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Re-installing Windows9x

Let's Do It!

Ensure you are sitting comfortably, with a supply of cigars, coffee or whatever to hand. If necessary book a week's leave. Warn your spouse, pets, offspring, siblings etc that you may be somewhat stressed in the next few days and not to take any notice as you'll be back to normal sometime later. Instruct them to tell callers that you are out or unavailable, for whatever reason they might believe. Put a "Do Not Disturb" sign on your door. Ready? ... Go for it!

Preliminaries
  • Boot from your floppy. At the A:\> prompt type the command:
          Format C:             [Enter]
          Answer Y (Yes)        [Enter]
      Drink your first coffee. Uncross your fingers and toes. It's OK.   Honestly.
  • If you have Partition Magic 3 or later and will be runnning Win95B or later, use the "rescue" floppy and check your drives. If C: is listed as "FAT" rather than FAT32, get PowerQuest's little marvel to convert C: to FAT32.
  • Having formatted your C: drive, reboot using the Boot Disk you tested for CD-access ... I hope.

Now for Windows itself
  • Stick in the Windows CD, and start Windows Setup. The command is simply:
          F:\setup             [Enter]
  • When asked, take the "Custom" installation option rather than "Typical". This allows you to select which elements of Windows you want from the outset, and omit the ones you know you don't need. This will streamline the installation. Don't worry if you forget you need something, as it can be added later.
  • If your CD is the Upgrade version, you'll be asked to prove you have Windows 3.x. Stick in the floppy when asked, and if necessary point Setup at it. It won't say "OK - fair enough" but remove it once Setup has moved on.
  • Stick the hardware installation disks in during the section where it detects them. If Setup offers you a list of its own, click on "Have Disk". Unless you don't, that is.

    NB: Some hardware is best fully installed later. This does not apply to everything, but if you have had problems in the past, this tactic can help prevent Registry getting indigestion at the start. In the meantime ...
  • Initially set your Monitor to Standard VGA type running at 640 x 480 x 256 colours from the list offered by Setup, and use the Advanced control in Display (Control Panel) to Change it later, using the manufacturer's disk.
  • Also start off using your multi-function mouse as a plain "Microsoft or PS/2" two-button one.
  • If you need USB support and have Win95B, install it next.
  • If you have a Win9x upgrade for your motherboard's chipset, install it now before any other hardware.
  • If you have flash-upgraded anything (Graphics card, Modem ...) try to think of what you did before about the upgrades, where you left the instructions (which aren't in that pile on the desk, are they?), and whether you need to do anything about them.
    This is important. You may get all sorts of odd things happening if you don't get the hardware basics correct initially. Do you want to be condemned to Safe Mode? ... Thought not!

Your CD-ROM DOS-mode driver
  • Reboot hold down Ctrl (Win98) or press F8 (Win95) and select "Command Prompt only" from the Menu.
    Change to your C: drive  (C:     [Enter]) .
  • Locate your CD-ROM Drive installation floppy in your pile of hardware installation disks. Remove the Boot Disk and insert the Installation floppy. At the command prompt (C:\>) type either:
               A:\Install       [Enter]     or        A:\Setup       [Enter]
    Try to install to the folder "C:\CDROM" if you can. It's a lot easier to find then!
  • Having installed the Real Mode (DOS) driver for the CD, remove its floppy and reboot to Windows. From the Start Menu select "Run" and type   sysedit   in the box.
    This will bring up the System Configuration Editor, including the Config.sys & Autoexec.bat files. This will confirm what the CD-ROM Installer has added, and whether Windows, on Rebooting has yet 'Remmed-out' the CD-ROM driver and Mscdex.exe lines.
  • Having installed both Windows and the DOS Mode CD-ROM drivers, Shut Down and choose "Restart the computer in MS-Dos mode". Ensure you can access the CD-ROM drive. Use a software CD as described in Testing the Boot disk.
    If all is well, type Exit     [Enter] and Windows will restart. If you cannot access the CD drive, see Mscdex and CD-ROM Access, in particular the section on Dosstart.bat.

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Settling In.
  • Run Windows a couple of times, using most of its own programs, to ensure all is well with the Operating System itself, and with the hardware you have installed. For example:
    ~ Play that game of Minesweeper ...
    ~ Create or open a file with Wordpad, change some fonts, and print it.
    ~ Draw something with Paint, and print it.
    ~ Test the accessories - Calculator, ClipBoard Viewer, Character Map etc etc.
  • Decide where you want to install your programs, and create the folders for them. If you don't like the wretched "Program Files" folder, create some with simpler names, such as C:\Progs, C:\Apps or C:\Utils, and direct the Setups to install to those folders whenever they permit this (some don't, nasty beggars!).
    Don't call the folder for MS-Office "Office", or you'll end up with the ludicrous-looking path C:\Office\Office\!

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Having got your basic setup configured, now add the useful bits. Hardware comes first.
  • If your Monitor came with a floppy to identify it to Windows, install that. Go into Control Panel / Display / Advanced / Change (the button next to Monitor type); insert the floppy and point Windows at it.
  • Install your Graphics Card software. This may be from CD or floppies. You can then change the screen resolution from the 640 x 480 you have been using to your preference (in Display / Settings), and then change the Appearance from the default, too - at last!
  • Your Modem (you haven't forgotten you have one, have you?). Stick the floppy in and run it (yes, plug in the modem first ...) or use Control Panel / Add Hardware, specify Modem then Have Disk. Once that has been installed:
    ~ Configure DialUp Networking. Test the connection to ensure it and your modem is working. Just dial your ISP, see if the connection is made, then disconnect.
    ~ If you use Windows Messaging (aka Exchange) configure it and try it out. Send someone a Fax. If you don't know anyone with a fax, be imaginative! Edit one of the Cover Sheets to remove the details for your name, address etc, save it, pick a number from the phone book, and puzzle them with a Happy Easter message. All you want to do is ensure the thing works. If it does, so does your modem and the internal Windows Messaging software.
    ~ Note: Windows98 does not have Windows Messaging or any Fax software. Install a Fax program or copy the Windows Messaging setup files from a Win95 CD if you need it.
  • You probably have a Sound Card. Stick the CD / floppy in and ... you can guess the rest by now.
  • Gradually add and test any upgraded hardware drivers, probably those you downloaded from the manufacturers' Web sites. Don't be silly - they have all issued them. Go find yours once online again!
  • SCSI devices can now be plugged back in and installed, too.

That's the hard part done. Don't take down the "Do Not Disturb" sign yet.
  • Start installing your software, and configure it. Don't get impatient and attempt to do this all at once or you'll mess up the Registry and have to return to square one, which will be some hours (or days) ago by now.
  • Run each new program to get it properly embedded into the setup, before installing the next.
  • Unless essential, don't install program upgrades immediately. Wait a couple of sessions.
  • You cannot now use "Windows Update" for Windows 9x, so forget about it and rely on your Anti-Virus software.
  • Remember to point your Word Processor etc at D:\Docs, D:\DataBase or whatever you called your data folders if you have a partitioned drive. Leave the files there.
  • To run the installer from E:\SoftWare\Netscape\ or a ZIP Disk, select Run and Browse to the appropriate Setup.exe file. This is a lot faster than using the floppy drive, and you won't get fed up with that "Next Disk, Please ... Bonnngg!" message.
  • Continue with this over a day or six. Reboot after installations, whether asked to or not. Spreading out the installations saves unnecessary thrashing of the machine in the same session, and is less likely to confuse the easily-confused Registry.
  • The same applies to installing those extra Fonts you saved (you did save them, didn't you?), copying Ini and other files back over the top of the default newly-installed ones, adding "Euro" support for Win95, etc.   Take it gently. This install is going to last, right?

Drink your last cigar and smoke your last coffee - you're there!

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