# Still having computer problems. Boot disc. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 20, 2005, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-having-computer-problems-boot-disc/309125 "2005-06-20T22:10:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![sewalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@sewalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sewalk)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-having-computer-problems-boot-disc/309125/21 "2005-06-21T23:45:59Z")
C: is not always the ramdrive. RAMDRIVE.SYS is called by a script that uses the next free drive letter. If one or more hard drive partitions are present and functional, IO.SYS will assign drive letters starting with C: first. Since IO.SYS is the first file loaded by MSDOS, nothing else can assign drive letters before it. If no valid partitions are found, then yes, C: would be the first available letter for RAMDRIVE.SYS to use. But not always. And if it was, there wouldn’t be a hard drive partition at D:, either. [/more than you really wanted to know about MSDOS] ---
**Author:** ![Daizy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-having-computer-problems-boot-disc/309125/22 "2005-06-22T00:14:33Z")
Thank you **sewalk** We could just play it safe and use [Billy’s own words:](http://support.microsoft.com/kb/221829/EN-US/) How to Install Windows 98 After you partition and format your hard disk, you can install Windows 98: 1. Insert the Windows 98 Startup disk in the floppy disk drive, and then restart your computer. 2. When the Windows 98 Startup menu is displayed, choose the Start computer with CD-ROM support option, and then press ENTER. 3. If CD-ROM support is provided by the generic drivers on the Startup disk, you receive one of the following messages, where X is the drive letter that is assigned to your CD-ROM drive: Drive X: = Driver MSCD001 Drive X: = Driver OEMCD001 NOTE: If your CD-ROM drive is not available after you boot from the Windows 98 Startup disk, install the CD-ROM drivers that are included with your CD-ROM drive. For information about how to obtain and install the most current driver for your CD-ROM drive, view the documentation that is included with your device, or contact your hardware manufacturer. 1. Insert the Windows 98 CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive, type the following command at a command prompt, and then press ENTER X:\setup where X is the drive letter that is assigned to your CD-ROM drive. 2. When you receive the following message, press ENTER, and then follow the instructions on the screen to complete the Setup procedure: Please wait while the Setup initializes. Setup is now going to perform a routine check on your system. To continue press Enter. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-having-computer-problems-boot-disc/309125/23 "2005-06-22T04:17:32Z")
PC is still down. > [@Daizy](#): > > 1. Insert the Windows 98 CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive, type the following command at a command prompt, and then press ENTER > X:\setup > where X is the drive letter that is assigned to your CD-ROM drive. This is where things fell down. The Windows 98 CD does not contain SETUP.EXE. I was all for just taking the PC to the shop at this point, but my friend says he will ask his step-father if he has an XP disc to re-install Windows. ---
**Author:** ![Daizy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-having-computer-problems-boot-disc/309125/24 "2005-06-22T04:33:29Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > PC is still down. > > This is where things fell down. The Windows 98 CD does not contain SETUP.EXE. I was all for just taking the PC to the shop at this point, but my friend says he will ask his step-father if he has an XP disc to re-install Windows. Really? Hmmmm. Puzzling. You’ve stuck this cd in a working machine and took a look? Or are you perhaps getting an error when you type setup? ---
**Author:** ![KesMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/49beb7/32.png) [@KesMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KesMan)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-having-computer-problems-boot-disc/309125/25 "2005-06-22T04:35:16Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > PC is still down. > > This is where things fell down. The Windows 98 CD does not contain SETUP.EXE. I was all for just taking the PC to the shop at this point, but my friend says he will ask his step-father if he has an XP disc to re-install Windows. not even under /win98/setup.exe? ---
**Author:** ![Daizy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-having-computer-problems-boot-disc/309125/26 "2005-06-22T04:36:32Z")
How far have you got **Johnny L.A.**? Were you able to successfully format the hard drive? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-having-computer-problems-boot-disc/309125/27 "2005-06-22T13:01:29Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > my friend says he will ask his step-father if he has an XP disc to re-install Windows. This won’t work, WinXP has to be activated after installation, and Microsoft won’t activate a copy of WinXP that has already been installed and activated on another computer, unless you call them and verify that you are the legal owner and have deleted it from the previous computer. > [@](#): > > [http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/evaluation/features/activation.mspx](http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/evaluation/features/activation.mspx) > > Microsoft Product Activation is an anti-piracy technology designed to verify that software products have been legitimately licensed. This aims to reduce a form of piracy known as casual copying. Activation also helps protect against hard drive cloning. Activation is quick, simple, and unobtrusive, and it protects your privacy. > > Product Activation works by verifying that a software program’s product key has not been used on more personal computers than intended by the software’s license. You must use the product key in order to install the software and then it is transformed into an installation ID number. You use an activation wizard to provide the installation ID number to Microsoft either through a secure transfer over the Internet, or by telephone. A confirmation ID is sent back to your machine to activate your product. > > The installation ID number includes an encrypted form of the product ID and a hardware hash, or checksum. No personally identifying data is included or required. The confirmation ID is simply an unlocking code for the Windows XP installation on that particular PC. > > If you overhaul your computer by replacing a substantial number of hardware components, it may appear to be a different PC. You may have to reactivate Windows XP. If this should occur, you can call the telephone number displayed on the activation screen to reactivate the software. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-having-computer-problems-boot-disc/309125/28 "2005-06-22T13:32:50Z")
> [@Daizy](#): > > How far have you got **Johnny L.A.**? > Were you able to successfully format the hard drive? Yes. As for the file, I did DIR on the D: drive, and it’s not there. ---
**Author:** ![Daizy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-having-computer-problems-boot-disc/309125/29 "2005-06-22T19:06:05Z")
D could be the ram drive and the CD drive would then be E:. So what files do you see when making a ‘dir’ for the D drive, and try the E: drive. If it’s a regular Win98 setup CD then the root contains either a ‘setup.exe’ or an ‘install.exe’ - can’t remember which… Did you reboot after the format, with the bootdisk inserted and Choose to install using CDROM support? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-having-computer-problems-boot-disc/309125/30 "2005-06-23T13:42:33Z")
> [@Daizy](#): > > D could be the ram drive and the CD drive would then be E:. > So what files do you see when making a ‘dir’ for the D drive, and try the E: drive. If it’s a regular Win98 setup CD then the root contains either a ‘setup.exe’ or an ‘install.exe’ - can’t remember which… > > Did you reboot after the format, with the bootdisk inserted and Choose to install using CDROM support? Hm. CD was the D-drive before. I did reboot with CD-ROM support. Anyway, I’ve taken the computer to the shop. No more time to mess with it, and I need to get to my documents. They called yesterday afternoon and asked for the ‘key’. I don’t have it, so I had to drive into Bellingham with the old hard drive so that they could get the ‘key’ out of the registry. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-having-computer-problems-boot-disc/309125.md?page=1)