# ugghh Reinstalling Windows98 again

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugghh-reinstalling-windows98-again/100557>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 28, 2002, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugghh-reinstalling-windows98-again/100557 "2002-03-28T14:19:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugghh-reinstalling-windows98-again/100557/21 "2002-03-31T04:27:17Z")

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The recovery CD that comes with some OEM computers are custom made. It boots on MS-DOS and runs a custom application that may or may not format your HDD, but it will copy everything from a compressed image to your C:\windows directory, overwriting everything.

If you want to make something like that, what you need is a bit image copying program such as the _Norton Ghost_. What you do is this:

1. Do a clean install. That is, format the relevant drive(s) first.

2. Install Windows, updates, drivers, applications, etc.

3. Run the bit image copying program, send the output to a CD-R.

4. Depending on the program, you may need to make a boot diskette.

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