Hello - Introduction

This section is designed to provide you with all the information necessary to help decide whether Windows 98 is for you.  Then, once you've embraced the latest OS from Redmond, we'll help you install it and offer tips if you run into problems.  Before you start, make sure you're up on the latest news about Windows 98.

Should You Upgrade?
Click here to decide if Windows 98 is for you.  We also compare 98 with 95 to help you make up your mind.

Can You Upgrade?
So you've decided to take the plunge.  Will your PC handle it?  You also may want to check Microsoft's Hardware Compatibility List.  This is a list of hardware that has been tested and deemed compatible with Windows 98.

Upgrade or Clean Install?
When upgrading your Operating System, it pays to take the time to start from a clean install.  Upgrading allows you to bypass backing up your data and re-installing your applications, but a clean install will save you headaches later on.  Read more about common problems you may avoid by installing Windows 98 from scratch.  If you decide to take the upgrade path, you must already have Windows 3.x or Windows 95 installed.  In the event the upgrade method fails, the clean-install is the next method to try.

NOTE:  If you bought the Windows 98 upgrade, you can still perform a clean install.   You'll just have to insert your Windows 95 CD (or floppy disk 1) during installation to prove you are truly upgrading.

Before You Start
Here are some helpful tips for those that decide to go down the upgrade path to prep yourself and your PC for the transition to Windows 98.  The more time you spend prepping your PC, the more successful your upgrade will go.  If you've decided on the clean-install method, you can ignore this section because the clean install will nullify these issues.

1.  Uninstall any anti-virus programs running on your machine, these programs may interrupt the setup process.  You may have to modify AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS or WIN.INI.  In some cases, you may have to disable the anti-virus program from within the BIOS setup.  Refer to your anti-virus program's documentation for more details.

2.  Run ScanDisk prior to installation.  Double-click on MY COMPUTER, then right-click on the drive you're installing Windows 98 on.  Select PROPERTIES, then the TOOLS tab.  Under ERROR CHECKING, click on the button CHECK NOW.  Select STANDARD TEST and AUTOMATICALLY FIX ERRORS or for Windows 3.1x, run C:\DOS\CHKDISK /F from a Command Prompt.

3.  Close all running programs and disable your screen saver.  The easiest way to close all your applications is hit CTRL + ALT + DEL and ensure that the only applications running are SYSTRAY and EXPLORER.  To disable the screen saver, right-click anywhere on the desktop and select PROPERTIES.  Click on the SCREEN SAVER tab and select NONE in the SCREEN SAVER drop-down box.  In Windows 3.1x, you can disable the screen saver from the Control Panel which is located in the Main group.

4.  Ensure you have enough disk space for the upgrade.  The easiest way to do this is to double-click on MY COMPUTER, and right-click on the drive you're installing Windows 98 on.   Select PROPERTIES, and click on the GENERAL TAB.  This will display how much free space you have on your hard drive.  In Windows 3.1x, you can find this out by typing CHKDSK at a DOS Command Prompt.  Make sure you have at least 120 MB for bare-bones, no-frills install up to 400 MB free for the full-install using FAT16.

5.  Get a clean floppy disk ready.  This will become the Windows 98 Startup disk.  During installation, you'll have the option of creating a startup disk.  DO IT!!!  If you are converting to FAT32, this will be the only method you'll be able to use to troubleshoot or boot your PC in cases of emergency.

6.  Backup your important data files.  You should adopt a system where you store all of your files in one main directory with sub-directories to organize your files.  If you currently don't have such a system.  Take the time to search through your files and organize them accordingly this will make your backups, now and forever, much easier.  After you've located all the files you'll need to backup, save these files to another medium -- tape drive, zip disks, floppies, etc.  Make sure you verify that you got all the files you needed and that they exist, intact on your backup medium.

7.  Inventory all of the applications you use.  Go through your PC and locate all of the programs in your Start Menu and on your desktop that you use.   You may also need to manually go through your files and look for those utilities and applications that don't have shortcuts.  After you've got that inventory completed, locate all of the installation disks/CDs and any upgrades you've applied since.  If you have applications that came with your PC, you can usually contact the PC manufacturer to obtain the standard applications that came with your PC.

8.  Inventory all of your hardware.  Right-Click on MY COMPUTER and click on the DEVICE MANAGER tab.   Hit the PRINT button.  Take a look for the major hardware devices (i.e. sound, video, network cards, modems, etc.) and check with the manufacturer to see if they have Windows 98 drivers yet.  This step may take a huge chunk of your time, but it's easier to find out now that your piece of hardware may not work under Windows 98.  If you do find out that your particular piece of hardware doesn't have 98 drivers yet, you might want to put off the 98 upgrade.  Wait a while until the manufacturers develop the drivers -- it's worth the wait.  NOTE:  Windows 98 contains an extensive list of built-in hardware drivers, however, they don't always take full advantage of your PC components and tend to be older.  If you want to ensure full operation of all your components, wait for your hardware manufacturer to develop 98 drivers. 

Start Your Engines
If you are upgrading, simply run SETUP.EXE from Windows 95.  If you are starting a clean install, you have a little bit of work ahead of you.  Some of these steps may require the assistance of your computer-knowledgeable friend to complete (especially when using FDISK or FORMAT).   If you're brave or knowledgeable enough, follow this checklist:

1.  Before you start this step, ensure that you have backed up all the files you need and have performed the steps 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 in the BEFORE YOU START section.  After this step, there is no going back.  Create a bootable floppy with the proper Windows 95 tools and CD-ROM drivers.  Insert the bootable floppy, restart your PC.  The boot-up sequence will drop you out to a DOS prompt that may look like this:  C:\>  Make sure you can read your CD from the DOS prompt.  Insert a data CD (not audio) and type:  CD cd-rom drive letter   then DIR   Make sure you can see the contents of the CD.  If you can't see the CD-ROM drive then click here to find more information about creating a bootable floppy with CD-ROM drivers.  If you still can't see the CD-ROM drive, then try running setup from the hard drive.

2.  At the prompt, type:  A:FORMAT C: /S /Q  This will format your C: drive and install the startup files necessary to boot your PC.  Note: C: refers to the hard drive or partition that contains Windows.  This drive may be different for some users.  If so just substitute C: with D:, E: or the drive letter your Windows installation resides.  (If you want multiple partitions, type: A:FDISK      before this step and then run   A:FORMAT drive     for each of the drives you've created.  NOTE:  FDISK is not for the faint of heart, if you don't know why you'd want multiple partitions, skip using FDISK.)

3.  The hard drive is now clean and there's no going back.  Insert your CD-ROM.  Type: CD drive   where drive is the drive letter used to access your CD drive.  Then type SETUP.EXE.  You're now on your way to having the latest and greatest from Microsoft.  P.S. - Watch www.fixwindows.com for any 98 patches that come down the pipe.

So You've Hit a Snag during Installation?
Are you receiving errors?  If so, stroll through the list of Setup Errors for Windows 98.  They'll help you diagnose and solve most common problems during the Windows 98 setup.

Has the Setup Errors list instructed you to run the 98 setup from your hard drive or from DOS?  If so, here's some instructions for installing from DOS or installing from your hard drive.

Still having problems?   Check out our Windows 98 Setup Troubleshooter.

Still having problems?   Check out the SETUP.TXT that comes on the Windows 98 CD or here on the Web.

Aaaaaah!!   I'm Going Back to Windows 95.
Windows 98 may not be for everybody so here's some steps to get you back to Windows 95.

If you upgraded to Windows 98 over previous version of Windows
If you upgraded over Windows 95, Microsoft has built-in ways to return to your previous version of Windows.  Click here for instructions.

If you cleanly installed Windows 98 from scratch
You may think it is hard to return to 95, but in essence, you've already performed this procedure.  Follow the same process in START YOUR ENGINES, but this time use the Windows 95 CD for installation and you'll be back in Kansas in no time.