Re0formatting my PC

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Tony - 29 Nov 2003 10:22 GMT

I have a relatively old PC that I have upgraded but
recently bough a new PC. I want to let my kids use the
old pc but it has the accumulated junk of 5 years on it,
not to mention a few configuration problems.

Can anyone tell me how to clean off the PC and re-install
anything, is this what you do when you format the disk?
or is there somehwre I can find out how to do this on the
microsoft website?
Thanks chaps/chapesses

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Jon_Hildrum - 29 Nov 2003 11:11 GMT

Before doing anything please make sure you have the install media (the CD)
and the product key.
The product key can easily be obtained from a running installation and is
required for a new installation.
Use Start-->Run and type in regedit.
Navigate to the below location in the registry and look in the right pane
for the entry ProductKey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

Next make a boot disk with CDROM support (the Win98 ERD is ok).
It can be made by using control panel --Add/remove Programs -->Startup Disk.
(this may not be required if you have a bootable OEM version of the
windows98 CD)

Save any information that you want to keep because in the next step
everything will be wiped out. You will not be able to recover it.

Boot the boot disk and at the A:> prompt type format C:
Follow instructions. It may take a little while for format to complete.

When formatting is completed insert the win98 CD rom in the CD drive. at the
a:> prompt type

A:> <CDROM drive letter>:\win98\setup

Then follow instructions

Note: <CDROM Drive letter> appeared on the screen while booting the floppy.
It will be something like D: or E:

Signature

Jon Hildrum
DTS MVP
Jon_Hildrum@msn.com
www.hildrum.com

> I have a relatively old PC that I have upgraded but
> recently bough a new PC. I want to let my kids use the
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> microsoft website?
> Thanks chaps/chapesses

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Tony - 29 Nov 2003 13:55 GMT

>-----Original Message-----
>I have a relatively old PC that I have upgraded but
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>.
>Jon,

Thanks for the advice, sorry to display my ignorance,
whats a win98 ERD? and I have two Hard Drives, one as a
slave of the other, do I reformat both drives?
Tony

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Jon_Hildrum - 29 Nov 2003 14:08 GMT

Tony, no only the one which contains the system. This would most likely be
the primary drive (or the C drive). Actually, with two drives you can save
anything you may want to keep on to the second drive prior to starting.

The ERD disk is the one which was made during the win98 install. You can
make one if you do not have it by the instructions I provided in the last
post.

Another way is to insert the Win98 CDROM then run Fat32ebd.exe located on
the W98 CD: tools/mtsutil/fat32ebd.

Ron Badour has a good write up which may be worth printing out prior to
starting.
http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/w98_restore.html

Signature

Jon Hildrum
DTS MVP
Jon_Hildrum@msn.com
www.hildrum.com

>
> >-----Original Message-----
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> slave of the other, do I reformat both drives?
> Tony

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Ron Badour - 30 Nov 2003 15:17 GMT

For information on installing W98, go to:
http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/w98_restore.html

Signature

Regards

Ron Badour, MS MVP W98 System
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo

> I have a relatively old PC that I have upgraded but
> recently bough a new PC. I want to let my kids use the
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> microsoft website?
> Thanks chaps/chapesses

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