Install Windows Tips

This page deals only with Windows 95 and Windows 98.  Do not attempt this process with other operating systems - it won't work!

There are four stages to installing Windows on a laptop hard drive.  The first of three of these are dealt with in Preparing your laptop to install Windows.  This article deals with the final stage which is to install Windows and any additional drivers that may be needed.

All details below are provided free of charge for both customers and non customers.  No liability is accepted for any damage or data loss resulting from the misuse of this information. 

Why reinvent the wheel?  If your laptop was supplied with a recovery CD then use it! 

The final stage of the Windows installation is to install Windows itself, and any drivers that are needed.

If you don't have a recovery CD then you should get any drivers you need from the manufacturers web site, it is usually easiest to burn these to a CDROM before starting.

The normal method of installing Windows is to run the software from the CDROM.  Rather than this we suggest you copy the Windows setup directory - WIN95, WIN98 or WIN9X an the files in it to your hard drive (you do not need the various subdirectories).  To do this type:

C: and press ENTER

MD WIN98 (or WIN95/WIN9X) and press ENTER

CD WIN98 and press ENTER

COPY D:\WIN98\. and press ENTER

This should copy all files from your CD to your hard drive.  Once finished you can remove the CD type SETUP and press RETURN and run the installation as normal.  If you have problems with this please do a standard installation from the Windows CDROM.

This method ensures that if you later make any changes to Windows you will not have to insert the CD, thus avoiding version conflicts, missing files and so on.  

If you are setting up the machine for someone else you may wish to write protect and/or hide this directory to prevent them from deleting it.

Some manufacturers drivers will require the CAB files (Windows setup files) to be moved to the WINDOWS/OPTIONS/CABS directory.  

Once you are happy Windows is set up you can then install any manufacturers drivers needed.  You may need to consult the manufacturers web site for installation instructions.

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