Help with Windows problem

A friend of mine tried to install Windows XP onto his machine which already had Windows 98 on it. He tried to install the whole OS, not just an upgrade. It seemed to delete some of Win 98, but not all of it.

Now he to the point where niether OS works. When he boots up he has the choice of XP or 98. If he chosses XP it takes him to some installation page (which he can go through and then end up at the same page). If he selects Win 98 he gets the safe mode, command etc… choice. He can’t bring the machine up in safe mode. He gets some kind of a missing file error. He can only get the Command prompt to come up. What can he do?

Needless to say, I’m not in front of this computer.

Ah yes, the joys of a blown windows installation :).

The XP “installation page” - are you sure it’s not the activation screen (WinXP has to be activated - I think you can still use it briefly before you’re REQUIRED to activate it)?

It sounds like he tried to install XP and keep his existing operating system, rather than upgrading the current OS (It’s conceivable he did this inadvertantly), and both OS’s wound up getting trashed in the process.

IMHO, the quickest thing to do would be to scotch the whole thing - format the drive and install XP fresh. You might be able to boot to the XP CD and access the recovery console, and attempt to repair the installation from there, but since it hasn’t been completely set up, I wouldn’t hold out much hope.

critter42

Note: If you do reformat (and that’s really best in this case, assuming that he’s backed up any important data he has on the computer), make sure you still have a '98 cd hanging around, 'cause it’ll ask for it to make sure that you’re qualified for the upgrade version of XP.

Activation comes way later in the process, you log in and a little bubble comes up reminding you that you have 30 days to activate.

-lv

I would also recommend booting from the XP cd. He should be presented with a choice (as critter42 said) of repairing the existing installation, or installing a new OS.

If he chooses to install, depending on what’s still there, he may be told “Hey, you already have an OS, are you really sure you want to overwrite?” In these conditions, he should agree to that, format the drive, and an hour or two later have a happy computer.

(Don’t forget to get Service Pack 1 and other assorted security fixes for XP after the install, too.)

On preview - LordVor, the OP stated that he was installing the whole OS, not just an upgrade. In that case, he won’t need a 98 install cd or a 98 cd key.

Thanks guys!

Ino, when you go and buy Windows XP, you either get the full version or the upgrade version, with the upgrade version being about $50 cheaper. You can do a full install with the upgrade version, but you either need:

  1. A version of windows currently installed on the PC, or
  2. An install CD for another version of windows.

Since the OP qualified for the upgrade version, I assumed that that was what the OP bought, and that the OP then tried to do a full install with the upgrade version, which is completely possible. Since the OP had a version of windows installed on his PC, the OP didn’t need the cd to complete the installation, but if the OP wipes the hard drive and starts over, the OP will. It was a valid warning.

-lv

Thanks for the clarification; the misunderstanding was mine.

Now just call me lno instead of Ino and we’ll both be happy. :wink:

Fine, you’re an lno. Damned default fonts :wink:

-lv