How to upgrade 98 to 98SE

[krick]

I have a system running Windows 98 (first edition).

I have in my possession, a CD titled "Microsoft Windows 98 Upgrade for users of Windows 3.1x and Windows 95" with a splash in the corner "Second Edition updated and improved".

Is it possible to use this to upgrade 98 First Edition even though it doesn't say so?

Do I have to resort to an "in place re-install"?

I've never gone from 98FE to 98SE so I just want to get some advice before I go screwing stuff up.

[Eck]

That's just the standard Windows 98SE Upgrade version, as opposed to the version that doesn't require owning a previous version.

It is a full install though, so you don't need 98 1st edition installed first. But you do need a Windows 3.1 or Windows 95 cd or floppy version for when it asks for proof of eligiblity for installation. I don't think it will run as an upgrade for 98 1st edition.

That being said, if you don't want to format and really want to simply update to 2nd edition using this cd, and you manage to borrow or somehow acquire a Windows 3.1 or 95 floppy or cd, you can delete win.com from the Windows folder in dos, then boot from a startup floppy. Run setup from the cd, insert your proof with the Win 3.1 or 95 when asked, and change the Windows folder to where yours is currently (usually C:\WINDOWS). It is recommended (by Microsoft) that you first normally uninstall from add/remove programs Internet Explorer if you have updated it from the IE4 origionally installed by Windows 98 1st Edition.

Setup will then install Windows 98SE, replacing your current Windows files with the updated versions, include all the additional 98SE parts, and still leave your installed programs all connected properly in the registry.

If there is a way to use that cd without proof of a previous version, I don't know about it. And, although it would be nice if it would accept your current version (98 1st Edition) as proof, I don't think it does.

Another option for you is finding and purchasing the Windows 98SE Updates cd. This is also a full version cd, however it is designed to update a currently installed Windows 98 1st edition to 98SE. It was removed from sale because it also would update Windows 95! (A nice bug, for those that discovered it.) This was $20 originally, and I've seen it on Ebay for the same. That, you can run from within Windows and it will do its thing, reboot a few times like a normal Windows install, and when it's done you have Windows 98SE!

Watch out! I don't mean the Windows 98 Service Pack 1 cd. That one does not give you 98SE, just some important updates to Windows 98 1st edition that are also still provided free from the normal Windows Update online. (It saved time for those on dialup connections at the time.)

Edited March 7, 2006 by Eck

[LLXX]

You can edit one of the INI files and it will not ask for a previous version. (I can't remember which one, but I've seen it on these forums here before.)

[krick]

I want to keep evertything currently installed. It's not my computer or I'd just wipe it and start fresh.

I was mainly wondering if this would do the update from windows or not, and also if it would trash my registry and installed programs since it's not specifically designed to upgrade windows 98 first edition.

It sounds like an update from within windows won't work, and I'll have to do what amounts to an in-place re-install, just using a different CD than was originally used.

I'm not worried about the CD check. I have a copy of windows 95.

[eidenk]

I don't think there should be a problem. Those upgrade CDs are full installs so you can install them (I think) even if your drive is empty but what you need is the qualifying product on CD or floppy and the 98FE CD won't do in your case but I believe this does not mean you cannot install on top of 98FE.

[erpdude8]

You can edit one of the INI files and it will not ask for a previous version. (I can't remember which one, but I've seen it on these forums here before.)

No LLXX. Editing any one of the INI files does not work with any version of Win98 setup. Worked okay with Win95 SR2 setup but not with Win98/ME setup.

I will say, krick, that after upgrading from Win98 FE to Win98 SE you may have to re-install some programs, especially DirectX. If you have installed DX7 or higher in 98fe and then upgrade to 98se (which will install the embedded DX 6.1a) you will need to re-install the DirectX software that you have so that it will work properly with Win98se.

deleting or renaming the win.com in DOS and running Win98se setup in DOS? hmm, that usually works when installing OEM editions of Win98se on top of a previous version of Windows regardless. The Win98se setup files I have are from an OEM edition instead of a retail upgrade or retail full edition of Win98 SE. It may work with the upgrade or full editions of Win98se setup.

It'll be best to run Win98se setup from DOS mode after renaming or deleting the WIN.COM file and not Windows running. But before you do that I'd copy ALL the Win98 2nd ed. setup files from the \WIN98\ folder of the CD onto the hard drive, then run Win98se setup on the hard drive. This is so that you can add optional components from Add/Remove programs Windows Setup tab and will install files from the setup files stored on the HD and setup will not prompt you for the Win98se CD.

[LLXX]

You can edit one of the INI files and it will not ask for a previous version. (I can't remember which one, but I've seen it on these forums here before.)

No LLXX. Editing any one of the INI files does not work with any version of Win98 setup. Worked okay with Win95 SR2 setup but not with Win98/ME setup.

Please read carefully http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=53927 and pay particular attention to "ProductType".

[Eck]

Yep, should be no problem doing what you want in dos. Not within Windows though. You've got your Windows 95 cd so you're all set to prove your elegible.

Just do like erpdude8 said and delete or rename win.com from dos. I think it's been done without uninstalling Internet Explorer first, but I would do that just in case. Microsoft posted some info about setup not handling Outlook Express properly if Outlook Express 5 is left there. So having the IE uninstaller do its thing of returning the system to Internet Explorer 4 might be a good idea.

You can copy the files first, but I usually make a WINDOWS\OPTIONS directory when I'm done and copy the WIN98 folder there. Then I rename the WIN98 folder to CABS. Then I go to regedit and wander to HKEY LOCAL MACHINE - Software - Microsoft - Windows - Current Version - SETUP and modify the Source files to C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS and the OLS Source path to the same but add \OLS. You won't use that (the online services folder) but Windows should at least have the proper path setup.

[erpdude8]

Please read carefully http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=53927 and pay particular attention to "ProductType".

thanks. correction to my last post, they're not INI files. They are INF files for win98se setup.

[krick]

Well, it turns out that it *will* upgrade a copy of 98FE, even though it doesn't explicitly say so on the package.

I just booted into windows, popped in the CD. It asked if I wanted to upgrade and I said yes.

When I was done with the upgrade, I had to "repair" Internet Explorer 6 because it was acting funny but everything else seems ok.

Oh, and I had to "repair" AVG anti-virus too because it claimed that the install was "damaged" on startup.

I might re-install DirectX as suggested above, just in case.

I installed USP2 and I still need to check if there are any windows updates that I now need due to the upgrade.

But overall, the whole thing was pretty painless. I really expected things to go horribly wrong.

[CLASYS]

That's just the standard Windows 98SE Upgrade version, as opposed to the version that doesn't require owning a previous version.

Another option for you is finding and purchasing the Windows 98SE Updates cd. This is also a full version cd, however it is designed to update a currently installed Windows 98 1st edition to 98SE. It was removed from sale because it also would update Windows 95! (A nice bug, for those that discovered it.) This was $20 originally, and I've seen it on Ebay for the same. That, you can run from within Windows and it will do its thing, reboot a few times like a normal Windows install, and when it's done you have Windows 98SE!

The upgrade edition is of course a full retail installer, just demands some proof of ownership of a prior system during the install, assuming you install over an empty partition, etc.

That other edition you mention cannot do a stand-alone install, it requires running from Windows, which is presumably how you got it to install from Win95 instead of Win98FE. Since Win95C is just a few weeks older than Win 98FE, I have no quarrel with that!

However, be advised that the 98lite package can user the former, but not the latter. 98lite installs from a DOS base, thus only the former, a retail DOS-worthy, albeit upgrade edition, is acceptable, as are full retail and OEM editions of 98SE.

On an unrelated note: MS sells XP as an upgrade edition, and claims it too cannot install from Win95. This is only partially true, and generally for most of us totally irrelevant. What ACTUALLY happens is that if you attempt a Windows-based install or upgrade from Win95, then indeed it will gracefully tell you it cannot work, etc.

However, if you install this XP from a DOS diskette, a more usual way to install XP, meaning the hard disk partition is empty, then you will be challenged for a valid upgrade from former media, pretty much the same way you describe for the 98SE upgrade situation from an empty hard disk. [Note: I haven't tried this from self-booting from the CD, but I believe there is no difference. In any case, the diskette boot method works as explained here.]

But, unlike the MS spiel which accurately tells you what you can do from what version of Windows, the DOS install allows the use of Windows 95 as a valid upgrade media! [Actually says so on the screen and it works!]

From the product description one would be led to believe you need 98FE through Win2K, but 95 works just fine from there, etc.

cjl

[Eck]

Well, I wasn't the one getting the 95 to 98SE update working! I just read about it. Never owned Windows 95 (or used it.) But, yeah that $20 cd is only used within Windows, not from dos. But that means it would be fine for krick as all he wants to do is upgrade to 98SE from 98 1st edition.

But, he has what he needs with his 98SE Upgrade cd anyway (as long as he runs from dos, like we said.)

I just wanted to point out some of the alternatives available.