Reverting back to Windows 98

[Guest]

I hope someone can help me. My brother had a mate install windows xp over my
windows 98 (not what I wanted beleive me). Since then I've had nothing but
trouble. My pc is slow, I cant use my printer scanner and camera (all too
old for xp) and I cant get security updates.

My question is will my 98 system restore pack work? Or am I now screwed?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Guest]

Windows XP is better than 98 but the mistake you have made is upgrading from
98 to XP, it would of been better if you had backed up your files and done a
fresh install, upgrading 98 to XP does not always go to plan.

I don't think you will be able to revert back to 98 now, you should format
and install a fresh copy of XP, remember 98 will no longer be supported after
mid July.

Andy W

 

[PaulM]

Check the add/remove software and see if xp is listed there. If so uninstall
it.

 

[Nepatsfan]

(e-mail address removed),

I hope someone can help me. My brother had a mate install
windows xp over my windows 98 (not what I wanted beleive
me). Since then I've had nothing but trouble. My pc is
slow, I cant use my printer scanner and camera (all too old
for xp) and I cant get security updates.

My question is will my 98 system restore pack work? Or am I
now screwed?

Any help would be appreciated.

Take a look at this article:

How to uninstall Windows XP and revert to a previous operating
system
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=303661

Good luck

Nepatsfan

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Windows XP is better than 98 but the mistake you have made is
upgrading from 98 to XP, it would of been better if you had backed up

I disagree. Unlike with previous versions of Windows, an upgrade to XP
replaces almost everything, and usually works very well.

My recommendation is to at least try the upgrade, since it's much easier
than a clean installation. You can always change your mind and reinstall
cleanly if problems develop.

However, don't assume that doing an upgrade relieves you of the need to
backup your data, etc. before beginning. Before starting to upgrade, it's
always prudent to recognize that things like a sudden power loss can occur
in the middle of it and cause the loss of everything. For that reason you
should make sure you have backups and anything else you need to reinstall if
the worst happens.

If his/her computer is slow, it's very likely that it is simply underpowered
for Windows XP. The printer and scanner issues may simply be that he/she
needs to install proper XP drivers for them (at least for the printer; older
scanners may not have XP drivers).

your files and done a fresh install, upgrading 98 to XP does not
always go to plan.

I don't think you will be able to revert back to 98 now,

It depends. If you did an upgrade from Windows 98 or Me, and took the option
to save the previous operating system and also did not convert your drive to
NTFS, then you can find an entry in Add/Remove Programs. Clicking on that
will uninstall Windows XP and revert to the previous operating system.

If there's no entry in Add/Remove Programs, then one or more of those
conditions wasn't met, and your only choice is to reformat and install
whatever operating system you want cleanly.

Ady, regarding your System Restore CD, if you can't uninstall XP (I would
try that first), yes you can do a System Restore. But be aware that that
will cause the loss of everything on your drive, so be sure to first back up
anything you can't afford to lose.

you should
format and install a fresh copy of XP, remember 98 will no longer be
supported after mid July.

It's very likely that most of his/her problems are caused by inadequate
hardware and possibly unavailable scanner drivers. If that's the case.
Reinstalling XP is exactly what he/she should *not* do, unless he/she is
also prepared to do substantial hardware upgrading. Windows 98 is a much
better choice.

 

[Guest]

I'm just going on personal preference I just prefer clean installs, an
upgrade from another Windows version may go fine but of the complaints I hear
from people there seems more problems upgrading then doing a clean install,
still as I say its all down to personal preference.

Andy W

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I'm just going on personal preference I just prefer clean installs, an
upgrade from another Windows version may go fine but of the
complaints I hear from people there seems more problems upgrading
then doing a clean install, still as I say its all down to personal
preference.

No argument from me that doing a clean installation is less likely to result
in a problem than upgrading. My point is that problems are rare either way,
and that since upgrading is normally *much* easier than clean installing,
the upgrade is at least worth trying. If the result is problems, *then* do
the clean installation; you've wasted only the small amount of time it took
to try the upgrade. But if you don't have problems (and as I said, they are
unlikely), you are usually many hours, or even days, ahead.

Most of the problems I've seen with upgrades have been to Windows versions
earlier than XP, and prior to XP, I too used to recommend clean installing.
With XP, again because the upgrade replaces almost everything, problems are
rare.

 

[Richard Urban MVP]

I hope someone can help me. My brother had a mate install windows xp over
my
windows 98 (not what I wanted beleive me). Since then I've had nothing
but
trouble. My pc is slow, I cant use my printer scanner and camera (all too
old for xp) and I cant get security updates.

In the blink of an eye, you won't be able to get any security updates for
Windows 98 either.


--
Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I hope someone can help me. My brother had a mate install windows xp over my
windows 98 (not what I wanted beleive me). Since then I've had nothing but
trouble. My pc is slow, I cant use my printer scanner and camera (all too
old for xp) and I cant get security updates.

My question is will my 98 system restore pack work? Or am I now screwed?

Any help would be appreciated.

The normal way to "uninstall" any operating system is to format
the hard drive and install a new OS of your choice.

Only if you performed an upgrade from Win98/Me, elected to backup
the old system files, and didn't convert the partition to NTFS, can
you then boot into Safe Mode and click Start > Control Panel

Add/Remove Programs. All of these conditions must be met for the

uninstall option to be available.

Otherwise:

How to Manually Remove Win XP and Restore Win9x
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q314052


--

Bruce Chambers

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[Guest]

Yes Agree with you Ken, upgrades would also be easier for most people than
clean installs, being an engineer and having done so many installs its like
second nature to me to clean install, but either way you get the same results.

Andy W