[TechOutsider]

I got tons of malware on my Windows 98 computer since I havne't installed one AV since I brought it in 1999. I want to format, then reinstall. Any veterans of reinstalling 98 want to share their stories, problems, tips?

Help would be appreciated.

[brushmaster1]

Reinstalling Win98 is straightforward, although time-consuming. You will. of course, have to reinstall all your other programs as well. Before starting, be sure to make a back-up of all your data files...

[vicks]

Originally Posted by TechOutsider

I got tons of malware on my Windows 98 computer since I havne't installed one AV since I brought it in 1999. I want to format, then reinstall. Any veterans of reinstalling 98 want to share their stories, problems, tips?

Help would be appreciated.

like Brushmaster said, it is not too hard to do, just takes time. Back up anything you want to keep. I have reinstalled it 3 times on this little old laptop, and on several other computers for friends. (have newer desktop I use for most stuff). After you install the OS I would suggest you install one of the free AV. I use AVG on the desktop and Avast on this one. Both work well. Also suggest you use a firewall, this comp. has the free www.outpost.com firewall on it and also Spybot search and destroy and lavasoft's adaware spyware protection on it. Never had a virus!!!!
vicks

[pedroguy]

In addition to what Brushmaster said,I think you might have the option to just re install the operating system,which will give you a clean registry and clean operating system files,without a format,saving all your programs and files.I have done it a few times,but it's so long ago,I can't give you much advise on the matter,except to say,I think to have all the system files re installed,I had to re name win.com to something like win.moc to force a complete re install of OS and system files.

Good luck.

[TechOutsider]

I want to format and then reinstall. I have never done this before.

[TechOutsider]

I found this article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q250928/. Will reinstalling 98SE using that way erase my data. Also, will it remove most traces of malware?

[pedroguy]

This is from the how to re-install windows info.
As I remember, I ran setup.exe every time I wanted to re-install and it was done without a re-format.It may have gien me a choice,I just do not remember.
How to Reinstall Windows
To reinstall Windows:
1. Start Windows, and then insert the Windows 98 CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive.
2. Click Browse This CD, and then double-click Setup.exe.
3. Follow the instructions to complete the Windows Setup procedure.
Note: If Windows does not start and you need to run Setup from an MS-DOS prompt, click the Installing Windows 98 From MS-DOS link on the following Microsoft Web site:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;179756 (http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;179756)

[DoubleHelix]

Formatting a hard drive deletes everything. You need a boot disk and a Windows 98 CD.

[pedroguy]

If you re-format,which in your case,might be the prudent thing to do,it will indeed scratch and reformat the drive.You will lose all of your data,and along with that,get rid of all your baddies. .

[blues_harp28]

Hi best to Fdisk and Format the hard drive
All data will be lost.

You need a fully-bootable startup floppy disk.
http://www.onecomputerguy.com/software_download.htm
http://www.onecomputerguy.com/install/win9x_install.htm
Make sure you know what type of display adapter, sound device, modem, and network adapter because you'll need to install the drivers for them after doing a fresh install of Windows 98.

Enter the Bios and set to boot from startup floppy disk.

Boot from the startup floppy disk.
Select to start Without Cd-Rom support.
At the prompt, type
FDISK
Delete existing Partitions.
Create Primary DOS Partition
Reboot with Floppy disk still in the drive.
Type.
FORMAT C:
follow the instructions.
Then reboot.

When the black screen appears, insert the Windows 98Cd
Select start with Cd-Rom support.
At the prompt, type.
D:
[if your Cd-Rom drive is the letter "D"]
At the prompt, type.
SETUP
The setup should start.
You will need the 25-digit product code.
Select C:\WINDOWS to install the operating system.

[SB305]

In your position I'd get hold of a spare hard drive. If your PC is 9 years old, the existing drive is probably something like 4GB and will be a parallel (IDE) drive, NOT a SATA (serial) drive. The smallest new parallel drive you're likely to obtain will be 80GB but there must be millions of used, unwanted, still perfectly-working parallel drives around. Remove your existing drive and your data will remain intact on it, albeit infested with malware. lnstall the new hard drive in the PC (observing the jumper settings which will be printed on it) and you can partition and format it and install a brand new, clean 98SE setup as described above - if your Windows, motherboard and other hardware driver disks still work and you still have the licence keys for those which require them. Then come the Windows updates, still downloadable up to when M$ ceased new support for 98SE. If anything goes wrong, you can start over - without having endangered your data. When the new installation is working properly, you can hook up the old drive as a slave and transfer your data from it - at the risk of transferring the malware as well. It's difficult now to find anti-virus and firewall software compatible with 98SE. The only package I know of is F-Secure. In handling the hardware ensure that you take precautions not to kill it with an electrostatic discharge from your body - or yourself with an electric shock! Good luck!

[vicks]

Originally Posted by TechOutsider

I want to format and then reinstall. I have never done this before.

The following link gives a pretty good explanation as to how to format/reinstall Win 98.
http://www.cyberwalker.com/article/13/44

vicks

[TechOutsider]

Hey guys I decided to ignore all your warning about my computer blowing up and I jumped the gun. I just inserted the CD along with the boot floppy before booting and I successfully installed Windows 98

Thanks for all your help!

[TechOutsider]

I have a 8.49 gb drive lol.

[TechOutsider]

It only took 30 minutes too