Removing Windows XP Home Ed and RESTORING Windows 98

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mo E
  • Start date Start date
M

Mo E

I recently installed Windows XP Home Edition on my PC and
thought I could install this on my Note Book - after I
had done this I discovered that I could only use the
program on one computer and needed to buy another XP
program for my Note Book - I cannot do this at this time.
My ACTIVATION period is now over and I want to restore my
Note Book to the previous OS of Windows 98 ... How do I
do this please? Please reply to me at;
(e-mail address removed) Thanks
 
If you did an upgrade install over 98 and you elected to save your previous
setup when you installed XP, then there should be an entry in Add/Remove
Programs in Control Panel to remove or uninstall XP. If not, assuming you
have a 98 boot floppy, boot with that. At the prompt, type fdisk and press
enter,
delete the non-dos partition, create a primary dos partition, set it active
and exit.

If it says you have no non-dos partition your system is still fat32, delete
the primary DOS Partition, create a new one, set it active and exit fdisk,
reboot the system with 98 floppy in the drive and at the prompt type format
C: and press enter. Once format is
complete, change to your CD-ROM drive and with the 98 CD in the drive,
type setup, press enter and follow the screens.

If you don't have 98 boot disk with CD-ROM support, visit www.bootdisk.com.
 
-----Original Message-----
If you did an upgrade install over 98 and you elected to save your previous
setup when you installed XP, then there should be an entry in Add/Remove
Programs in Control Panel to remove or uninstall XP. If not, assuming you
have a 98 boot floppy, boot with that. At the prompt, type fdisk and press
enter,
delete the non-dos partition, create a primary dos partition, set it active
and exit.

If it says you have no non-dos partition your system is still fat32, delete
the primary DOS Partition, create a new one, set it active and exit fdisk,
reboot the system with 98 floppy in the drive and at the prompt type format
C: and press enter. Once format is
complete, change to your CD-ROM drive and with the 98 CD in the drive,
type setup, press enter and follow the screens.

If you don't have 98 boot disk with CD-ROM support,
Click to expand...
visit www.bootdisk.com.
--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/



==================
Click to expand...

Michael ... Thanks for your prompt response. I have tried
everything I can - I used the floppy start up disk BUT
nothing seems to work and frankly I was afraid I would
erase anything that was still ther from Windows 98. I
just cannot get free from the XP program which continues
to set up each time I power up the laptop. It asks me to
click on my user name - when I do it loads my personal
settings and a screen appears telling me the copy of
windows must be activated before I can log on. When I try
to do this I get the ACTIVATE screen ... this gives me
the choice of ACTIVATING on line or by phone ... when I
tried to do this I was told that my version of XP did not
allow me to install the XP on my PC and LAPTOP - SO WE GO
ROUND AND ROUND. I need to get back to the old program
which was Windows 98 - How can I do this if I can't even
reboot the LapTop? And I can't remove the XP! I would
really appreciate your help. Thanks - Mo
 
First, if XP is installed over your previous 98 setup and you didn't elect
to save your old setup, there is no way to get back to 98 without first
formatting which will wipe the drive.

Second, what happens when you boot from the floppy or did you back out of
the that for fear of losing everything? As I stated above, there is no way
to return to 98 without formatting and starting over unless you installed
over 98 as an upgrade and elected to save your previous installation.

If you can't get to the desktop to check Add\Remove Programs in Control
Panel, try doing so in safe mode. Boot the system, start tapping F8, at the
menu select Safe Mode.
 
Thanks ... yes, I was able to use the floppy and click on
the Safe Mode (#3)
I then received the following message ....

Windows is bypassing your startup files.

Microsoft (R) Windows 98

A:\>

Do I have any chance of recovering my Windows 98?

If not ... is there a way to save the XP that is already
installed on my Laptop?

Thanks - Mo
 
What you are seeing is being invoked from the floppy disk and is not
indicative of what is accessible on your hard drive. It appears from what
you have said, that XP is installed over 98 and you didn't save your
previous configuration during setup.

That said, you can use XP on your laptop if you remove it from your desktop.
Then activate XP on your laptop, you will need to activate by phone or will
be presented with phone number to call wherein you can explain you've
removed XP from your desktop and wish to use it on your laptop only and they
should supply you with a new activation code.
 
So these are my options ...

a) Leave XP on my DESKTOP and SALVAGE installed XP on my
Laptop even if I have to PAY to do it. Can this be done?

b) Plan B would also leave XP on my DESKTOP and REMOVE it
from my Laptop reinstalling WINDOWS 98 but this would
mean saying goodbye to everything on my Laptop right?

Thanks Mo E
 
A) Yes, it can be done, you simply purchase another license but it would
likely be less expensive to purchase another copy of XP. If 98 was
previously on the laptop, purchase the upgrade versiojn of XP, then use the
98 media when it asks for proof of qualifying OS, you simply place the 98
disk in the drive.

B) Correct unless when you installed XP on the laptop you elected to save
your previous setup in which case you might be able to remove it through
add/remove programs in Control Panel.
 
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