# Computer question: trouble reinstalling Win98 **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 30, 2006, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-trouble-reinstalling-win98/350515 "2006-03-30T06:24:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![choosybeggar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@choosybeggar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choosybeggar)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-trouble-reinstalling-win98/350515/1 "2006-03-30T06:24:48Z")
I’m giving an old laptop away (thinkpad series 1500). I used a drive eraser to securely remove all data. Now I’m stuck , though in that I can’t reinstall Win98 from the CD copy because the CD-ROM no worky without driver files (!@#$#). Furthermore, I don’t have a Win98 boot disk. I do have a desktop with a floppy drive running XP if that might help. Can I create a boot disk with appropriate CDROM driver files from my XP machine? Is there another more elegant solution? Thanks, CB ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-trouble-reinstalling-win98/350515/2 "2006-03-30T07:01:29Z")
Try [here](http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-trouble-reinstalling-win98/350515/3 "2006-03-30T07:04:00Z")
> [@choosybeggar](#): > > Is there another more elegant solution? Try looking at [http://www.cdrom-drivers.com/](http://www.cdrom-drivers.com/), like [IBM Thinkpad 760EL & others driver - IBM CDROM Drivers - cdtpgdos.exe](http://www.cdrom-drivers.com/drivers/113/113425.htm) Or the official IBM download site at [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-488QAL](http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-488QAL) You should be able to download the drivers you need. But it might be easier to create a boot disk on your XP system, which will have basic drivers for a CD reader. Then download & install the official ones. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-trouble-reinstalling-win98/350515/4 "2006-03-30T18:09:01Z")
Does your laptop have a floppy drive? If it does, then you can use the bootdisk from the [bootdisk.com](http://bootdisk.com) site that QED linked to. You’ve probably got an ATAPI compatible CD ROM, which a generic boot disk can handle. If it doesn’t have a floppy drive, then check the settings of your laptop to see if it is set to boot from the CD drive. If it will boot from the CD drive, the next thing you need is a bootable Win98 install CD. Not all win98 install CDs are bootable, but most of them are. ---
**Author:** ![choosybeggar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@choosybeggar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choosybeggar)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-trouble-reinstalling-win98/350515/5 "2006-03-30T18:54:49Z")
Thanks for the suggestions. I made the boot disk and it worked. Now all I need to do is partition the drive, format it, then install Win98. Surely, I’ll run into another snag. Can I meet you guys here later if I do? -CB ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-trouble-reinstalling-win98/350515/6 "2006-03-30T19:02:01Z")
> [@choosybeggar](#): > > Surely, I’ll run into another snag. Can I meet you guys here later if I do? Sure, but we’ll have to charge you overtime. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![choosybeggar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@choosybeggar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choosybeggar)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-trouble-reinstalling-win98/350515/7 "2006-03-31T02:01:32Z")
The CD ROM that I \*thought \*was a Win98 CD turns out is only a Win98 recovery CD. IBM, in its great wisdom, apparently doesn’t want me doing a clean reinstall. Does it sound like I’m fucked? Any chance of unfucking? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-trouble-reinstalling-win98/350515/8 "2006-03-31T02:07:36Z")
You should still be able to run it using your boot diskette. Boot with the diskette and stick the CD-ROM in the drive. At the A:\> prompt, type X: where X is the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive (probably D, unless you have multiple hard drives or a partitioned C drive). At the CD-ROM drive prompt, type DIR and look for something like RECOVER.EXE, SETUP.EXE or INSTALL.EXE or something along those lines. Then run it by typing the filename and hitting \. This CD will restore the hard drive as it came from the factory–pretty much as good as a clean install. ---
**Author:** ![choosybeggar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@choosybeggar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choosybeggar)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-trouble-reinstalling-win98/350515/9 "2006-03-31T04:44:25Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > You should still be able to run it using your boot diskette. Boot with the diskette and stick the CD-ROM in the drive. At the A:\> prompt, type X: where X is the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive (probably D, unless you have multiple hard drives or a partitioned C drive). At the CD-ROM drive prompt, type DIR and look for something like RECOVER.EXE, SETUP.EXE or INSTALL.EXE or something along those lines. Then run it by typing the filename and hitting \. This CD will restore the hard drive as it came from the factory–pretty much as good as a clean install. I tried to run recover.exe. The system paused momentarily and then returned to the command prompt. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-trouble-reinstalling-win98/350515/10 "2006-03-31T04:48:02Z")
> [@choosybeggar](#): > > I tried to run recover.exe. The system paused momentarily and then returned to the command prompt. Are there any other .EXE or .COM files on there? Also see if there’s a README or something which might give you some instructions. ---
**Author:** ![choosybeggar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@choosybeggar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choosybeggar)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-trouble-reinstalling-win98/350515/11 "2006-04-01T03:26:56Z")
In the main disk directory: Applications: DFT4PSG PRIME BIN files BOOTCAT BOOTIMG Dat File ZERO File FAT16 FAT32 YES IMZ File JGUSMA0 through JGUSMA9 MS-DOS Batch file DFT There is a subdirectory called ‘recovery.’ The files therein are as follows: Application DISK FDISK FMTDRV PFTO PHUNZIP RECOVER SHOW1 SHOW2 SHOW4 WARN WSEC11 File FAT16 FAT32 YES MS-DOS Application BSECR FORMAT NOPAR REBOOT MS-DOS Batch File RECV1 RECV2 RECV3 RECVR USRBRK