Clean Install the Old-Fashoned Way

If disk space is tight, this is the best way to perform a clean install.

Installing Win98 from your hard drive is a great time-saver--if you have about 105MB of hard disk space to spare. If you don't, you're going to have to do it the old-fash- ioned way--from the CD-ROM. You can perform a CD-ROM-based setup in several ways. We've chosen the system boot floppy disk method for its flexibil- ity. You'll need to know DOS com- mands and syntax, because system configurations vary, and you may need to figure some things out on your own. If you're not sure you can handle this, stick with the upgrade-install method.

First, find your Windows emergency boot floppy disk. (If you don't have one, make one, following the steps shown below.) Next, enable CD-ROM access from DOS by locating and enabling the two real-mode (DOS) drivers for your CD-ROM drive. (If you're using Win3x, those drivers are already running from your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. Win95 dis- ables at least one of them in favor of faster virtual device drivers that work only in the graphical interface.)

One of the drivers, MSCDEX.EXE, is already on your Startup boot floppy. The other is specific to your CD-ROM drive, so its name will vary, but it has a SYS extension. You'll have to do a little sleuthing to find it. Look in your root directory for CONFIG.SYS, CONFIG.DOS, CONFIG.BAK and similar files. Open each in Notepad and look for a line like DEVICE=C:\CDROM\I DECDDRV.SYS /D:MSCDOOO. (SCSI CD-ROM drives often use the ASPICD.SYS driver, but there are many variations on that name and many other brands.)

If you're not successful, look for a directory of files provided by your PC maker using Win95's Find Files and Folders utility. Search that directory for folders with a SYS extension. The proper driver often has the letters CD somewhere in its name. If you're still having trouble, ask your PC maker where to find the driver.

Some newer PCs with Win95 prein- stalled don't come with a real-mode CD-ROM driver, which means you won't be able to boot to DOS and access your CD-ROM drive. If you CD-ROM drive. If you can't locate your CD- ROM's driver, try shutting down and restarting in MS-DOS Mode. Insert a CD- ROM, and see if you can access the drive at the command prompt by typing its drive letter followed by a colon. If that works, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to reboot and hold down the F8 key when you see Starting Windows 95.... When the boot menu appears, choose Command Prompt Only. At the C: prompt, type DOSSTART.BAT and press Enter. Now try accessing your CD-ROM drive again from the command prompt. If it doesn't work, your best bet is to clear away the extra hard disk space and perform the clean install from your hard drive.

Now, set up both CD-ROM drivers by copying the proprietary CD-ROM driver file to your Startup diskette. You'll be creating new CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files on your Startup diskette. Using Notepad, open CON- FIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT from your hard drive's root directory, and save them with the same names to the Startup floppy disk. Add the following lines to CONFIG.SYS on the floppy disk: DEVICE=HIMEM.SYS (if it's not already there)

DEVICE=your device driver name.SYS /D:MSCD000

Now add or modify the following line to AUTOEXEC.BAT:

MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD000 /your CD-ROM drive letter

Because of the location change, you may need to edit the path statements of any other lines in the two DOS initial- ization files that call files on your C: drive. Note any path that refers to your Windows folder or its subfolders, because you'll be altering that folder in the next step. You'll either need to move those files to your floppy disk or to a new directory on your hard disk, and change the path names accord- ingly. Reboot to whichever disk you're preparing, then test the CD-ROM drive's operation from the command line.

Now, decide whether you want to delete or save your old Windows installation. lf you have the hard disk space to save it, from the A:\ or C:\ prompt, type: REN C \WINDOWS WIN95 (or WIN31) and press Enter.

Out with the Old
To delete your previous Win- dows folder, examine it for files you might need (such as · OUTLOOK.PST, if you're using an older version of Outlook). Copy or back up any important files and folders in your Windows folder, and type A:\DELTREE /Y C:\WINDOWS. Next, insert the Win98 CD-ROM into your drive, and type your CD-ROM drive letter and then :\SETUP. Now, pick up with the steps concerning the Select Directory screen described in the main story under the "Do the Deed" subhead.--SF

In Win3.x Create a bootable system floppy disk and copy the following files from your DOS directory to the floppy: ATTRIB.EXE, DEBUG.EXE, DELTREE.EXE, EDIT.COM, FDISK.EXE, FORMAT.COM, HIMEM.SYS, MOVE.EXE, MSCDEX.EXE, SCANDISK.EXE, SCANDISK.INI, SYS.COM and XCOPY.EXE

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