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Windows 98 is upgraded to Windows
Millennium Edition (release: September 2000). It is not advised to upgrade from Windows 95
to the Millennium edition.
You may upgrade from Windows 98
to this edition, however leave it until Windows
Millennium Edition 2 is out so that any bugs in this first edition have
had time to be removed.
Notes
on Upgrading to from Windows95:
If you have still got Windows95, then you could
go straight for Windows 2000. However this is not recommended unless you have a
processor higher than Pentium 166, preferably above Pentium 400. However most
importantly of all is memory. The minimum for Windows 2000 is 64MB if you are
really going to use it properly. If you have a processor at 166Mhz with 32Mb of
memory, then choose Windows 98 instead - you'll get a decent performance from
that.
BEFORE upgrading ensure that you:
- Carryout a Thorough
Scandisk followed by a Defrag so that you know that your hard drive is in
optimum condition.
- Using Control
Panel, System, Device Manager, ensure that all devices are working
correctly, and resolve any conflicts.
- Note all your
device names & descriptions in Device Manager
It is essential to know the details of the devices in the PC, although
when Windows98 completes it's setup, if the PC is modern and the devices
common, Windows98 will detect them and install the drivers for the devices for
you from a list of a thousand or more drivers on the Windows98 CDRom.
It is likely then that only unique devices like a Video Conferencing SCSI
card may not have the drivers installed, but the main devices: video, sound,
motherboard devices...etc will be setup automatically for you and thus you will
not be requested to provide the manufacturers diskette or CDRom.
The installation WILL work perfectly providing your system is in
good order. People who relate horror stories about their upgrading, are those
who did not take the steps shown above.
If you don't know how to carryout all the instructions above, then find
someone who does, if you don't then problems resulting later may be far worse
to correct.
New
Installation - Installing to a newly formatted drive
Using the Windows 98 Full Version (new
PC only)
The surest way to install Windows98 on a PC is a new installation with
the full Windows98 version CD.
Note You can't use the Windows98 Upgrade Version to do this, it must be the full version. See Upgrade Version.
Either the Hard Drive you are to use is either new, or previous windows
files have been removed. If the Hard Drive is above 1.4GB then Fdisk should be
used so that a new FAT32 primary partition can be set. On Formatting, the drive
will format to it's full size e.g. 6.4GB and not several partitions (C,D,E
drives etc) of the smaller FAT16 sizes.
After formatting, the CDROM can be setup (on modern PCs set, the BIOS
SETUP to boot to CDROM first (e.g: CDRom,C,A), place the Windows98 CD into the
drive and then Windows98 will be ready to install from the Window98 CDRom. If
it doesn't self start go to your CDRom Drive (usually D) by typing D: at the
DOS Prompt, then type: SETUP to start the installation.
Again it is essential to know the details of the devices in the PC,
although when Windows98 completes it's setup, if the PC is modern and the
devices common, Windows98 will detect them and install the drivers for the
devices for you from a list of a thousand or more drivers on the Windows98
CDRom.
It is likely then that only unique devices like a Video Conferencing SCSI
card may not have the drivers installed, but the main devices: video, sound,
motherboard devices...etc will be setup automatically for you and thus you will
not be requested to provide the manufacturers diskette or CDRom.
Installation - Installing
to a Hard Drive which has Windows95.
Using the Windows98
Upgrade Version.
If you have a Window98 Upgrade CD then you should be able to start the
Upgrade from within Windows95 - place the CD in the drive, go to that drive,
find setup and run it. The upgrade WILL work perfectly providing your system is
in good order. People who relate horror stories about
their upgrading, are those who did give their PC a thorough check (Scandisk),
clear out left behind files (.tmp), ensure all devices in the Control, System,
'Device manager' were working properly and have done a Defrag to re-unite
fragmented files.
If you don't have the Upgrade version but the full version you can't
install this without removing win.com from the Windows folder. See Installing Windows for different method of
achieving this.
In all previous versions of Windows, Microsoft Fax was provided which not
only ran on one PC but could be shared with other PCs on a network thus
providing a network fax server.
Windows NT did not have Microsoft Fax, and Windows 98 (which completes
yet another move back to NT), has now NO Microsoft Fax provided.
If you have been using Microsoft Fax and the network fax server, then you
MUST acquire new third party software to replace it. Have this ready for
installation after you have upgraded to Windows98.
There have been about 100 changes and additions to Windows 98 which
should mean that your system should be more reliable, easier to use, will load
programs faster and be more efficient in the running of those programs.
|
Easy to use features: |
Improved Reliability |
|
Web Integration Multiple Monitor Support Power Management Universal Serial Bus Accessibility Wizard New Improved HELP |
Windows Update System File Checker Scandisk Registry Checker Backup |
|
Faster Operating System |
True Web Integration |
|
Maintenance Wizard Drive Converter Disk Defragmenter |
Improved Web Features Internet Connection Wizard Active Desktop & Channels E-Mail Networking & FrontPage Express |
|
Entertainment New hardware & Graphics Web TV DirectX Netshow Desktop Themes |
|
Windows 98 is by now a tried and somewhat trusted operating system. This
98 version is an evolutionary upgrade - the basic system remains about the same
but is slightly faster and has many new additions.
If you have a 400mhz + processor and 64Mb or more memory, then you could
go for Windows 2000, if you have a lesser machine, then definitely go for
Windows 98.
If you use Windows in a normal fashion then you can upgrade - If you are
a 'techie' then you will want to upgrade to Windows 2000.
If you want to upgrade to either system, then you MUST have a very stable
system with no errors BEFORE you do so.
People who wanted to upgrade over their previous version often related
horror stories about their upgrading. These were people who did give their PC a
thorough check (Scandisk), clear out left behind files (.tmp), ensure all
devices in the Control, System, 'Device manager' were working properly and have
done a Defrag to re-unite fragmented files.
There are 15 trouble-shooters in the Windows Help menu, designed to
diagnose and resolve technical problems in Windows 98:
Theses are:
|
Networking Modem Startup/Shutdown Drivespace 3 Memory MsDOS Program Display |
DirectX Sound Microsoft Network Hardware conflict Dialup networking Direct cable connection PC Card. |
To access these wizards: click the Start button, Help, On the Contents tab click Troubleshooting, then Windows98 Troubleshooters.