Downgrading Unactivated Windows XP Home, to Windows 98?

Egyptian

I recently had a go at installing Windows XP Home on an older PC, using the CD that came with a new PC.

And as I found out, that wasn't such a good idea.......

Obviously it needed to be activated within 30 days, which I couldn't do.

So now all I want to do is, put Windows 98 back onto the older machine......

Any idea how I'd go about this?



Things I've tried:
1) Booting from Windows 98 Boot Disk
2) Booting from MS-DOS disk
3) Uninstalling Windows XP through Command Prompt
All without success....

Any help, or suggestions, much appreciated

__

Karoma

Why was each attempt unsuccessful..?
Do you have the original Windows 98 CD...?:)

DemonOfTheFall

Boot from the Windows 98 Disk and just format c:

DemonOfTheFall

You'd be much better off going to Windows 2000. All the features of Windows XP (the ones that do anything useful anyway), without the activation. Of course that relies on you owning a copy of windows 2000. For your average PC it is the best OS by far.

Egyptian

Why was each attempt unsuccessful..?
Do you have the original Windows 98 CD...?

It didn't allow me to boot from the 98 Disk
It didn't allow me uninstall an unactivated version of XP

Yes I have the original Windows 98 Disc.........

Boot from the Windows 98 Disk and just format c:

It won't let me Boot from the Windows 98 Disk??

Of course that relies on you owning a copy of windows 2000

Unfortunately...

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Karoma

Check in the BIOS that Boot from CD is chosen (First).
Watch the screen carefully as you boot with the 98 CD in the drive for a message "Press Any Key.." - keep a finger hovering over the spacebar if necessary..

If that fails - use a boot disk (98 pref.) -> when it loads up CD to your CD drive letter (D: usually. Unsuprisingly, with the command at the prompt)
then type setup.exe ..

testicle

One can't uninstall an OS. One has to wipe (format) the hard drive.

Capt'n Midnight

In XP see if the drive was formatted as NTFS - if so 98 won't be able to install to it.

you will need a boot disk ( you can make one in XP - right click A: and make system ) copy the win98 folder to the HDD and run setup from there.

or setup the CD to boot in the BIOS

Egyptian

Check in the BIOS that Boot from CD is chosen

or setup the CD to boot in the BIOS

You still need the Boot Disk......


I found the problem...... The Boot Disk I have... in short is not a Boot Disk,

UPDATE:
I now have a PC without an OS
And no Boot Disk.

I have downloaded a Boot Disk, but do not have a Floppy Drive in the new PC!! So I guess I'll just have to wait until I get my hands on a PC that recognises USB memory keys, and has a Floppy Drive!!

Thanks for all the help, much appreciated!!!

__

the_syco

Floppy Drives:

http://komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=302845&cks=SER €9.99
http://komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=114711&cks=SER €9.99
http://komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=100727&cks=SER €7.50

Or just borrow a floppy drive.

Egyptian

I have a Floppy Drive in the old PC, but if I take that out and connect it to the new PC running Windows XP Home, will it recognise it straight away?

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DonkeyStyle \o/

Yeah, not a bother... (obviously don't connect it while the PC is still on )
Also make sure you've got your floppy controller enabled in the BIOS.

conzy

you can use the knoppix live cd to partition your hard drive and wipe the old OS

Because during installation it will probably say

" A Newer version of windows has been detected"

Egyptian

All sorted,

Just booted from the CD-ROM, which got to a point where it asked me to insert a BootDisk, and restart.

Seing as I didn't have a Boot Disk, I restarted anyway, to which the message

"Operating System Not Found" :eek:

was displayed on the screen.

I Booted from the CD-ROM again, and it started formatting the C: Drive, and then continued with installing Windows 98!

Took all of 15-20mins, and everything is now working fine.

Thanks again guys

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TerrorFirmer

Ah yeah, I remember the bother this caused me, having two PC's, neither with a floppy drive, and trying to install 2000 over XP.

Wouldn't auto-boot from the cd because a newer version of windows was already installed. Annoying...:mad:

Capt'n Midnight

Egyptian wrote:

"Operating System Not Found" :eek:

Quelle Suprise !

pred racer

This is whay I always spend the extra tenner and put a floppy in my systems.