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Install Windows 98 On Laptop

BenG
Grafter
Posts: 202
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Install Windows 98 On Laptop

Hi,
My Dad brought a I.B.M ThinkPad Laptop, few weeks back. and have been haveing some problums, such as when it boots up, it takes a while, it seems like the POST is very slow. I duno if that is due to the battires or something to do with the Windows OS since it was preinstalled. with a load of things that are bascily not needed. So I thought I may do a fresh install.
The problum is the Laptop did not come with a Floppy Disk-Drive just a CD-DRIVE or the Windows 98 CD. Tho I still have a Windows 98 CD lieing around of my own, the problum is the CD is not bootable but it did come with it own floppy boot disk, to kick start the CD
So I was wondering does anyone know how or maybe were I can find some links to create a bootable CD, I was thinking of trying someway to  burn the floppy image to a blank CD and then copy the contents of the Windows 98 CD on to the same disk.
But I am unsure how to do this, or if I need any special tools, all I have is nero, so if anyone can help or give me some advice.
Thanks.
8 REPLIES 8
God
Grafter
Posts: 1,112
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Install Windows 98 On Laptop

Peace be with you...
http://www.bootdisk.com
Mind you I am not sure 98 is a good idea!
Peter_Vaughan
Grafter
Posts: 14,469
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Install Windows 98 On Laptop

The Win98 CD is bootable - you may need to change the boot order in the BIOS so the CD is tried before the hard disk.
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/forums/index.cfm?action=showthread&threadid=321822&forumid=1 explains how someone else with the same goal achieved it.
As for the slow POST, it may be doing a long memory test / system test. You should be able to go into the BIOS and turn this off or perform fast memory check or select fast startup - can't remember what its called on old ThinkPads.
HPsauce
Pro
Posts: 6,998
Thanks: 146
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎02-02-2008

Re: Install Windows 98 On Laptop

Not sure you're attacking the right problem or in the right way... Crazy
POST is before any operating system loads, so reinstalling it won't make any difference to that.
Battery level or condition  shouldn't affect speed though some systems do run at a slower CPU speed when only on battery as opposed to having the mains charger connected
Can you explain a bit more about what actually is wrong with it.
HPsauce
Pro
Posts: 6,998
Thanks: 146
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎02-02-2008

Re: Install Windows 98 On Laptop

And what model Thinkpad is it (I just happen to have an old 380Z to hand that's not been turned on for many a month!)
Peter_Vaughan
Grafter
Posts: 14,469
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Install Windows 98 On Laptop

Hmm... POST is the BIOS Power On Self Test, which in most Thinkpads happens behind the Thinkpad LOGO (i.e. you don't see it).
If its the time Windows takes to load (i.e. from the Windows screen) to getting to the desktop then yes, it could just be a load a drivers that takes time. It could also be the fact that the system is old and thus slow compared to current XP systems.
The amount of memory you have has a MAJOR impact on start-up time - how much is fitted?
BenG
Grafter
Posts: 202
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Install Windows 98 On Laptop

Hi,
It a I.B.M Thinkpad 600, well that what it says, it also did not come with a booklet as well witch does not help as well.
Think the memory is 164MB or 116MB from what I seen in the memory test. and it a PII, ok the POST part what happens is this each time it turned on the little I.B.M logo shows in the left top side of the screen, Next comes the Thinkpad logo at the bottom about 30 second or some times even longer a minute once I waited you get a nise beep, and then it start loading Windows 98, you know the one with that grovy Windows 98 Loading.
Once OS has loaded things are ok for a bit, but after some time, the system just locks and that's it bascily. frozen, can't do anything ecpect flip the restart switch, witch in turn then makes the above even slower than the first time around.
Also when my dad uses the laptop the power is always in , I duno if this is a good idea, becuase someone told him to keep the power all ways on if using it at home, witch he does anyway.
Anyway thanks for the links and info, I check them out latter, now I am just waiting for it to load up agian, after a nise 2 minute wait, oo I have a beep things are looking up Smiley
Thanks agian.
HPsauce
Pro
Posts: 6,998
Thanks: 146
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎02-02-2008

Re: Install Windows 98 On Laptop

Well I just turned on my Thinkpad (also a pentium-II) and it took just over 2 minutes to get to a "useable" state.
Now it's got ME on it, not 98 but they're not radically different. And it's a very clean minimal install. And at 96MB a bit less memory than yours, but still plenty.
The time taken was what I would consider normal for a machine of that vintage.
So, maybe the startup time is normal - but the freezing certainly isn't!
BenG
Grafter
Posts: 202
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Install Windows 98 On Laptop

That what I am hopeing to do with this Laptop, is give it a clean install as it was pre-installed, so really it had a few things it does not need, bits of software for like Internet providers and other networking things, and a few Thinkpad tools, but half the things are not really needed.
There also a few things loading upon start up as well, that maybe also causeing the problum or takeing memory that need not be taken.
Well I finaly booted agian so far so good no lockup yet, Well I think I have some dinner read over the links and info given in the above posts and see hows I get on, I let you all know anyway how I get on.
Thank agian all for your help and assistance it is very much appreciated.