Windows 98 SE install issues

Deepfreeze32 · Post by **Deepfreeze32** » 6. Nov 2008, 20:35

When I attempt to install windows 98 second edition, I get a "FATAL: Could not read from the boot medium! System halted" message.

The CD appears to work, I'm at a loss as to what is causing this.

My CD? Virtualbox?

Please help.

http://www.virtualbox.de/wiki/User_FAQ · Post by **stefan.becker** » 6. Nov 2008, 20:51

Are your sure that your cd is bootable?

Most WinDOS-CDs are not bootable.

I think its better to try bootdiscs, you will find several boot discs via google.

Post by **mpack** » 6. Nov 2008, 21:44

Not all Win98 SE CDs were bootable. I have two Win98SE CDs in my office, one turned out to be bootable, the other not.

To test it, trying putting the CD in your host CD drive, make sure CD comes before HDD in the boot order - then try to boot the host off the CD (obviously if it succeeds in starting an install program then you would cancel it immediately).

My bet is that your PC will complain that the CD is not bootable, exactly as the VM does.

Deepfreeze32 · Post by **Deepfreeze32** » 7. Nov 2008, 06:11

It actually ignores the cd completely.

Any thoughts?

http://www.virtualbox.de/wiki/User_FAQ · Post by **stefan.becker** » 7. Nov 2008, 08:11

See above: Make a Boot Disc with CD Driver.

Post by **mpack** » 7. Nov 2008, 16:27

Deepfreeze32 wrote:It actually ignores the cd completely.

"It" being the host? And by "ignores" you mean it boots off the HDD? If so, that tends to prove that the CD is not bootable. If "ignores" means that it doesn't even check the CD during boot then that could mean that you didn't do what I said: you didn't make sure that the CD came before the HDD in the host boot order.

If it really is a non-bootable Win98SE Install CD then you need to have a working OS first, with CD driver, allowing you to manually run the setup.exe program on the CD. A DOS bootable VBox VM might do the trick. You can find a readymade one here :-

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfile ... _id=213555

I know that this DOS VM works, but I can't remember what size virtual hard disk it has - it may be smaller than you'd want for Windows.

Deepfreeze32 · Post by **Deepfreeze32** » 7. Nov 2008, 19:52

Thank you, I will try some of those today!

Deepfreeze32 · Post by **Deepfreeze32** » 7. Nov 2008, 20:38

Well, I tried using a boot disk and it said that it did not detect a FAT or FAT32 partition.

I'm still at a loss on what to do.

http://www.virtualbox.de/wiki/User_FAQ · Post by **stefan.becker** » 7. Nov 2008, 20:44

Have you called "fdisk" and "format c:"?

Deepfreeze32 · Post by **Deepfreeze32** » 7. Nov 2008, 21:07

Alright, I've got it set up so that Windows 98 command prompt starts up.

It does not however detect my cd drives.

How do I install windows 98?

Post by **mpack** » 8. Nov 2008, 13:42

Deepfreeze32 wrote:Alright, I've got it set up so that Windows 98 command prompt starts up.

I suspect you mean a DOS prompt, but posting a picture might help.

How did you get to the DOS prompt? Did you install DOS from scratch or did you download that FreeDOS image I linked to?

If the latter, then it came with CD drivers already installed and you should be able to see the CD contents (provided you mount the CD in the VM of course!).

http://www.virtualbox.de/wiki/User_FAQ · Post by **stefan.becker** » 8. Nov 2008, 18:20

Has anyone tested the Freedos Solution successfully?

I tested this, but by calling "setup.exe" the error "windows required for this program" appears.

For me no problem, because i have running WinDOS Guests and a WinDOS Bootdisc.

Answering myself. My image was wrong (Update Version).

On the freedos-page there was the tip to start "setup.exe /NM /IS". For freedos boot Options there was the tip not to use the "himem" option.

Deepfreeze32 · Post by **Deepfreeze32** » 8. Nov 2008, 18:22

Well, here's what happened.

I just let the virtual machine run for a bit, and then it says "A:\"

So I fdisk and create a partition.

Then on reboot I enter "Format C: /u/s" (For Unconditional and system)

I then reboot without the floppy and I'm here now.

on start-up, it flashes the windows 98 logo and goes to

"Microsoft(R) Windows 98
(C)Copyright Microsoft Corp 1981-1999"

"C:\"

I believe the next step is to copy the windows 98 se install files from the cd over to the partition, but for some reason I can't access the drive.

Any advice on what to do next?

This is the deepest I've ever been inside of Microsoft's OSes.

http://www.virtualbox.de/wiki/User_FAQ · Post by **stefan.becker** » 8. Nov 2008, 18:38

No.

You have to boot with CD-Driver, "d:", "setup.exe".

Deepfreeze32 · Post by **Deepfreeze32** » 8. Nov 2008, 19:24

O.K. I got to the install process.

Now whenever it starts copying files it says "SUWIN caused a General Protection Fault in module <unknown>04DF:02CA ISUWIN will close."

I wonder what is going on...

Sorry for all the trouble.