Help Please

[Wynd]

I formatted my computer and forgot to make a boot disk (i know i know) so for now I am using linux-mandrake 8, but how can I install windows 98 from linux? I tried booting from the CD (didn't work), and running setup.exe on the CD (didn't work). Do I need a windows 98 boot disk?

[filburt1]

Why can't you boot from the Win98 CD? Does your BIOS support CD booting? (If not, you have one old computer )

I can just hear the witty replies saying "keep Linux on there" .

[scoutt]

can you get the cd running if you are at the prompt in linux
something like

boot: hdx=cdrom

where x = letter for IDE controller, (d or e) whichever you have

[scoutt]

just a thought, but you might have to reformat and install win98 then install linux. I am not sure if you can do it the other way as you are trying. if you go with 98 first then linux, linux will then install LILO for ya.

[filburt1]

He said that the Win98 CD won't boot.

[scoutt]

ya if you don't tell linux what the cd rom is it won't. he is trying to do it from linux

[filburt1]

How did you install Mandrake? From a disk then to CD or straight from CD?

[scoutt]

that shouldn't matter. he is doing it from inside linux.

originally posted by Wynd
how can I install windows 98 from linux

[filburt1]

But he didn't mention dual-booting, so it could be done either way.

[scoutt]

ya but if you don't have the choice of either going to dos or to linux how do you get to windows? that is what LILO does, gives you that choice.

Wynd, I just read that windows has to be in the first partition. if it is in the second one it will not like it and give you a bunch of errors. are you still with us,

[nishantp]

Just a thought...your BIOS is probably able to boot of of CDs, but it may not be set to do so. You might want to check that out...

[Wynd]

filburt: I installed it by booting from the CD, so I know my computer can do it.

Maybe i will have to format, just so I can get windows 98 up and running, i can install linux from windows

scoutt:

ya if you don't tell linux what the cd rom is it won't. he is trying to do it from linux

what do you mean I have to tell it where the cd-rom is?

Oh and thanks for all the help

[filburt1]

Yeah, NT and 2000 allow partitioning and formatting in setup (thank god) but 98 does not. In fact, the setup won't complete if you don't have any Microsoft-tyoe (FAT/FAT32 in this case) defined and formatted.

There may be a command in linux (there is Fdisk in linux too) that lets you format a partition with a specified file system.

[scoutt]

well theoretically you won't install it from windows. after windows is on you can install linux the same way you did before.

what I mean about that is you have to mount the cdrom in linux to use it. I left out the mount part, forgot sorry, but here is the whole thing
this is a shortcut
Change over to the /usr/bin directory. this directory should be in your path, as this common on most linux systems. Using your favorite editor, open a new file and add the following lines:

#!/bin/bash
mount /dev/cdrom

Save the file as mntcd and then execute the following command in order to make the file executable:

chmod 100 /usr/bin/mntcd

now, we simply execute the command by typing: mntcd

now your cd rom is mounted and ready.

[Wynd]

it was already mounted (/mnt/cdrom), but when i try to do it that way i get: "mount: can't find /dev/scd0 in /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab"

[scoutt]

that is because it is looking for a scsii drive. is that what you have?

[CyberSurfer]

AFAIK, installing Windows after Linux won't work, because Windows will overwrite the boot sector of your hard disk while installing, necessitating the reinstallation of Linux. At least, this is what has always happened in my experience...

[Wynd]

That's OK, I will just reinstall Linux after Windows. I can't figure out how to get Windows installed though. Scoutt, I'm not totally sure, but I am pretty sure it's an IDE drive.

[scoutt]

well if you are going to install windows and then linux then don't worry about it.
first you need to go into fdisk and change what ever (if anything) and then just format. then if your bios is configured to run from cd rom it shouldn't be any trouble of getting windows on there.

[Wynd]

You mean format from Linux? How do i do that? (sorry, i'm a n3wbie to linux)

[scoutt]

no, I mean you need to put a disk in that has dos on it and format as usuall. don't worry about linux as it will be bye bye. if yo need a win98 disk just let me know and I will email one to you, I am virus free and willing to help. just let me know.

actually if you can run win98 cd from the disk then just put it in and run it as you can format from that. just run it with cd support and boot to the c: prompt or whatever and format. the win98 cd should tell you that it needs to reformat the disk before you put win98 on it.

[Wynd]

I borrowed a CD from my friend. When I try to install windows 98 it says that there are non-windows partitions or something on the disk, would I like to erase them? If i click yes the screen goes blank, if I click no i get a memory allocation error.

[scoutt]

you are going to have to get to a dos prompt. so when the disk boots up say boot up with cdrom support and then see if it will let you go to the d: so you can run fdisk and take out that linux partition. actually all of them and then make the first partition 32bit and then make the other one 32 bit so linux will change it later.

got that.

[Wynd]

Whenever i try to do something in fdisk besides go to a different menu it freezes...