Changing from Windows 98 to Windows 7

moneyman · 18-02-2012 4:40pm #1

Hey all, hoping someone can help me here. It should be an easy thing to fix.

I bought my laptop about a year and a half ago. It has/had Windows 7 on it originally. Then, I went into my college to get the wifi sorted and I gave my laptop to one of the staff. He did what I wanted, but in the process he changed my laptop somehow from Windows 7 to Windows 98. This was well over a year ago and I'm just sick of it now and would like it changed back. I can't seem to find where to change it back despite going through all the settings and googling the problem. Is there any way someone can give me a run through of what to do? I'm assuming this is something that should be easy to fix, given that the guy changed it in a couple of minutes. I also have no idea why he did it, surely it wasn't necessary to make my laptop work with the wifi on campus.

My laptop is a Toshiba, although I don't know the exact model.

Overheal · 18-02-2012 4:42pm

He did what I wanted, but in the process he changed my laptop somehow from Windows 7 to Windows 98.

The F*ck?

daz801 · 18-02-2012 4:45pm

wait so you've stuck with windows 98 for the last year :eek:...? why?

howamidifferent · 18-02-2012 4:46pm

moneyman wrote: »

in the process he changed my laptop somehow from Windows 7 to Windows 98.

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:

moneyman · 18-02-2012 4:52pm

I'm guessing by your responses this guy decided to have a little fun for himself!

But yes, he changed it for some reason. I'm not at all an expert on computers so I assumed that it had to be done. Shortly after I realised it made no sense but wasn't bothered changing it back. Well, I was but I couldn't.

So, can anyone help? :pac:

daz801 · 18-02-2012 4:57pm

I can't think of any reason someone would need to change it to windows 98, especially to set up wifi......

can you think of any reason why this person may hate you?

moneyman · 18-02-2012 4:59pm

daz801 wrote: »

I can't think of any reason someone would need to change it to windows 98, especially to set up wifi...... can you think of any reason why this person may hate you?

Nope, I have no idea who he was, I went in so they could help me set up the wifi to use in the college. He was relatively helpful, set up the wifi for me within a couple of minutes and I was on my way. But it had windows 98

I'm assuming it's fairly simple to change it back? If not how would he have done it in such a short space of time? Or perhaps he did it accidently? It's unlikely this is the case or he wouldn't be working in IT.

Alanstrainor · 18-02-2012 5:01pm

This can't be right! Seriously!

Press the start button, and click on Run. Then enter this:

winver

And tell us what it says.

PS if you can't find the Run button in the start menu, just press the windows key and the letter R at the same time.

There is no way Windows 98 would run natively on a laptop, without some mad driver magic!

SirLemonhead · 18-02-2012 5:03pm

Obviously it's not actually Windows 98.. did he just change to the classic theme?

Daniel S · 18-02-2012 5:04pm

Maybe he just turned off Aero and just set it to classic?

Fook sake: SirLemonHead....

GreenWolfe · 18-02-2012 5:06pm

+1 on the winver suggestion. If it's just stuck on the Classic theme, just right click on the Desktop --> Personalization --> Scroll down to pick a new theme.

moneyman · 18-02-2012 5:06pm

Alanstrainor wrote: »

This can't be right! Seriously!

Press the start button, and click on Run. Then enter this:

winver

And tell us what it says.

PS if you can't find the Run button in the start menu, just press the windows key and the letter R at the same time.

There is no way Windows 98 would run natively on a laptop, without some mad driver magic!

It says Windows 7 Home Premium, and under that some other stuff. So it seems that my laptop isn't actually windows 98, but it is displaying some of the characteristics of it. I could have been wrong in the OP, sorry if that's the case, but I still have a problem!

The taskbar is windows 98 (ie. grey, square boxes etc. unlike windows 7, or how it was when I first got the laptop). Similarly, any errors that occur (for example in Microsoft Word) show up in the Windows 98 style. I hope I'm getting this across sufficiently, if anyone needs me to go into more detail I can. Any help in changing this back would be greatly appreciated.

moneyman · 18-02-2012 5:07pm

Daniel S wrote: »

Maybe he just turned off Aero and just set it to classic?

This could be the case, how do I go about changing it back? I apologise in advance, I'm really not competent when it comes to the actual workings of stuff like this.

SirLemonhead · 18-02-2012 5:08pm

Do the opposite of this:

Open Theme Settings by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking Appearance and Personalization, clicking Personalization, and then clicking Theme.

Under Theme, select the Windows Classic theme in the drop-down list, and then click OK.

i.e. change from Classic theme to whatever is labelled as standard.

daz801 · 18-02-2012 5:11pm

when you turn your laptop on does it display the windows 98 loading screen?

SirLemonhead · 18-02-2012 5:12pm

daz801 wrote: »

when you turn your laptop on does it display the windows 98 loading screen?

....seriously?

Alanstrainor · 18-02-2012 5:12pm

moneyman wrote: »

It says Windows 7 Home Premium, and under that some other stuff. So it seems that my laptop isn't actually windows 98, but it is displaying some of the characteristics of it. I could have been wrong in the OP, sorry if that's the case, but I still have a problem!

The taskbar is windows 98 (ie. grey, square boxes etc. unlike windows 7, or how it was when I first got the laptop). Similarly, any errors that occur (for example in Microsoft Word) show up in the Windows 98 style. I hope I'm getting this across sufficiently, if anyone needs me to go into more detail I can. Any help in changing this back would be greatly appreciated.

daz801 wrote: »

when you turn your laptop on does it display the windows 98 loading screen?

It's just the classic theme. It is actually Window 7.

moneyman · 18-02-2012 5:12pm

A big thank you for all the help, it's now sorted. Was far too easy to have put up with that for over a year!

Thanks all!

dvpower · 18-02-2012 5:12pm

moneyman wrote: »

This could be the case, how do I go about changing it back? I apologise in advance, I'm really not competent when it comes to the actual workings of stuff like this.

Go to Control Panel\Appearance and Personalization\Personalization
and choose one of the 'Aero' themes from the list.

jimmi3nuts · 18-02-2012 5:14pm

It's a theme mate, or just a background win98 pic. Windows 98 did not have wifi capability. I think he has had a good laugh at your expense, and tbh, i think this thread is a windup, cause if it was the case that you really experienced this, and put up with the roll back for a year, without tearing his eyebalz out, then you are too dumb to own a laptop!

SirLemonhead · 18-02-2012 5:16pm

jimmi3nuts wrote: »

cause if it was the case that you really experienced this, and put up with the roll back for a year, without tearing his eyebalz out, then you are too dumb to own a laptop!

Yeah because i'm sure the laptop was entirely unusable for him for the entire year with a slightly different looking theme :rolleyes:

moneyman · 18-02-2012 5:19pm

jimmi3nuts wrote: »

It's a theme mate, or just a background win98 pic. Windows 98 did not have wifi capability. I think he has had a good laugh at your expense, and tbh, i think this thread is a windup, cause if it was the case that you really experienced this, and put up with the roll back for a year, without tearing his eyebalz out, then you are too dumb to own a laptop!

No, he just changed the theme. Obviously he didn't change the background picture, I'm not exactly computer saavy but I'm not that thick either.

Thread wasn't a windup, as I said I'm not an expert. Didn't even occur to me to change the theme, if that makes me too dumb to own a laptop then, erm, sorry? Was a simple mistake. Wasn't much of a difference - change in taskbar and error notifications, that was pretty much it. Never bothered me a whole lot TBH.

Anyway, cheers for all the help, much appreciated!