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Computer help: Installing Win98SE onto an external hard drive
Installing Win98SE onto an external hard drive
by ck_hobbes - 10/16/05 2:03 PMHi,
I was wondering if it is possible to install Win98SE onto a hard drive mounted in an USB external enclosure.
My laptop is pretty old but still functional for what I need it for. The CD-ROM drive died on me a few years ago and I've being using an external CD-ROM drive whenever programs needed to be installed. However, recently, my computer has been acting up and it no longer recognizes any external drives when I plug it into the USB port. From Device Manager, there is a problem with respect to the USB to ATAPI adapter driver.
So, I am considering formatting and reinstalling Win98SE. Since I don't have a functioning CD-ROM drive, I was wondering if it is possible to mount the laptop hard drive in a USB external enclosure, connect it to a desktop, format it, install Win98SE on it and reinsert it back into my laptop and use my laptop.
Any advice and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks in advance,
Kelvin
If you had an external cdrom instead
by TONI H - 10/16/05 2:08 PM In reply to: Installing Win98SE onto an external hard drive by ck_hobbesYou could copy the files needed to your harddrive and run the W98 installation from there instead...
W9X/ME were geared (and possibly W2K but not sure) to all install to the C: drive which is on a Primary IDE controller or an internal IDE device such as made by Promise, but still using that primary IDE controller on it. Since a USB external harddrive wouldn't actually be on a controller of any kind, I'm not real optimistic about W98 being able to install to it as it wouldn't be bootable either as an option in the bios.
Maybe somebody has some better suggestions.
TONI
This will never work. But a workaround!
by R. Proffitt
- 10/16/05 2:10 PM
In reply to: Installing Win98SE onto an external hard drive by ck_hobbes
Save your time since this setup has never been seen working. And is not supported.
I've seen Linux on such, but not windows of any version.
Now there is a way to "preload" Windows 98's install files on said drive. I just copy the Win98 directory from the CD to the laptop drive and then run setup from there. Hopefully you found all the drivers for the laptop and put them on the hard disk as well. Microsoft will not do this for you.
Bob
Thanks for the help
by ck_hobbes - 10/16/05 2:22 PM In reply to: This will never work. But a workaround! by R. Proffitt
Thank you for the fast and informative responses. I'll try your suggestion right away and hopefully it works out.
Thanks again,
Kelvin
It can be done, but not in this case
by silvervein - 10/17/05 4:58 AM In reply to: This will never work. But a workaround! by R. Proffitt
I have a ibm X40 running winXP. the x40 has no internal cd drive so the BIOS allows booting from an external CD drive... it also allows to boot from an USB hard drive. Therefore, in theory, I could pop my harddrive into a USB case, connect it and an external CD drive, and boot from CD to install windows on the USB HD. Its all just a matter of the BIOS. Now if there were only no HAL (Hardware abstraction layer) in windows I could just carry my hard drive around and plug into any terminal with USB HD booting to see my desktop and all my files.
Let me be blunt.
by R. Proffitt - 10/17/05 5:40 AM
In reply to: It can be done, but not in this case by silvervein
I attend the trade shows, take the Microsoft seminars and this install to external USB drives has never been shown or accomplished. I've even asked the softies at the Microsoft booths and they answer "no". The reason is quite simple. The code isn't in the OS to accomplish such a boot of this OS.
But still there are many that think it could work. Show me.
Maybe later.
Bob
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