If you have a friend with a CD burner have him generate a bootable CD. Then
boot the computer from the bootable CDROM and replace it with the win98 CD.
Then start installation by executing the setup file in the \win98 folder on
the win98 CDROM

I'm guessing you mean that the floppy drive must be removed from a bay
to insert the CD drive ?

Try this:

put the boot floppy in a machine running Windows and select all files
on floppy. Right click and choose attributes. Remove hidden setting.
This can be done in DOS, but is way quicker in Windows.
Now all files on floppy should be visible in DOS.

Boot laptop with floppy and copy all of floppy to main (root) folder
on C drive.

Remove floppy and see if you can boot with C drive and get CD ROM
support.

I suggest making a folder on C drive called win98  and copying all
files from CD drive's win98 to C's win98.

Switch to win98 on C drive and run setup

This installs Windows quicker than from CD and if Windoows needs
additional files later on, you won't be prompted for the Windows CD

If you need more detailed instructions, post here again.

D.

Clem,

Add this line to your Config.sys file, if you don't have
one you can create it from Dos with the Edit command.
DEVICE=C:\Oakcdrom.sys /D:MSCD001

Add this line to your Autoexec.bat file or create one
C:\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001

You will need the Oakcdrom.sys file from the Win98 boot
diskette. Booting with the disk creates a Ram drive that uses a
drive letter, it will probably be one more than your last drive
letter and it contains the MSCDEX.EXE file. Put both files in the
root. Use DIR to find the Ram drive and MSCDEX.EXE.

Remove the Boot disk, put in the CD and boot to Command
Prompt Only. You may have CDrom support. If so copy the Win98 folder
on the CD to your HDD and run Setup from there in Dos. You won't
need the CD again. Anytime Windows needs something from the CD it
will go to that folder instead.

If Setup tries to install into a Windows.000 or similar
folder change it to Windows.

This works for my two different CDroms, a DVD and a CDRW but may not
work for all of them.

I created a 200MB partition on the HDD on my Desktop (D:) and copied
the Win98 folder on the CD to it. I can format C: if ever needed and
then re-install from D:. I don't need the CD then, it's not working
now anyway.  :-(

There is some info here you may find helpful although
your case is different. How to Use Real-Mode CD-ROM Drivers from
Windows 98 Startup Disk
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];Q190303

If no help post back.

Happy New Year Everyone

Bill Watt  
Computer Help and Information  http://home.epix.net/~bwatt/
E-mail address is fake to minimize spam.

Go to http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm and create a
Windows 95 boot floppy.  This will install DOS 7.0, which
is sufficient to install Windows 98.  Use it to start the laptop
and type the following two lines:

copy  /y  a:\*.*  c:\
sys  c:

Remove the floppy drive, install the CD drive and restart.  Note that the CD drive
may be assigned drive letter "R:".

Ben