How to install Windows 98 after Windows 7?

[shadowboy1795]

Hello,

I have a laptop, and I've been trying to get Windows 98 on (to multi-boot with 7) for over 3 months, and I've tried a lot.
I even tried to use a Windows 98 boot disk, but it's telling me that there's insufficient memory. After I press "ENTER", it says "It's now safe to turn off your computer."

Help would be greatly appreciated.

~shadowboy1795~

 

[seavixen32]

Welcome to Windows Seven Forums.

When you say you've tried a lot it covers a multitude of sins so it would be helpful if you let us know what you have tried as it saves us going over old ground.

Have a look at this tutorial: THPC: Dual-Boot Windows 98/Me and Windows 7 on your Windows 7 computer

Mind you, I'm intrigued as to why you still have a need for Windows 98.

 

[Kaktussoft]

First make your C drive smaller to make some space for win98. Now you have some unallocated space. Please look which partition is active now and remember it! Make a new new partition in the unallocated space (don't format) and mark partition as active. Now boot from win98 installation DVD and install it in that partition. Does that work?

You can switch back to win7 by marking the original partition active and boot. You can do that using http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/681-startup-repair.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71432-partition-mark-active.html

I don't think win98 has drivers for your new hardware!!!!!!

 

[Kaktussoft]

I modified previous post!

 

[whs]

If you were to run 98 in Virtual Box, that would probably be less painful. https://www.virtualbox.org/

 

[Arc]

If you were to run 98 in Virtual Box, that would probably be less painful. https://www.virtualbox.org/

I go with it.

 

[shadowboy1795]

The first thing I tried was making the Windows 7 partition smaller, putting Windows 98 on the blank partition and marking it active, but it didn't work. I also tried the tutorial, but that didn't work either. Is there anything I'm doing wrong?

 

[Kaktussoft]

win98 partition should be active BEFORE installing win98. This forces it to put boot files on that partition.

 

[Kaktussoft]

The first thing I tried was making the Windows 7 partition smaller, putting Windows 98 on the blank partition and marking it active, but it didn't work. I also tried the tutorial, but that didn't work either. Is there anything I'm doing wrong?

If you don't tell us what happens, we can't help you! Did win98 installation succeed successful? Did boot afterwards fail? Did install freeze? Or .....

And what error did you get and when?

Did you install on FAT32 partition?

 

[Night Hawk]

The first thing I tried was making the Windows 7 partition smaller, putting Windows 98 on the blank partition and marking it active, but it didn't work. I also tried the tutorial, but that didn't work either. Is there anything I'm doing wrong?

You're dealing with two different file systems entirely. Fat 32 vs NTFS as far as the file system and no way to edit the BCD store in 7 for a Legacy version. Windows 2000 possible as an older NT cored version of Windows.

Two separate drives and no driver support for 98 on hardwares that support 7! The suggestion of running the old version on Virtual Machine(VM) is one solution that could work however.

(Have fun trying to set it up with VirtualBox however! Tried that and no floppy drive or floppy image would work)(Also tried getting 3.1 and 95 on other occasions)

 

[Kaktussoft]

THPC: Dual-Boot Windows 98/Me and Windows 7 on your Windows 7 computer

This tells you all. Where does it fail and what error?

 

[whs]

Have fun trying to set it up with VirtualBox however! Tried that and no floppy drive or floppy image would work)(Also tried getting 3.1 and 95 on other occasions)

You are best advised to install from the iso file that is in a folder rather than from a DVD. That has worked for me every time. Just use e.g. ImgBurn to copy the iso from the DVD to the folder.

 

[Slartybart]

Can you post an image of your disk management?
RtClick Computer ==> select Manage ==> select Disk Management

Snipping tool the window - post using the paper clip.

 

[FaberTech]

Ironic that this post came up right while I am installing a bunch of OS to my VMwareworkstation. The reason windows 98 is giving that message is because of too much ram. I had to reduce my Ram to 512 MB from 2GB to stop the "you don't have sufficient memory" or whatever it was.

If your trying to install this to the hard drive as a duel boot, You may have to install additional drivers to make it support your ram. otherwise there may be a compatibility setting in the bios but i doubt it.

Not sure what the concluding fix for this would be, my fix took two seconds of reducing the ram amount in the settings.

 

[Kaktussoft]

"Out of Memory" Error Messages with Large Amounts of RAM Installed

 

[FaberTech]

"Out of Memory" Error Messages with Large Amounts of RAM Installed

Well there you go.

 

[DeaconFrost]

Multi-boot systems are a thing of the past. Why mess with partitions, and boot loaders when you can just virtualize? It's a much more simple solution!

 

[FaberTech]

you would be dealing with less compatibility issues as well. i doubt you will ever find drivers for most of your hardware with windows 98

 

[DeaconFrost]

Another great point why a VM is the answer here.

 

[Night Hawk]

98 won't recognise any present sound card or onboard audio chip! So don't plan on having sound. You'll also note from the link katussoft posted the age of the systems used! Pentium 4 or Socket A(462) were the last to see any chipset drivers as well.

With 98 having a 512mb barrier one old Windows guide explained an edit of the System.ini file. The [386Ehn] MaxPhyspage = 30000" value was raised to 50000 while running 98 here with 1gb or more memory. The pc tools/Winguides site used to have a download for tweaking things in the older versions later discontinued just prior to Vista's release. Windows Registry Guide - Registry tweaks and fixes for Windows systems