Windows 98: installation and setup

Windows 98 can go on an old computer either as an upgrade from Windows 95 or as a fresh install. Here is what to expect at each stage, for people restoring old hardware or running older software.

What you need

• Your own Windows 98 disc and product key, from a copy you legally own. Microsoft no longer sells it. Do not download disc images from websites.
• Microsoft's setup chapter lists a 486DX/66 MHz processor as the minimum (Pentium or better recommended), 16 MB of memory, a VGA display and a 3.5-inch floppy drive. You also need a blank floppy disk for the Startup Disk.
• Free disk space of at least 120 MB, and up to 355 MB for a new install, plus room for the swap file. The disk must use a FAT partition. Windows 98 cannot install on an NTFS-only disk.

The Setup Options screen is for new installs. These sizes come from Microsoft's chapter on setting up Windows 98.

Choose how to install

• Upgrade from Windows 95. Run Setup from inside Windows 95. Microsoft recommends this to keep your settings, and it installs to the same folder.
• Upgrade from Windows 3.1x. Run Setup from Windows. Most settings carry over.
• New install. Run Setup from MS-DOS on a new or reformatted disk. Nothing carries over, so reinstall your programs.

Microsoft says you cannot dual boot Windows 98 and Windows 95.

Install Windows 98

1. Close all programs. Microsoft's setup chapter explains that Setup changes the boot sector of the hard disks, which virus-protection software is designed to block, so it can make Setup fail. Pause any antivirus program (and any BIOS virus-warning setting) only for the length of Setup, and turn it back on as soon as Setup finishes.
2. Put the Windows 98 CD in the drive. If you are upgrading from Windows 95, select Start, then Run, type d:\setup and select OK. Replace d: with your CD drive's letter.
3. For a fresh install from MS-DOS, start from a bootable disk that can read the CD drive, type the CD drive letter and a colon, then type setup and press Enter. A brand-new disk must first have a FAT partition created and formatted with a DOS disk tool such as Fdisk, which erases the disk. Follow the instructions that came with your computer or disk for that step.
4. If Setup starts from MS-DOS, it runs a quick ScanDisk check first. Let it finish. If you start Setup from inside Windows 95, Microsoft says it does not run this check, so run ScanDisk yourself beforehand.
5. Accept the license agreement and enter the product key from your box or certificate.
6. On a new install, select the setup option in the Setup Options screen. Choose Typical unless you have a reason to pick another.
7. Follow the prompts for your name and settings. Setup also asks you to make a Startup Disk with a blank floppy. Microsoft describes it as mandatory. Label it and keep it safe. Windows 95 Startup Disks are not compatible with Windows 98.
8. Wait while files are copied. The computer restarts. Leave the CD in and do not press keys until it finishes.

Check that it worked

1. Right-click My Computer and select Properties. The General tab names the system and its version. The original release is 4.10.1998. Second Edition is 4.10.2222 A.
2. Select the Device Manager tab. A yellow mark on a device means it needs a driver from its maker.
3. No product activation is needed. If the display looks coarse, install the display driver from the computer maker.

Next steps are in Windows 98: installing programs and drivers, and fixing common problems.

If something goes wrong

• Setup stops or restarts repeatedly. Remove nonessential devices, then start Setup again.
• Not enough room. Free disk space, or use the Compact option on a new install.
• It does not start from the CD. Start from a bootable floppy disk that includes CD-ROM drivers, such as a Windows 98 Startup Disk made on another computer, then run setup from the CD drive.
• Memory above 512 MB. Windows 98 was designed for up to 512 MB. With more than about 1.5 GB, it may restart repeatedly. Remove extra memory.

Frequently asked questions