Windows 98
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Flies for fun
Joined: Feb 2000
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From: Wishing it was somewhere sunny!
Windows 98
I have a problem, I kept an old computer running windows 98 but with lots of old photos and documents on it. The time came when I wanted to print something off of it so I dragged it out and then I had changed my printer so I changed the printer, Windows then asked for the serial number of the Win 98 disk and after searching high and low, I seem to have thrown out Win 98 years ago. As it is an old Pentium II with next to no memory, I cannot even feed it Win XP. Now, it refuses to start up, demanding the Win 98 serial number every time it is switched on. 
Does anybody know how I can circumvent this or, does anybody have a Win 98 serial number that they would kindly share with me?
Does anybody know how I can circumvent this or, does anybody have a Win 98 serial number that they would kindly share with me?
Sellby_date Expired
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 169
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From: East Anglia
Be careful if you reinstall '98 however, as in the process it may remove all on the drive.
I think the best bet here is to remove the drive, set it as a slave and dangle it on your 'proper' pc. Remove the data you want, THEN play with it.
I think the best bet here is to remove the drive, set it as a slave and dangle it on your 'proper' pc. Remove the data you want, THEN play with it.
Plastic PPRuNer
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 1,902
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From: Rochechouart, France
MS installs are not very forgiving.
PS: When your data is safe, consider installing Mepis - http://www.mepis.org/ or Kubuntu - http://www.kubuntu.org/ rather than reinstalling ol' 98. They're modern and fast (even on middle aged [but not geriatric] machines and include all the applications you'll ever need. Even better, they're free.. You can then reimport all your data or access it on a separate disk.
If you really MUST reinstall 98 the Euberant's UNOFFICIAL Windows98 Second Edition Service Pack 2.1a (Freeware) - http://exuberant.ms11.net/98sesp.html - is a must.
Joined: Dec 1998
Posts: 4,282
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From: Escapee from Ultima Thule
Using another PC, download one of the many live Linux CD images eg Knoppix, Kanotix et al. Burn the .iso to a CD and use the CD to boot the Win98 machine.
You'll have a working PC that you could use to copy or email your data. Forgets M$ bullsh!t for a joke.
You'll have a working PC that you could use to copy or email your data. Forgets M$ bullsh!t for a joke.
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
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From: Twickenham, home of rugby
I ran a Toshiba 480 CDT PII 233 with 160MB RAM for a long time with Win2K - still have it as a matter of fact! It still comes in useful occasionally!
If you can get hold of a Win2K installation disk (preferably slipstreamed to SP3 or 4), it would be a reasonable alternative.
SD
If you can get hold of a Win2K installation disk (preferably slipstreamed to SP3 or 4), it would be a reasonable alternative.
SD
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 139
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From: Victoria, Australia
Try this it may help.
Shut down your PC and restart in DOS mode (click Start, click Shut Down, select the Restart In MS-DOS Mode radio button, and click OK). At the DOS command line, type scanreg/restore and choose a backup copy to restore. Do not attempt to do this by launching a DOS window from within Windows; Windows uses the Registry files when it is running, and you won't be able to replace them while they are in use.
If that fails this may work
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/220878/en-us
Allen
Shut down your PC and restart in DOS mode (click Start, click Shut Down, select the Restart In MS-DOS Mode radio button, and click OK). At the DOS command line, type scanreg/restore and choose a backup copy to restore. Do not attempt to do this by launching a DOS window from within Windows; Windows uses the Registry files when it is running, and you won't be able to replace them while they are in use.
If that fails this may work
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/220878/en-us
Allen
Official PPRuNe Chaplain
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 3,498
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From: Witnesham, Suffolk
The Knoppix "bootable CD" is by far the best option. I've recovered key data from several scrambled Windows installations that way.
All you need then is a "plugin" drive (eg a USB one) and you can copy off your stuff.
Failing that, the next best is to slave the "HD with the data" on a different PC.
DON'T attempt to reinstall anything - that's a good recipe to lose the lot.
All you need then is a "plugin" drive (eg a USB one) and you can copy off your stuff.
Failing that, the next best is to slave the "HD with the data" on a different PC.
DON'T attempt to reinstall anything - that's a good recipe to lose the lot.
