Win 98 to Win 98 SE - please help

[luco]

OK, I'm installing a wireless network for a friend of mine. However, the wireless PCI card needs 98 Second Edition to work (tried installing in Win98, no joy). They have Win98SE full CD. However, doing a clean install is not an option due to some legacy software that would be a pain to restore. I'm going to use the 98SE CD to upgrade him to SE by renaming win.com. It's a well documented trick.

My question is: did anyone do this without re-installing everything? Can I just "update" the system and not loose anything?

Thanks!

 

[Smitty308]

Yes, it can be done with ease. It involves naming the win.com file to win.old and then installing SE over the top of 98. There may be more details so do a Google search.

Good Luck
Smitty

 

[Eug]

Ouch. If legacy software is a major issue and you can't reinstall it, then ghost the drive first to be safe.

What software and hardware is it anyway? Win 98 SE is 7 years old now. I'm impressed they have persevered for so long with that OS. I'm even more impressed you're providing free support for it, and even trying to add wireless to it.

 

[jackschmittusa]

If the legacy software made things like registry entries when it installed, your method will not allow them to run. I am curious as to why software would be hard to restore.

 

[imported_Kiwi]

Originally posted by: luco
My question is: did anyone do this without re-installing everything? Can I just "update" the system and not loose anything?

As long as the triggering copy of Win.Com doesn't show up when the install performs its search, it will proceed pretty much exactly the same as if it was an upgrade version. I've done it many, many times. But the nature of computers being what it is, and "Murphy" being the kind of trickster he is, you know that if you don't back up the most critical data, there's some chance of a screwup. Always.