Installing Windows 98 without Boot Disk

[Anarki99]

Hello to everybody. Here is my problem.

I run a pc with this specs:

Has 8 Years Old
AMD Duron
700 Mhz
128 MB Ram
60 GB Hard Disk
2 Drives (One CD other DVD)
4 MB Grafics

And its using Windows XP because my father "wants too"...

Off course is slow as hell, so i want to put windows 98 in it. But i need a floppy drive, but unfortunally mine is broken so i need a boot disk cd for windows 98. Is that possible?

I heard that if you install windows 98 you need to manually install the hardware. Is that true?

If yes, can you please recomend me alternative operative systems that are in "Portuguese (of portugal - other dad's requirement)". If no, say them anyway that i will avaliate them. Thank you very much, i wait for help.

[as702]

Windows 98? You are brave. (-:

If memory serves, Windows 98 comes supplied on a CD (you shouldn't need to use a floppy drive).

Also, you may want to consider using Windows 2000 instead; the NT kernel used by NT/2000/XP/Vista is far more stable and less prone to system crashes than Win 9x. I had an old Compaq 800Mhz PIII with 256Mb RAM and it ran very well under Win2000.

If possible, see if you can upgrade the memory to somewhere between 256-512Mb if you do decide to use Windows 2000. For Windows 98, you should be fine as you are.

[Anarki99]

Hello. Inicially this computer came with Windows 2000/ME and it's a Compac to. But in forums, and people tell me that windows 2000 it's the worst operative system of mircrosoft... so i never considered the chance.

I cannot upgrade this computer because it is at his maximum.

I would like to use some linux distro but i have hundreds of cd's that only work with windows...

[Icecube]

For the record, Windows Millennium Edition (ME) is the worst operating system of Microsoft (based on DOS). Windows 2000 is 100 times better

You can make an stripped down version of the Windows XP install disk. This Windows XP lite edition requires less RAM than the normal Windows XP. You can also do this with Windows 2000.

See: http://www.nliteos.com/ for the program nLite.

TinyXP is a stripped down version of Windows XP, made with nLite.
See: http://digg.com/software/TinyXP_55Mb_WinXP_client
You can't download it, because this is illegal. But you can make your own version with nLite and the original Windows XP disk.

I would like to use some linux distro but i have hundreds of cd's that only work with windows...

What kind of cd's are it (games, software, ..)?

Small linux distro's that you can try:

• Damn Small Linux (minimum RAM require = 16 MB)
  Puppy Linux (once you have installed it is much faster that when you run it from a live CD).

You can install both: Windows and 1 or more linux distro's together on 1 PC so you can always boot to windows if you need to work with the cd's that you have and boot to linux if you want to work fast.

[as702]

For the record, Windows Millennium Edition (ME) is the worst operating system of Microsoft (based on DOS).

Kinda. Comparing any of the Win 9x/ME variants is more akin to judging a "best-in stool sample" award at an farmer's annual cattle convention.

Windows 2000 is 100 times better

Was it not for the lack of USB support, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend NT.
)-:

You can make an stripped down version of the Windows XP install disk. This Windows XP lite edition requires less RAM than the normal Windows XP. You can also do this with Windows 2000.

You could probably accomplish the same using the original distribution; disable any unnecessary services, registry manipulation etc ad infinitum...

TinyXP is a stripped down version of Windows XP, made with nLite. You can't download it, because this is illegal.

It's funny how the first comment in the link you provided does just that.
(-;

[Anarki99]

Icecube

Well. I alredy tried to make my version of windows xp, but it didn't came with that menu when i start the computer with the install cd in it, so i could't install removing everything.

I will go check the Windows 2000. My computer came with ME.

CD's that are basicly games and stuff, but i wanna turn the PC to only write stuff and internet and a use of some instant messenger.

I alredy saw that Puppy linux one but the self-called portuguese version is a brazilian version. We have many difference in our 2 languages.

I don't mind downloading warez stuff... so i will go check that TinyXP... xD

About dual boot system i alredy heard of that and it seems nice. I would like to know how i can put several systems in one pc.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

as702

It's the windows 2000 not compatibly with usb or the nt?

[Anarki99]

Ok. I'm now downloading Windos 98 SE PT-PT with boot system.

But i'm now more interested in Windows 2000. It looks good for my pc.

[coin]

@Anarki99 and as702
One can also test out one or more of the rescue-type ISO images at
http://www.allbootdisks.com/

As recommended above, I'd definitely steer clear of the Windows Millenium Edition boot ISO and OS.
Windows 98 and Windows 2000 are clearly your best bets both for bootable rescue-type ISO's and for installation OS's.

The Windows 95 and Windows NT ISO's could possibly work out, however their OS's are much too low-end and outdated by now ((historical troubles with non-PnP/non-H.C.L. devices, absence of support for USB devices, ... etcetera)

Windows XP could be much too high-end, and the ISO for either the XP-Home or XP-Professional might be unnecessary.

[as702]

But i'm now more interested in Windows 2000. It looks good for my pc.

Do it! (-;

@Anarki99 and as702
As recommended above, I'd definitely steer clear of the Windows Millenium Edition boot ISO and OS.

For MS-DOS flavoured variants, DOS 6.22 and 7.10 are the safest bet. I'll be providing an MS-DOS version for UBCD in due course.

[Anarki99]

Thanks to all but now i'm running Windows 98 ( i got one with boot included ) and Windows XP too.

I now have 384 of Ram on my pc. A friend gave me a 320 one.

[Constance]

You mean 256 I assume...