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Windows 98 on Floppy Disks?


coolman

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I checked my BIOS settings and everything is fine. I am 99% sure this is a good cable because it is a brand new one that I bought off eBay. I am probably going to have to get my BIOS flashed..

Good. Before reflashing the BIOS, you can try resetting it (with a jumper or by removing the battery) and then reloading the BIOS defaults.

If you previously added the CD drive to the same cable as the HDD, the HDD may not have been jumpered correctly to allow the controller to see the second drive.

If you previously attached the CD drive with a separate cable to the secondary controller connector, you can try putting it on the same cable as the HDD.

The first goal would be to get both drives to be detected and show up in the BIOS setup. Then when you are booting to DOS, they should also both show up in the hardware summary screen just before DOS begins to load.

Did any of the CD drives ever get detected and show up in the BIOS setup or in the boot summary?

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The first goal would be to get both drives to be detected and show up in the BIOS setup. Then when you are booting to DOS, they should also both show up in the hardware summary screen just before DOS begins to load.

Did any of the CD drives ever get detected and show up in the BIOS setup or in the boot summary?

He may also need to disable "Silent Boot" or similar settings that would hide that list, especially on OEM computers.

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I cannot replace my CD-ROM drive because I have tried to replace it about 4 times with 4 different drives and the drives had never wanted to work.

I went through 2 used drives before I finally got one that worked. I wanted to replace it with the exact same model that was previously installed. 3rd time was the charm.

Did you make sure that the jumper pin was in the correct position on the back of the CD-Rom?

CD-Rom trouble shooting guide

http://www.techadvice.com/tech/c/cdrom_ts.htm

Jumper Pin settings

http://tips4pc.com/articles/computer%20troubleshooting/how_to_set_jumper_pin_settings_o.htm

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Since the Original Poster stated that he went through four drives it pretty much rules out bad drives, period. The odds of this happening four times in a row ( barring radical human error damaging each drive ) are microscopic.

The suggestions of drive jumpering makes good sense. And in addition to setting the jumper correctly, don't forget to use the correct cable position.

The end is MASTER. The middle is SLAVE. That needs to match the jumpering he decides to use.

Have you described the motherboard, CD drive model or Operating System yet? Does the BIOS show the drive as detected? You need to offer more info!

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The end is MASTER. The middle is SLAVE. That needs to match the jumpering he decides to use.

IF 80 wires cables are used, which additionally are colour coded:

http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/if/ide/confCable80-c.html

Older 40 wires cable did not have this limitations:

http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/if/ide/conf_Cable.htm

unless you were using a Cable Select setting (strongly discouraged by me):

http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/if/ide/conf_CS.htm

In case of cable select, often the Slave/Master are INVERTED when compared to the 80 Wire cables.

jaclaz

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I checked my BIOS settings and everything is fine. I am 99% sure this is a good cable because it is a brand new one that I bought off eBay. I am probably going to have to get my BIOS flashed..

Good. Before reflashing the BIOS, you can try resetting it (with a jumper or by removing the battery) and then reloading the BIOS defaults.

If you previously added the CD drive to the same cable as the HDD, the HDD may not have been jumpered correctly to allow the controller to see the second drive.

If you previously attached the CD drive with a separate cable to the secondary controller connector, you can try putting it on the same cable as the HDD.

The first goal would be to get both drives to be detected and show up in the BIOS setup. Then when you are booting to DOS, they should also both show up in the hardware summary screen just before DOS begins to load.

Did any of the CD drives ever get detected and show up in the BIOS setup or in the boot summary?

I got my BIOS flashed and it still doesn't recognize the CD-ROM drive.

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I cannot replace my CD-ROM drive because I have tried to replace it about 4 times with 4 different drives and the drives had never wanted to work.

I went through 2 used drives before I finally got one that worked. I wanted to replace it with the exact same model that was previously installed. 3rd time was the charm.

Did you make sure that the jumper pin was in the correct position on the back of the CD-Rom?

CD-Rom trouble shooting guide

http://www.techadvice.com/tech/c/cdrom_ts.htm

Jumper Pin settings

http://tips4pc.com/articles/computer%20troubleshooting/how_to_set_jumper_pin_settings_o.htm

Yes.

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The first goal would be to get both drives to be detected and show up in the BIOS setup. Then when you are booting to DOS, they should also both show up in the hardware summary screen just before DOS begins to load.

Did any of the CD drives ever get detected and show up in the BIOS setup or in the boot summary?

He may also need to disable "Silent Boot" or similar settings that would hide that list, especially on OEM computers.

I don't have that in my BIOS..

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Forgetting about the built in CD drive, your best bet is to install Windows 98 from a folder on the hard drive. The trick is getting it there. Here are some possible ways to do that:

  • Pull out the hard drive, attach it to another computer, and copy the 98 setup folder directly on to it (this would be the fastest way).
  • Use a DOS based split/combine program (there are lots of them) to break up a regular Win98 setup folder in to 1.44 meg segments and transfer them a disk at a time.
  • Use a program like LapLink (there was one included with DOS 6) to transfer files over a nullmodem or laplink cable.
  • If the computer has a network card with a DOS NDIS 2 driver you could make a LanManager boot disk and transfer over a network (very, very complicated though)
  • Use an external parallel port "Backpack" CD drive, or ZIP drive.
  • If it has a compatible USB port, there is DOS USB driver that might be able to read some flash drives. Not sure how well that actually works though.

I assume this is a laptop where you can't just attach any random IDE device you want.

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Forgetting about the built in CD drive, your best bet is to install Windows 98 from a folder on the hard drive. The trick is getting it there. Here are some possible ways to do that:

  • Pull out the hard drive, attach it to another computer, and copy the 98 setup folder directly on to it (this would be the fastest way).
  • Use a DOS based split/combine program (there are lots of them) to break up a regular Win98 setup folder in to 1.44 meg segments and transfer them a disk at a time.
  • Use a program like LapLink (there was one included with DOS 6) to transfer files over a nullmodem or laplink cable.
  • If the computer has a network card with a DOS NDIS 2 driver you could make a LanManager boot disk and transfer over a network (very, very complicated though)
  • Use an external parallel port "Backpack" CD drive, or ZIP drive.
  • If it has a compatible USB port, there is DOS USB driver that might be able to read some flash drives. Not sure how well that actually works though.

I assume this is a laptop where you can't just attach any random IDE device you want.

I took out the HDD and put it in another computer and it totally messed up. I tried to put it back in the other computer and now it can't even READ the drive. Also who said this was a laptop?

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Just install Windows 95.

It requires less disks, it's easier to find Win95 on floppy than Win98.

Only requires 15 floppy disks, instead of 39 :-)

Check this out. $25 for a mint copy of Win95 on floppy disk

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Microsoft-Windows-95-Operating-System-on-3-5-Floppy-Disks-New-and-Unopened-/221169305874?pt=US_Operating_Systems_Software&hash=item337eb7c912

Edited by LostInSpace2012
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Just install Windows 95.

It requires less disks, it's easier to find Win95 on floppy than Win98.

Only requires 15 floppy disks, instead of 39 :-)

Check this out. $25 for a mint copy of Win95 on floppy disk

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Microsoft-Windows-95-Operating-System-on-3-5-Floppy-Disks-New-and-Unopened-/221169305874?pt=US_Operating_Systems_Software&hash=item337eb7c912

I will look into that.

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CharlotteTheHarlot said:

Since the Original Poster stated that he went through four drives it pretty much rules out bad drives, period. The odds of this happening four times in a row ( barring radical human error damaging each drive ) are microscopic.

Wrong.

The original poster never stated whether or not the 4 drives he purchased were new or second-hand. It is very possible to buy used drives off ebay (or any computer store that sells re-used parts) that are listed in "working" condition, only to have them arrive at your house, and after installing them find out they dont' work. Because it happened to me numerous times, not just with CD-Roms, but with modems as well. I don't think the odds are anywhere remotely close to "microscopic." If you factor in the following variables: damage from the post office, not marked as "fragile", the person selling the item didn't test the drive, it was dropped by the mail workers, it was too cold outside, too much moisture/humidity in the mailbox, etc etc etc.

It's not a microscopic possibility of getting 4 consecutive broken CD-Roms....if.... they are used, that is.

Until we have ALL the facts, especially concerning the "newness" of his CD-Roms, and how much human error it takes to become "Radical," we don't know how microscopic the odds are. Period. Anything can happen. Maybe he DID get 4 broken drives in a row.

Not trying to be a jerk about this, just trying to be methodical.

Edited by LostInSpace2012
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Since the OP apparently has access to another computer:

[...]

I took out the HDD and put it in another computer and it totally messed up.

[...]

he should be able to put the 4 "broken" CD-ROM drives into the other computer to verify that they truly are broken. We are assuming that he will be careful that they will be plugged into an appropriate cable and that the jumpers on the HDDs and the CD-ROM drives will be set to not conflict in any way.

Cheers and Regards

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