm 4 all your help.lol i need it


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## soulstar3000 (Oct 6, 2004)

I recently had the same problem with my computer and maybe I could help you. There are several things I would like to know:

** What type of copmuter do you have- a desktop or a laptop?

**Are you using a universal boot disk?
If I can get the answers to these questions I can probably help you.


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

ok i have very specific and ubersweet instructions on installing 98 and i am one of the few ppl who use this method. i have a gateway boot disk that contains the UNIVERSAL cdrom drivers. it also contains the dos setup and system files to get a basic "install ready" environment. There i use my method. If you would wish to hear my method just ask but i dont have the time (at the moment) to put up the full instructions.

i can give you the bootdisk and the instructions tho just ask.


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## davidizmysn (Oct 4, 2004)

thank you 4 your help please feel free to e-mail me or im me davidizmysn is my aol s/n


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Did you follow the instructions for the boot disk above as outlined by JSntgRvr?


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

ok when i get home i'll type out some extremely detailed instructions on what i call the "right way" to install windows 98.
bout to leave for school but dont worry by this evening you will have it. i am central time (gmt -6:00)


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

davidizmysn, what were the results when you tried the boot disk I recommended. There is the generic CD ROM drive that Microsoft includes. If this works then hopefully you don't need to deal with editing any files.


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

*** I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO INQUIRE FOR THIS BOOT DISK AND USE THIS WAY TO INSTALL WINDOWS 98 ***

I will send you a boot disk image.
With that image, use a program like Rawrite for Windows (you are going to need a working computer) to write the image to a floppy.

With the computer you wish to install on turned off, insert the boot disk you created, you will no longer need the second computer.

1. Turn on the computer.
When the computer is booted up, do the following:

2. Exit the menu system and get to a dos prompt.

3. Type FDISK /MBR hit enter 
(This destroys the master boot record and re-creates it. You should not see anything on the screen.)

4. Run the FDISK program (type FDISK or if it doesnt work go to a: and then type FDISK and make sure you check ok for large disk support)

5. Look at all of your partitions

6. Delete every partition there one at a time.

7. After deleting all partitions create one primary dos partition taking up the entire drive and make sure it is your first partition and is c

8. Exit FDISK and reboot with the boot disk

9. Exit the menu system once more

10. Type FORMAT C: /U /S hit enter 
(This will format your hard drive and "SYS" it. This means install the system files needed to boot up. When it's done you may enter a name for this drive if you wish.)

11. Reboot the computer with the boot disk.

12. Inside the installer select to install the CD drivers and choose which option best suites you, I use autoexe. Once thats complete, exit the installer.

13. Type C: hit enter

14. Type MD CABS hit enter

15. Type X: hit enter 
(Where "X" is the drive letter for your CD-ROM make sure your Win98 CD is in the CD-ROM drive!)

16. Type CD WIN98 hit enter

17. Type COPY *.* C:\CABS hit enter 
(What you've done is, you've made a folder called "cabs" on your hard drive, then copied all the files needed from your Win98 CD-ROM to that folder. This way you will install from your hard drive. Then, in the future, if Win98 needs any files, it will automatically get them from there. 

18. Reboot the computer without the boot disk and take out your windows CD-ROM. 

19. Make sure you are at C: (you should be) Type CD CABS hit enter

20. Type SETUP hit enter 
(Here you go! just follow the on-screen instructions and (hopefully *grin*) you will successfully install Win98!)

Note:
I got this from putergeek (a website) but I adapted it to make it even better.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

The is an image you can download at:
http://www.onecomputerguy.com/install/floppies.htm#boot_floppy

That does not require any additional software to install it to a floppy.

Also, unless you really need to, completely repartitioning and formatting a hard drive is generally not necessary. It may be in extreme situations, but those would be pretty rare.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

I like to boot with the boot disk still in the drive before starting to install Windows. This is because a properly configured one will automatically load smartdrv. This speeds up the install time quite a bit. Same is true for installing Windows2000 or XP on FAT32 partitions. If you just boot to a hard drive that has been formatted with the /s parameter, this doesn't happen.


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## davidizmysn (Oct 4, 2004)

I want to thank everyone for the wonderful help , I am trying to get it up and running this weekend . yours truely: David :up:


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Another way I like to install Win9x is to start to:

1. Create a bootable CD that has all the extra DOS utilities that are not normally included. XCOPY is a good example. I like to be able to easily automatically copy subdirectories. This is not normally included in the typical Win98 disk.

2. Include the Windows98 Source files as well as any other programs you typically will install (as long as they all fit). But Win98 doesn't take up that much space.

3. Boot with the CD. It will automatically assign drive X: for the CD ROM (this way you don't need to guess. This is much faster than doing it from a floppy. If you do this often on people's computers, it just saves time.

4. Then you can format if you need to. 

5. Copy the source files to a directory on the hard drive and install from that directory. 

Again, there is no best way to install any operating system. It all depends on the situation. I like t be able to have as many options available as possible.


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

in my way tho nothing can go wrong, everything is redone, and that means absolutely no problems. it may take about 20 minutes longer but thats fine, also he needs my image of the boot floppy so pm me if you want it.
also bob, why are u insulting me in both threads about windows 98, i'm just trying to help here.


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## JSntgRvr (Jul 1, 2003)

Oh gee! Have you read the entire thread? Have you noticed that the CD_ROM is Reveal, for which there are no real drivers within the Startup diskette? Can you assume that the user may be a beginner and that complicated processes will confuse him/her?

I still stand for the less complicated process previously posted.


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

its not that perfect, and my method is just as easy, matter of fact going to putergeek.com was the first time i ever did _ anything _ computer intensive. my gateway about 5 years ago was messed up and i used that method. worked like a charm, no problems at all. also the bootdisk i have will run any cdrom drive regardless of what it is.
i am honestly just trying to help and saying that this is what i beleive [and the guys at the wug (windows users group)] is the best method to put 98 on a computer.
my disk isnt a common startup disk.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

What startup diskette is it that does not have the drivers for the CD ROM? You may want to include them if that is the case.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

While partitioning and formatting will always work, it is not always necessary. Kinda like getting a new car just because you need an oil change. It will solve the problem but is sometimes a bit overkill to recommend as the best method.


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

well its better than wasting time trying to figure out the problem. i mean he is installing an operating system so there shouldnt be anything to lose yet. you are gauranteed it works using that method because you are clear of bumps along the way.
i see i could probably use your method in about 10 minutes -and thats great- and let it work but i was just stating (in his case) to use my method.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

But you are missing the point. It doesn't matter what method anybody uses to install anything. 

Just install
Format and install
Partition and install
What ever other options people can come up with

It doesn't matter.

The only point I was making is that there is no BEST method as was stated. It depends on the situation. That would be like telling someone what the best car is. It all depends on what their needs are.


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## davidizmysn (Oct 4, 2004)

JS is right , it is a reveal cd_rom , and the drivers for it are not on the boot floppy disk , lol and I am a beginner at this , so I dont really know alot of the tech terms . But I am still trying to figure out how to get everything I need on a 1.44 floppy .


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

I could be wrong, but with all cdroms needing real mode drivers that I have seen, all you should need to do at the dos prompt is type

install
and press enter.

Did you make a floppy disk with JSntgRvr's zip file above? If so, try to boot to a command prompt, then change to the a: drive and type

install
and press enter.

It should create an autoexec.bat and config.sys file.


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

yah i resolved the confusion with bob in another thread but i can see that.
ps the generic / universal cd drivers on my gateway bootdisk work great, and its all dos and can easily fit ona 1.44 mb image to send over internet and write with rawrite.
btw i use my install method out of habit, its what i have done for about 2 years now.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

What are the generic CD drivers? 

What is the manufacturer?

Have they been tested with the exact CD ROM drive that the user has and confirmed to work?


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Can you two take your debate private? I think the poster is confused enough as it is.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

I would think that a universal DOS CD ROM driver would be helpful for everyone. If we knew the name of it, we could all benefit. Maybe either post a link where it can be downloaded or at least give the name so we can start searching on our own.

For example, the one that comes native with Win98 is called OAKCDROM.SYS. If this doesn't work with all CD drives, it would be great if we had access to the gateway one that does.


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

OAKCDROM.SYS does NOT work with cdroms that require real mode drivers.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;131499

REVEAL is not listed there, but it would appear that it has a problem as well.


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Quite frankly, at the price of new cdrom drives, free after rebate, I've tried to talk the poster into going that route.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Use it pretty much every day. In fact just did another reinstall of Win98, booting with the real-mode OAKCDROM.SYS DOS drivers to copy from the CD to the hard drive. 

Perhaps there is some other version out there that uses the same name or something. The one I use is dated 4/23/1999 (same as the Win98SE source files it came from), with a size of 41,302 bytes.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

The line in the config.sys for the driver is:
device=oakcdrom.sys /D:mscd001

The line in the autoexec.bat file is:
LH MSCDEX.EXE /D:mscd001 /L:X

But if there is a universal gateway driver that works with every CD ROM it would be great for all of us techies to have it.


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Bob Cerelli said:


> Use it pretty much every day. In fact just did another reinstall of Win98, booting with the real-mode OAKCDROM.SYS DOS drivers to copy from the CD to the hard drive.


What brand cdrom?

Please feel free to email me. I'd like to know if you still need autoexec.bat and config.sys loading after the Windows install.


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

out of about 20 computers i have used this cd rom driver on it has always worked. it boots its own little system actually. here is the link to website with the boodisk :
http://www.gw2k.co.jp/helpspot/english/download/desktopw95.shtml
there are two. i use the windows 95 one even though it works with 98. make your choice but i'd say the universal one is the best.

ps this has been mentioned on TSG before

http://forums.techguy.org/archive/index.php/t-81771.html


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Today was a CompawCR-588 (since I just did it and the computer is still here).

A few others I have at home are:

CDWriter IDE5224 - CD Burner
Lite-On DVD SOHW-1213S DVD burner
Every ASUS ever ran into
Generic TTOD CDD 1480
Generic 36x CD
BCD 40x
Couple of 56K ones
NEC DV-5700
LG CDRW-8080B
Asus CD-S520A

I could keep looking at clients remotely to be more but hopefully that is enough to satisfy curiosity. All these had the OS installed by booting to that same floppy, accessing whatever CD ROM was on it, and then copying the source files to the hard drive.


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Newer cdrom and burners will not need real mode drivers. They will boot up with the standard 98 boot disk, which as you mentioned, contain the OAK driver.


Try getting a 2X, 4X or even a 6X to install. I don't think they have made Reveal drives since 1994? Maybe?

I'd be curious to know the speed of the cdrom that we are dealing with here.


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Looks like the poster had an older thread as well. I'm going to merge.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Now I'm real confused. Even had to double check on the Internet.

Real-Mode drivers ARE DOS Drivers. They are different words for the same thing. A Virtual Device driver is more what Win9x uses.

Hopefully the following sites will provide a little more clarification:

http://freepctech.com/pc/001/CD_Rom_Guide.shtml
http://www.mylink.net/~bclinton/spring2002/3211/ch1obj_files/ch4.html
http://www.tenberry.com/dos16m/faq/basics.html#04

Newer or older CD ROM drives (and I have a couple of real old ones) use the same thing. Really. Give it a try and you'll see for yourself.

Also downloaded that universal disk. Guess what IDE CD ROM Real Mode driver it used. Yep. Same one that comes with the Win98 boot disk...OAKCDROM.SYS.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

The reason I keep sticking with this is to help clear up the misinformation. It being a technical forum, I would hope that reasonably technically accurate information is presented.

To recap---

Real Mode Drivers:
1. Real-Mode Drivers are DOS drivers. That is how you access certain devices from DOS (CD ROMs', Network cards - glad those days are gone, sound cards). Just remember all the real-mode drivers you needed before Windows came around. That is what the 808x chip ran on, real mode. MS-DOS runs in real mode. That is why you need real-mode drivers when you use a DOS boot disk. 

The Universal CD ROM drivers"
2. The Universal CD ROM disk that is being talked about uses the exact same IDE drivers that came with Win98. Same name and size. There is nothing unique or special about this disk at all.


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Bob, trust me, I HAVE given it a try. There have been a few older cdroms that HAD TO HAVE whatever driver, whatever you wish to call it, installed that WAS NOT included on any boot disk that I've ever seen. 

And if you stopped autoexec.bat and config.sys from loading, your cdrom access went bye bye as well. A Mitsumi drive is one of the most recent that seems to ring a bell in my mind which I had trouble with.

I believe this poster has a VERY OLD drive, welcome back to those 'days are gone.'

I'm going to call it a night now. Happy researching.


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

i knew it was oak, but i was saying i have some 4x and 8x drives that will run when i boot that floppy.  besides when i installed them to autoexe after the reformat with the sys, i could boot the system off the hard drive without the floppy and have cdrom acess. its taking longer to discuss this. i sugesst this weekend david tries an install , any one, but just see if he can do the install and let it work.
well ttyl


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

It may be that a specific driver is needed, which is different from the oakcdrom.sys. Never said otherwise. But so far it it not clear than the generic one from a Win98 boot disk has been tried yet.

But that is quite a bit different that recent statements like:

"OAKCDROM.SYS does NOT work with cdroms that require real mode drivers." - All CD ROMS (IDE or SCSI) that are being accessed from DOS need real mode drivers. That is what real mode drivers are for.

The MS article quoted as supposedly supporting that - http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;131499 - Doesn't even mention that driver at all.

If the article is read, the reason "REVEAL is not listed there" (as as most CD ROM Drives, is right in the summary "Windows can access most CD-ROM drives in protected mode. However, unsupported CD-ROM drives must use the real-mode drivers provided by the vendor. " - So this whole article has absolutely nothing to do with to topic of discussion. It is for problem drives not supported by Windows. If Reveal is not listed that is a good thing. In fact most CD ROMs are not listed since they are support.

"Newer cdrom and burners will not need real mode drivers" - Again, if you are going to access any CD ROM or BURNER from DOS, you need real mode drivers.

The there is the whole sub-tread about some universal gateway disk that will work on any CD ROM. Turns out be just a plain disk you would get if you used Win98 to make a boot disk. Nothing secret or special at all and anyone can make one. Also, claiming that it is universal because it was tried on only 20 CD ROMs is a bit of a stretch.

Hopefully more technically accurate information can be provided. Spending this much time to clear up such simple basic mistakes has to be confusing and misleading for all who have been following this post.

What is as disappointing is the apparent misgivings about how long it takes to put out the correct information on a technical forum. It should be welcomed to have all this set straight. Otherwise people can just keep saying whatever they want, accurate or not. I would think this would have an overall degrading effect on the perception of the usefulness of this forum.


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## JSntgRvr (Jul 1, 2003)

On the contrary bob, this has been an enrichment experience for all.

Hopefully this concludes CD_ROM Drivers 101. Be prepared for the Finals next week.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Thanks for the support. 

I don't so much mind all the incorrect information. People can pretty much post whatever they want to say. But the frustration regarding the resistance to correcting the misinformation gets pretty high sometimes. I mean you can say the sky is green all you want. But don't get pissed at the person that explains it is really blue. And then keep saying it is really green ;-)

And that lesson is going to be added to CD_ROM Drivers 101B - And will include the Super-De-Dooper drivers as well ;-)


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

davidizmysn said:


> Yes I Have Several Boot Disks From Bootdisk .com





 Bob Cerelli said:


> It may be that a specific driver is needed, which is different from the oakcdrom.sys. Never said otherwise. But so far it it not clear than the generic one from a Win98 boot disk has been tried yet.


I believe the poster said he tried several disks from bootdisk.com.....although I COULD be wrong about that too.


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

yah lol quite messed up yet in a good way.  . well if the entire problem is that he cant install because of the cdrom problem he could always just put another cdrom drive in his computer like i did to my old 4x, where most programs required 8x+ so it was really ez. most old computer you can get for near nothing, i got many old computers for free and chose a working cdrom drive and my problem was fixed. then he could install 98 any way he chooses.

i found a way to bypass the problem though, which means we won't be using dos as it can't use his current cdrom drive. we shall go use a linux live cd to boot from the cd into linux text mode (since its an old computer) and once in linux mount your windows 98 cdrom drive and copy the win98 folder to a cabs folder onto your actual harddrive.
reboot with a boot disk and just run <setup> from the harddrive inside the cabs folder.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Glad that at least the quotes are correct but have difficulty in knowing why it difficult to understand. 

"It may be that a specific driver is needed, which is different from the oakcdrom.sys. Never said otherwise. But so far it it not clear than the generic one from a Win98 boot disk has been tried yet."

It is unclear why this is being misinterpreted. It may be that he needs a specific driver. This would be other than the oakcdrom.sys drive. How could this have been reworded to to make it easier to understand than a specific driver other that oakscdrom.sys might be needed. I am at a loss on that.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

There is nothing about being wrong. That is how we all learn. It is the persistence with the misinformation that is difficult to understand. I learn stuff I didn't know about every day. It is one of the rewarding things I like about working with computers. There is always something to learn.


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## davidizmysn (Oct 4, 2004)

Hello to all who has tried helping me learn about computers and the problem that I am having . I recently edited my win98se oem bootdisk as JS advised and got the following message after it asigned the letter E for my cd , i typed x: setup it read: CDR101:NOT READY READING DRIVE E ........ ABORT RETRY FAIL? Well all , thats the latest news from here ........p.s. you have all been great and I am learning a little more each day . :up:


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## davidizmysn (Oct 4, 2004)

Also , when I go into bios and set it to boot from the cdrom I get a failure message , if thats any help.  .......... I have got to go and have an MRI done on my shoulder  that I injured and then I will have the rest of the day and tommorow to work on my old computer. hopefully i can learn a little more , I might have to replace the cdrom in it , but i dont want to replace anything that wont get it started up lol


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

What is the failure message when trying to boot from the cdrom?

I'm wondering if the cdrom drive even works.


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## davidizmysn (Oct 4, 2004)

It reads: booting from atapi cdrom ..........failure


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

So the regular plain old standard real-mode drivers work in getting DOS to recognize the CD ROM drive. Otherwise you would not be getting a drive letter assigned. Whooda thought ;-)

If it assigned the letter E: for your CD ROM, you should be trying to connect to E: not X:

The normal Win98 CD is self starting but not self-booting. This may be why you can't boot with that CD. 

If you are unsure is the CD ROM Drive or CD are defective, an easy test is to simply boot again to DOS an load the real-mode drivers that are assigning it a letter of E:. Then use some other CD ROM and see if you can access it from DOS. If you can then the Win9x CD you are using is likely defective. If you still can't, then likely the CD is defective.

But that this point from the information give, it looks like you are at least simply trying to use the wrong drive letter (X: instead of E


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

if your cdrom drive is was produced from mid 90's and back, it is most likely damaged, of the several old computers i had, most were only thrown out because of faulty cdrom drives. they just get old. it is pretty simple to replace a cdrom drive and you can definetely get older ones from a junkstore / computer parts for under $10 and it will be 8x but thats all you really need.


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## JSntgRvr (Jul 1, 2003)

The BIOS wont recognize the CD_ROM as an Atapi CD_ROM. The BIOS does not recognize an specific drive, just the drive. Although the user has indicated that this failure happens when setting the boot order to the CD_ROM first, the error comes from the drivers included in the Floppy boot Disk. He still in the same boat. Unless the Reveal Real Mode drivers are called upon the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat included in the boot diskette, he will continue to experience the erorr message. I believe he should copy and paste the contents of these files in a reply here as to let us take a look at them.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

davidizmysn, likely the CD ROM is not bootable so that would explain why can can't boot from it. It is also an added complication that isn't helping to determine if the problem is with the driver, CD ROM disk or the CD ROM drive itself.

When the MSCDEX line in the autoexec.bat file on the floppy runs, what is shown on the screen. Typically it will be something like:

MSCDEX Version xxxx
Copyright notice
Drive E: = Driver MSCD001

What drive letter is being assigned?

If you are getting a drive letter assigned then the generic CD ROM driver is working fine. Otherwise you wouldn't get that far.

What happens if you change to that drive letter (e.g. E

What happens when you do a DIR of the CD ROM in that drive (e.g. DIR E


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

JSntgRvr said:


> Unless the Reveal Real Mode drivers are called upon the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat included in the boot diskette, he will continue to experience the erorr message. I believe he should copy and paste the contents of these files in a reply here as to let us take a look at them.


I agree  As a side note, just got back from the swap meet and it must be voodoo....I saw an old computer (486) with a REVEAL cdrom


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

From the information provided so far from davidizmysn, it looks like the real-mode DOS drivers are seeing the CD ROM. 

"I recently edited my win98se oem bootdisk as JS advised and got the following message after it asigned the letter E for my cd "

If they did not see the CD ROM drive, they would not be assigning a drive letter. 

But at this point, until we hear back from davidizmysn regarding requested further testing, it is difficult to determine if the drive or CD ROM are defective. It looks like he was previously given instructions to use the wrong drive letter.


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## davidizmysn (Oct 4, 2004)

When I included the file that JS gave me edited the autoexe and conf.sys to include the mcd000 in exe. , and saved that on the floppy win98se boot disk , and then booted with it , the letter e was asigned to cdrom and i tried E/setup and x/setup and got the same error message.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

1. What drive letter is being assigned to the CD ROM DRIVE?

2. What happens if you try and view a directory of the files on a CD in that drive ( e.g. dir e:, or dir z: ). Use whichever drive letter is assigned

3. Not sure where the "E/setup" was suggested, but that exact syntax won't work.

4. Is there a setup program on whatever CD you are using?

5. If you can't see the files on that CD, can you see the files on any CD. If not then likely the CD ROM Drive is defective. If you can see the files on other CDs, then likely the CD you are trying to install from is defective.

Can you please let me know the details of what testing is done. Makes it a lot easier when accurate descriptions are give to continue to give accurate suggestions.


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## JSntgRvr (Jul 1, 2003)

David, post a copy of the contents of both files in a reply.


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## davidizmysn (Oct 4, 2004)

Which two files do you want me to post and how do i access them?   lol


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Hope I'm making a correct assumption on the post request. I would think it would be the text contents of both the config.sys and autoexec.bat files.

Also, what were the results of the other testing request that have been made?


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## JSntgRvr (Jul 1, 2003)

davidizmysn said:


> Which two files do you want me to post and how do i access them?   lol


The Autoexec.bat and the Config.sys in the Boot Diskette. While running Windows in a working computer, insert the Boot Diskette in drive A:. Using Windows Explorer, navigate to the A: drive. While holding down the Shift key, Right Click on one of the file and select either Edit or Open With. If you select Open With, select Notepad from the list of programs. Click Ok.

The file will open for editing. Right click on the contents of the file and select "Select All". Right click again over the highlighted text and select Copy.

Open a blank Notepad document. Right click over the emptied space and select Paste.

Repeat the process with the other file, and Paste its contents under the contents of the previous file in the Notepad untitled document. Now you have the contents of both file in one document.

Right click over the contents of the untitled document and select "Select All". Right click on the highlighted text and select Copy. Open a reply in this thread. Right click on the emptied space of the reply and select Paste. The entire contents of both files will be pasted in the Reply. Click on Submit Reply.


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## JSntgRvr (Jul 1, 2003)

After helping davidizmysn in creating a Boot disk throughtout an IM session using the Reveal drivers provided, davidizmysn responded the following:



> I tried the disk............
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Here is what I got: Drive E:=Driver MSCD000 unit 0 A:\>[I typed] x:setup and got:Invalid drive specification A:\>[ I typed] e:setup and got:CDR101:Not ready reading drive E.................also I think I Saw what type cdrom it is , as it was booting I saw this :GCD-R540? could that be what tpye it is?.......... thanks again for helping me out ....... maybe cdrom is bad?....... lol I dont know


So the Boot Disk created is working. It has recognized the CD_ROM, assigning the E: as the CD_ROM drive. David, the command X:SETUP is a variable, the X needed to be replaced by the letter assigned to your CD_ROM. In this case, E. So the right command was E:SETUP. The GCD-R540 is the driver selected during boot.

Now, the error message you are receiving now "Not Reading Drive E" could be due to many reasons:

1. The lens of the drive are dirty and need to be cleaned.
2. The IDE ribbon cable is damaged and need to be replaced.
3. The Installation CD is corrupted.
4. The CD_ROM is malfunctioning and need to be replaced.

So I reccommend the following:

1. Clean the CD_ROM lens with an appropiate lens cleaner.
2. Open the CPU console and check for lose ribbon cables between the CD_ROM and the Main board.
3. Insert the Installation CD in another computer and attempt to read the CD thru Windows Explorer. If the same message appears, the Installation CD is corrupted.
4. If all of the above fails, replace the CD_ROM.

It was a long journey, but for a good cause. Let us know the outcome.

Best wishes!


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

i think i just recommended gettin a new cdrom a long time ago, but those tasks may take time but will not mean he has to search for one. like again its me out of habbit, i have so many cdrom drives and computers at my house i can just go search for one with a working drive. but i am saying that if his drive is that old, i mean like 4x, not many programs will run with a 4x drive, and data transfer for installing anything will be extremely slow. i recommend you have atleat 8x and up. if you have 8x why not push for something over the bare minimum?


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## davidizmysn (Oct 4, 2004)

I want to thank everyone who has helped me out on working with my old computer , my next steps will be: 1). clean cdrom lens 2).check for loose or unpluged ribbons or wires from cdrom to motherboard 3). If it is none of those ........Replace cdrom . at any rate I will post my results as I try these steps . ............... Sincerely Yours David M.


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

don't mark the thread solved yet until your cdrom is working again tho. 
In my opinion i recommend if your current cdrom drive still works but is lower than 8x speed, its time to get a new one anyway because some software does not support lower speeds.

iXneonXi


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

http://forums.techguy.org/showthread.php?t=284367

There has been progress, but it would be nice if he'd tell us whether he replaced the cdrom or not


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## davidizmysn (Oct 4, 2004)

I am sorry that I have not been able to post a reply lately. but I have had aol issues on this computer that I had to get corrected , but I do want to that everyone that has given me advice on how to get my old computer up and going, especially JSntgRvr whos advice I followed to a T and who finnaly helped me get my operating system installed and my cdrom going, I would also like to thank acacandy for putting up with me and my trouble . Sincerly Yours ....David M. :up: and again , I am sorry that I was only now able to post this .... you people are very helpful and kind


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Thanks for the update 

I'm happy again.

Glad to hear everything is working.


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