3
I've wiped an old PC and would like to put a copy of XP Pro upgrade edition on it. However, I no longer have my old XP Home and Windows 98 discs for when it asks for a previous version's disc.
Any way to get around this?
Thanks
3
I've wiped an old PC and would like to put a copy of XP Pro upgrade edition on it. However, I no longer have my old XP Home and Windows 98 discs for when it asks for a previous version's disc.
Any way to get around this?
Thanks
4
It's a bit tricky but it can be done.
When Windows Setup is checking for proof of eligibility on a Windows 98 CD, it doesn’t necessarily look at the contents of the files in the win98 directory, it just looks at the names.
Use the directory listing below to create a bunch of zero byte files with the proper file names and extensions, copy them into a folder called win98 (nevermind the other files and folders of the original windows 98 CD), burn this folder onto a CD and insert this disk when prompted.
You can even create a FULL Windows XP Installation CD with this little 'trick', here's a tutorial:
Making An XP Full Install Disc From An XP Upgrade Disc
and while you're at it, i recommend to slipstream service pack 3 into the installation CD.
Contents of the Win98 Folder (from a Microsoft Windows 98 SE CDROM)
Base4 cab 168,448 4/23/1999 10:22p
Base5 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Base6 cab 192,259 4/23/1999 10:22p
Catalog3 cab 274,470 4/23/1999 10:22p
Chl99 cab 14,451 4/23/1999 10:22p
Deltemp com 496 4/23/1999 10:22p
Dossetup bin 168,096 4/23/1999 10:22p
Driver11 cab 1,461,760 4/23/1999 10:22p
Driver12 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Driver13 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Driver14 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Driver15 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Driver16 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Driver17 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Driver18 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Driver19 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Driver20 cab 1,796,920 4/23/1999 10:22p
Extract exe 93,242 4/23/1999 10:22p
Intl txt 6,594 4/23/1999 10:22p
Mini cab 686,042 4/23/1999 10:22p
Net10 cab 339,985 4/23/1999 10:22p
Net7 cab 1,609,728 4/23/1999 10:22p
Net8 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Net9 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Ols <dir> 37,222,546 4/23/1999 10:22p
Precopy1 cab 1,331,200 4/23/1999 10:22p
Precopy2 cab 1,351,645 4/23/1999 10:22p
Save32 com 920 4/23/1999 10:22p
Scandisk exe 143,818 4/23/1999 10:22p
Scandisk pif 995 4/23/1999 10:22p
Scanprog exe 4,438 4/23/1999 10:22p
Scanreg exe 165,502 4/23/1999 10:22p
Setup exe 5,712 4/23/1999 10:22p
Setup txt 37,299 4/23/1999 10:22p
Setup0 wav 439,824 4/23/1999 10:22p
Setup1 wav 14,924 4/23/1999 10:22p
Setup2 wav 14,992 4/23/1999 10:22p
Smartdrv exe 45,379 4/23/1999 10:22p
Suback bin 229,680 4/23/1999 10:22p
Sucatreg exe 77,824 4/23/1999 10:22p
Suhelper bin 1,472 4/23/1999 10:22p
Tour <dir> 17,098,410 4/23/1999 10:22P
W98setup bin 168,096 4/23/1999 10:22p
Wb16off exe 537 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_21 cab 5,120 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_22 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_23 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_24 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_25 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_26 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_27 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_28 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_29 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_30 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_31 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_32 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_33 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_34 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_35 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_36 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_37 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_38 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_39 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_40 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_41 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_42 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_43 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_44 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_45 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_46 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_47 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_48 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_49 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_50 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_51 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_52 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_53 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_54 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_55 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_56 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_57 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_58 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_59 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_60 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_61 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_62 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_63 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_64 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_65 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_66 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_67 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_68 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_69 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_70 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_71 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_72 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_73 cab 1,802,240 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_74 cab 771,436 4/23/1999 10:22p
Win98_ol cab 1,708,985 4/23/1999 10:22p
Xmsmmgr exe 14,144 4/23/1999 10:22p
1
Aside from downloading a copy of the OS from the internet (which is illegal, so don't do it), I don't know a workaround. If you have a restore disc for that PC, what you can do is restore the PC. Then when booted into that OS (whether it is 98 or ME, or XP Home), put in the disc and choose to do an upgrade. I believe you can actually boot of the CD and this will still work but I'm not 100% positive. Since the CD sees that a previous version of the OS is already installed on the hard drive, you don't actually need a disc to prove that you have a previous version.
Yea, I'm definitely not looking for anything illegal, thanks for the response, but I don't have the disc. – th3dude – 2010-01-17T20:51:42.927
Actually, I found a restore disc for another machine, so I'm using that and doing as you suggested. Marked as correct answer since you saying 'restore disc' made me realize that I had another one :) Thanks! – th3dude – 2010-01-17T20:54:55.697
Nice, glad I could help :) – Marcin – 2010-01-17T20:55:40.903
Is it possible to use a USB stick with the win98 files instead of a CD ? – JohnTube – 2015-04-29T15:03:22.137
The link to "Making An XP Full Install Disc From An XP Upgrade Disc" is broken; here's a working one: http://tzs108.wordpress.com/2006/04/05/making-an-xp-full-install-disc-from-an-xp-upgrade-disc/
– Ed Brannin – 2011-09-23T00:04:00.640