# Sticky  Guide to Reinstall of Windows



## Mulderator

See this guide:

http://www.windowsreinstall.com/

We also have a thread in the XP/2000 forum for thos O/S's

http://forums.techguy.org/windows-nt-2000-xp/499568-guide-reinstall-windows.html

so you may want to check that out as well.


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## Bob Cerelli

Too bad they always recommend a format just to do a Win9x or ME reinstall. You can get a clean install of both without formatting first. Sure is helpful if there is data on the drive you might want to keep. Now you may want to format for other reasons, but you certainly don't have to. Hopefully you can least make an informed choice.


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## mjbyyz

While messing around with a Pent 4 machine, I attempted to install Windows 98 on a clean, formatted HD. [I have done this many times in the past on lesser machines.]
I keep getting bogged down with the following message -

"While initializing device NDIS: Windows protection error. You need to restart your computer".

I can get into Safe Mode, but I cannot install Win98SE over top - it still "requires Windows", which is all but there, of course.
What is the procedure for dealing with NDIS ?


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## Bob Cerelli

Windows Protection Error in NDIS with a CPU That Is Faster Than 2.1 GHz
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=312108

A fix is supposed to be at:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/win98se/update/q243199/w98/en-us/243199us8.exe

and

http://www.geocities.com/ghavipour/Ndis_en.html


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## mjbyyz

Great, thanks Bob, I'll take a look here and see what I come up with. I suspected it might just have something to do with size or capacity of some kind. The computer is certainly not at fault - in itself.
John - 060929-23:01EDT


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## mjbyyz

Well, I tried that fix and it's the wrong version od Windows - so it tells me when I attempted to fix it.
*"This update is not designed for your version of Windows"* - 243199us8.exe, Q243199 update.
I am trying to install Win98 and have no OS other than that attempt on the disk. I have to get this fully operational before I can upgrade to Win98SE.
John - 060930-10:37EDT


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## Bob Cerelli

What is the technical requirement for you to want to have Win98 on such a new computer.


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## mjbyyz

Merely to have ANY old OS installed on this HD to get this machine up and running. 
Since Win98 is readily available to do this, and I of course have the disks and don't use Win98 anywhere else, this is the OS I have available to use.
John-060930-11:48EDT


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## mjbyyz

I called MS and of course, now that July 11th has passed, they are no help to me obtaining the necessary correct Hotfix for this problem.
John - 11:50EDT


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## Bob Cerelli

That's why I'm asking. At lot is simply not going to be supported. Also do you know that you have all the necessary drivers for things like the motherboard, video, network, sound, usb etc? As you see, trying to install a 6 year old operating system on a relatively new computer already is having it's problems.

Be better to just install something that is more current than the original version of Win98 like XP instead.


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## mjbyyz

I expect I have those drivers somewhere, but didn't think I needed them for this simple operation.
Yes, I might just have to beak down and purchase another copy of WinXP. But this is purely a computer to test and check Hard Drives, etc - hardly worth that expense - CAD$177 at TigerDirect for WinXPPro.
John - 12:02EDT


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## Bob Cerelli

As you are starting to notice, that is not too good of an assumption. 

A 6 year old operating system is not likely to have all the drivers for a much newer computer. The wouldn't have been invented back then. 

Have you researched before starting this to make sure everything is going to be compatible or at least download the drivers ahead of time. Nothing like starting an install and find you can't even network to get the rest from the Internet.

Also installing an operating system is certainly not a simple operation. If nothing else, just look at how long it takes compared to other things you do with a computer.


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## mjbyyz

Right on!
I think I'll shelve this for a while!
[Pls see your website from mjbyyz]
John - 060930-12:34EDT


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## Bob Cerelli

The problem wasn't so much testing the hard drive but the support Win98 had for that fast of a processor. The link posted references the exact issue.


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## purple_cloud

You are right. I was reading something else near the time I was writing that. I should not multi-task before coffee. I deleted my post and ate my words. Burp.


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## ZeRealBigBoss

I am running W98SE on an AMD @ 2.6MHz, no prob. Your problem is that W98 is not able to run with 1GB of memory; it should, but, what is new, because of a bug it doesn't run with more than 512MB. Check it out on the net.

I prefer W98 100 times over XP, more stable and faster because it is not so bloated. Well, you have to do some manual trimming to slim it off, true, but then.... Drivers are no problem; there are enough free sites on the web with anything, just search. Driverguide.com got greedy, there one has to pay nowadays.


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## Blindy8

I am running a Windows ME system and haven't defragged in awhile. I started the Windows defragger and what happens is that it keeps resetting to 0 then starting back up to where it left off. The problem is that this is going to take all day because it bites off a little then sets back to 0. I don't have an active screen saver kicking in and had no other programs that I know of running in the background. 

I am running EZ anti Virus but I don't think that is interferring because I'm not online nor running a scan. It appears that something is interrupting the defragmentation process continually but I have no idea what.


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## ZeRealBigBoss

halts and starts again from the beginning when another program writes on the disk that is in defrag. Normal programs do not continuously write; I ran into the same problem only when I had a virus. Programs that read from the disk do not cause a restart.


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## Blindy8

I got a good tip on this site to run defrag in Safe Mode. When I did that, I had no problems with defrag. Ad-aware found a number of spyware programs on my system. They may have been running in the background. I deleted them.

Thanks, 

Mark


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## Gazza69

Bob Cerelli said:


> Too bad they always recommend a format just to do a Win9x or ME reinstall. You can get a clean install of both without formatting first. Sure is helpful if there is data on the drive you might want to keep. Now you may want to format for other reasons, but you certainly don't have to. Hopefully you can least make an informed choice.


Hi Bob,

I was wondering if you could help.

Basically I was on my computer recently, and I was told to restart my computer, which I did, but when I rebooted the PC a message appeared asking me to enter the Certificate of Authenticity Product shown on the front of the Windows 98 User Manual.

I then proceeded to enter the Product Key into the fields and then I was prompted to agree to the terms and conditions - Blah Blah, which I agreed to and then clicked finish.

My PC then rebooted for a second time, but this time it came up with an Invalid Page Fault in Explorer.exe, and no Desktop Icons or Start/Toolbar appeared, only a minimized version of my Wallpaper, so I can't click on anything on the screen as nothing appears.

I have Windows 98 Second Edition, and I have my original Windows 98 CD and Boot Disk.

I have a lot of information on my PC that I am concerned I may lose, so is it a simple thing to resolve, and will my information be secure if I need to reboot the operating system?

I have tried to install over the current operating system, but an error appears - SUWIN caused a General Protection Fault in module KRNL386.EXE at 0002:0ADC.

I have been advised elsewhere on the Forum that the BIOS or Registry could be corrupt, but I have read you mention that if a clean install is required, you can still retrieve information on the Hard Drive by not formatting.

Would this be possible in my situation, as Windows won't even load i.e no Start Menu or Desktop.

I look forward to yor reply
Many Thanks

Gazza69


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## tuckered

trying to redo? my windows 98se black screen comes up saying bad command or file name D:\> don't know what to do???


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## D B Cooper

Looks like the last 2 post have gone unanswered? WHY?


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## D B Cooper

I have problems as post above me. I use a boot disk and it takes me so far before I have to enter data at the dos prompt. What do i enter?

DB


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## ZeRealBigBoss

If a question is specifically directed to someone, in this case Bob, it may be considered impolite if someone else answers.

In my experience, these things happen when a system has really gone bad and restoring is not possible any more. The usual question: did you partition the HD in a program part, C:, and a data part, D:? From what I read, I guess not; you guys enjoy living on the sharp edge of the knive. Teaches you not to trust Microsoft's optimism but to do it from now on. Buy or borrow another disk, connect that one as the primary one and the one you have now as slave or secondary master and install Windows, just the most minimal version, on that new one. Start up and copy all your data from the old one to the new one; make sure that you do not forget anything but do neither copy the \Windows nor the \Program Files nor the files in the root directory. Make also a boot diskette and copy fdisk.exe and format.com onto that one. If you see a file called Autoexec.bat on the diskette, erase it.

Now disconnect the new HD and connect the old one as primary again. Start up on the floppy and run fdisk (say Yes to the first question). As your data are saved on the other disk, you don't have to fear you will lose something. Working with fdisk is a bit clumsy although more secure than doing that with Windows. Erase first the existing partition(s) and then make a primary partition of around 10GB and a secondary of the remainder. Restart on the floppy and format both disks C: and D:. Take the floppy out and restart with the installation CD; install all programs that you want in C:. 

Once this is ready, connect the new disk as secondary or slave and copy all your data from that one to D: (that is DEE:, not CEE. If you have to give that HD back, don't just delete but format it (no quick format) to make sure that your data are erased before doing so. Make sure you format the right one! Set all your data paths in your programs to D:. From now on, if Windows goes completely wrong again, you can repeat the above from formatting, but then only C:, onwards without losing your data.

Still, it would be worth its while to get a second HD, used or new, connect that as secondary and at least once a week make a straight copy from d: to that one, most probably then showing up as E:.

If you want to be really smart, copy, after all is freshly installed, the user.dat, hwinfo.dat, system.dat, win.ini and system.ini from c:\windows to a place on D:. These are essential files for Windows, and if something goes wrong later on it might be that you can restore it to the freshly installed state you have now by copying them back to c:\windows. Mind: might be.

Also rather smart: make a c:\tmp directory and assign that for temporary files. That makes it easy to regularly delete all the junk that normally goes into and stays in a few less obvious directories.


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## ZeRealBigBoss

Gazza: As you may have concluded and also experienced yourself, I do not at all agree with Bob. Sometimes you can copy the original files over the affected ones, but most of the times not and then you get what you got when you tried.

Tuckered: I suppose that that black screen comes up when you boot; if so, then there is m.p. a wrong file address given in your autoexec.bat file.

Cooper: what boot disk, a floppy? That would start up in DOS, and that is apparently not what you need. If it happens, try CD \WINDOWS and then the commend WIN, that should start Windows.


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## mjbyyz

Since I had posted to this thread about a year ago, your message (ZeRealBigBoss) came through to me today.


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## mjbyyz

Dang - I hit 'Return' and I hadn't finished!!!!! I guess it all goes into one paragraph! The long blurb you wrote beginning 'If a question is specifically directed to someone' will probably be v helpful to me, next time I get back to a Win98SE computer - thank you. I have long since wondered which files were essential and which were not when making a new disk workable. Thanks again - John - 070919-22:16EDT


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## D B Cooper

[Cooper: what boot disk, a floppy? That would start up in DOS, and that is apparently not what you need. If it happens, try CD \WINDOWS and then the commend WIN, that should start Windows.]
I got your message today. I tried the above with a boot disk and when I type:
CD \WINDOWS and then the commend WIN, that should start Windows.] My computer
goes through some motion writes a message on a blue screen and then turns off the computer.

is there a way to start windows from dos?

If I pull the battery from the mobo will that lose the windows install?

When I locate the disk to reinstall Me and get another hard drive I will follow your instructions.

thanks


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## D B Cooper

When my computer first comes on I press the tab key and the page just flash and goes to the black screen and says: boot failure from previous device. insert bootdisk and strike any key.
I get 4 to choose from. boot with cd, boot without cd,minimal boot I forget the 2nd one.
Anyway I say boot without cd #3. I loads a virtual cd 512mb 64sectors. Takes me to a blue screen: HELP FOR EMERGENCY STARTUP DISK. The most i have learned from this is how to
close this help file: press ALt-F-X
DB


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## ZeRealBigBoss

DBC: if you start with a boot disk and then enter CD \windows, that is starting in DOS. The TAB is about the same as starting up with F8: it gives you a selection where/with what part of the system you want to begin. If you pull the battery from a motherboard, then you lose the BIOS data, nothing that is installed on the disk. After doing that, hold down ESC immediately after switching the machine on; that brings you to the BIOS, in case you want to change the defaults.

From what you write, I really think your Windows is so completely corrupted that only a format+re-installation can get things going again. Sorry for such bad msg; don't shoot the messenger.


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## ZeRealBigBoss

mjbyyz: to be honest, I have not found out that either, although I have spend many hours on trying. It seems that, if you install over an existing Windows, the presence of some basic, but essential, files is detected and then these files are not renewed. Only if you take Windows completely away by formatting you manage to get a really working system again. You can also delete the Windows directory, but that has to be done in DOS from a floppy and thus you will not manage to reach the complete depth of all directories. Required is, though, that you use a deleter that also wipes the hidden/system files, and that with DOS alone is not possible; there are some free DOS-based programs on the WEB that can do that. This also induces a completely new installation, but, as you still have all the loose junk on your disk, why then not better get rid of that too by formatting? That gives you the chance to partition the disk, too, and be a bit more secure for next time. However, one can do it this way if one does not have a second hard disk for a data back-up available; as the registry is deleted, all user-programs then will have to be re-installed as usual.

All of this of course is also valid for WinMX and Vista.


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## mjbyyz

ZeRealBigBoss (I love that name!)
It has been well over a year since I dabbled in Win98SE, as I inferred a while ago, but I found after many attempts - usually virtually futile - that Formatting was by far the cleanest way of starting over. Trouble is that all programs have to be re-installed and worked back up again to achieve what you had before, minus the crap that caused the headache (whatever that may have been) from making your system act up in the first place.
I have had my share of woes with Win XP as well (Prof Ed) and have ended up not only having to re-format and start over at least once, but also had to pay some $450 to get going again after several major failures. But to be fair, this was more than likely an inferior Hardware problem. (It involved the Power Pack, Motherboard and one of two 500Mb Memory chips. I was NOT amused, but only had myself to blame in not being able to claim replacements since I didn't send in the warranties. Live and (hopefully) learn!) I could have bought a new computer for that price!!!!
But returning to the subject problem, apart from using MS's Transfer of files, etc when starting up a new HD, exactly what files MUST be transferred, and which are the operator's own 'necessary files'? (ie: to make the various programs work as before, but cleanly). What need to be transferred when Reinstalling Windows?
Sorry to be so long-winded!
John - 070922-22:13EDT


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## ZeRealBigBoss

that it took me some time to get back.

The best solution is to make a complete installation of how-you-want-it and then make an image. There is one image-and-partition software on the net that is free and it works very well. If then later on you are fed up with the present deteriorated state, you just put the program CD in, copy the image back from another partition/HD and presto! happy once more after 5 minutes. Only then you will see that you forgot to switch off some annoying defaults in programs before you made the image, so you will have to do that again, but that is still better than re-installing. Here it is:

http://sysresccd.org/Main_Page

and some comment:

http://lifehacker.com/software/geek...rd-drive-with-the-system-rescue-cd-292972.php

For my programming I have a 10GB partition with Win98 and 10GB partition Suse Linux on my first hard disk, and I keep a copy of both partitions. W98 was installed first and then Linux; at start-up I can choose which one to start with the GRUB boot-loader. That works also with XP, but XP doesn't allow direct access to ports when running DOS, so there.


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## monckywrench

The SUSE install is a handy way to access the Windows partition in case of problems.

Of course, among the best ways to recover data from horked Windows installs is a Linux live CD. Everyone should have one (or several...) in case of emergency.
You can even surf without a hard disk to find helpful info.

SUSE flavor below.

http://iso.linuxquestions.org/suse/suse-live-9.2/

Since most 9x/ME boxes are old and slow, 
http://damnsmalllinux.org/download.html
and
http://www.puppylinux.org/user/news_cats.php?cat_id=2
are good live CDs to use.

Burn all live CDs at the slowest possible speed setting.

Can't boot from CD due to ancient motherboard?
Make a Smart Boot Manager Boot floppy, or install it to your hard disk.
http://btmgr.sourceforge.net/download.html


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## letestr

Thanks for the information, but I just need to know how I would re-install my printer? Is there a back up on my hard drive that I can open up and use??

Letty


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## ZeRealBigBoss

Fir the installation of the driver you should have been given a CD with the HP driver software on it; run that one. In case you don't have that, search these sites:

http://www.free-driver-download.com
http://www.opendrivers.com
http://driverguide.com

You don't need the exact 5150 driver, one for the 5100 series is OK. HP has a pletora of models with all the same basics, so only if e.g. you design your own fonts you would need a more specific driver.


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## rockykeithh

i have a compaq presario laptop 
with windows 98 on it can someone
tell me if i can put it on dsl without
upgrading it to me or xp.
tanks for any help


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## ZeRealBigBoss

Assuming you have an Ethernet connection in it, there is no problem at all. Run the network/internet connection wizard and configure the modem accordingly. In the control panel/network/TCPIP you will have to set the DNS if your modem does not automatically give that. The modem address (usually nnn.nnn.1.1) must be the default gateway.


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## DaOneEnOnly

This topic was GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And so where the links, very easy to follow and understand. Thank you for this topic.


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## TechOutsider

This is what I did:

Reboot in MS-DOS mode
typed C:\WINDOWS\format C:
"Y/N?" Chose Y
Inserted 98 installation disk and startup floppy
Installed! 

I figured this out myself I'm so proud that I'm gonna buy myself Ice cream and candy and a new processor


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