Help - messed up win98se, & it won't re-install

frh

Member
Oct 10, 1999
33
0
0
I screwed up big time. I got tired of my Son coming over and camping out on my home office computer to access the internet. So I built another computer for the Family room. I figured I'd save some time so I tried to copy the hard disk on my office computer with Norton Ghost. I figured it would be a lot easier to just remove programs and data I didn't want him to access than to spend hours installing all the programs I did want on it.

Both drives got screwed up. I could re-format and re-install everything, but there's just too much data that I need to keep, that's scattered all over the disk. (For instance I've never been able to figure out just exactly where microsoft outlook express keeps my e-mail.)

I put the old drive in my bedroom computer as drive D: and cleaned it up with Norton and Scandisk, then saved some, but not enough of the data. There's a lot of corrupted files on the office drive, and many of them were in the Windows\System directory. It surprised me but it'll still boot in safe mode.

I tried to re-install win98se with an upgrade disk, but it tells me that it couldn't find a qualifying operating system. When I tried it with an OEM disk, it tells me that it won't install because there's already an operating system on the drive.

I don't want to give up on saving as much of the data as possible, but I don't know what to do next. I could probably get the win98 upgrade disk to re-install if I copy the right file to the drive. Or I could probably get the oem disk to re-install if I delete the right file. But I can't remember what they are. Can anyone help?
 

Wallysaurus

Senior member
Jul 12, 2000
454
0
0
With your oem disk, does it refuse to install or does it tell you there is already an os installed and it recomends that you exit setup. If the latter is the case just choose to continue. You won't loose any data, it will just over write your existing OS. Hope this helps.
 

frh

Member
Oct 10, 1999
33
0
0
The OEM disk goes through ScanDisk and "preparing to run Windows98 setup," first. Then a box pops up on the screen telling me "Your computer already has an operating system installed, which cannot be upgraded by this version of setup. You need to obtain the windows 98 upgrade. Message SV0168." When I click OK, it exits setup. Something similar happens when I try to install it with the upgrade disk.
 

Pretender

Banned
Mar 14, 2000
7,192
0
0
I would suggest deleting the entire windows directory. That should fix the problem, if I remember correctly. Just remember to back up your desktop/favorites/etc, since that's where they're saved.
 

bsdavid

Senior member
Oct 12, 1999
211
0
0
"Your computer already has an operating system installed, which cannot be upgraded by this version of setup. You need to obtain the windows 98 upgrade. Message SV0168"Same problem.How do you get around it?..bob
 

they call mr big

Senior member
Oct 25, 1999
417
0
0
sounds like you've stuff the master boot record on your hard disk. get one hard disk to work and copy the important to it.