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Mid-Atlantic-Data

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install Windows 98 on Dell 1400SC server

After reformatting and running fdisk on a Dell 1400SC server which originally had Redhat Linux 7.1 installed on it, I want to install Windows 98 on it. It has an ATAPI cd-rom drive, and possibly hardware RAID. Putting in a Windows 98 installation cd-rom it starts to load and run tests and then stops.
Question: Can I install Windows 98 on this?
The user does not want Windows XP installed on it.
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blue_zee
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>>The user does not want Windows XP installed on it.<<

What about Windows 2000 or even better Windows Server 2003?

Zee
You may want to try copying the installation files from CD to HDD and run setup from the HDD.

Try installing with the standard/default set of drivers and update later with drivers from the motherboard manufacturer, if they have them for Win98 (something you should check first of all!).

Good luck,

Zee
I do not understand, what tests the installer stops after.

Also, is the drive letter C available, when the system starts from the Windows 98 CD?

Is it possible to display the contents of the C drive with "DIR C:\"  command?
If not the installation can not be performed. As, Windows 98 can not prepare disk partition for itself (as Windows XP does). The hard disk has to be partitioned and formatted, before the istaller is run.
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nedvis
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I agree with nedvis about running a low level format or zero-fill utility on the hard drive.

It is sometimes possible to run FDISK from Win98 boot floppy, delete all partitions including the Linux Non_DOS partitions, and then run FDISK /MBR, to get rid of all traces of the previous Linux OS, but sometimes you have to boot the computer to the Linux CD again and use its option to remove the partition that Linux created.

Is "the user" a company who intends to use the computer as a Server, or is this just someone who has picked up bargain from eBay and wants Windows on it?
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Mid-Atlantic-Data

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I used an old version of Disk Manager for DOS, and attempted to low-level format the hard drive. The hard drive is 8 GB, and Disk Manager couldn't handle that size. So i used 1GB as the primary Boot drive C: and 1 GB as drive D:

Disk manager said that it would not low-level format the drive. It then wanted a DOS boot disk to copy the files over. I had a Dos 6.0 disk, so I used that. I changed c:\config.sys to have lastdrive=E because I wanted it to recognize the cd-rom drive. It found C: and D: but the cd-rom drive it said invalid drive specification.

I tried to continue with the windows 98 installation from cd-rom but it got stuck again.

I put in win98 startup disk (i made a new one using win98se and also used one from Microsoft). Both gave the same results:

AIC-6260/6360/6370 ASPI Manager for DOS
version 3.68S
Copyright 1990-1997 Adaptec Inc.

AIC-78xx/AIC-76xx ASPI Manager for DOS
version 1.32S
Copyright 1994-1997 Adaptec Inc.

PCI bus scan complete

AHA-1540/1542/1640 Adaptec Manager for DOS
version 3.36S
Copyright 1998-1997 Adaptec Inc.

AIC-7890/91 Adaptec Manager for DOS
version 1.00S
Copyright 1994-1997 Adaptec Inc.

PCI bus scan complete

Then it did not do anything else. I wanted several hours the first time it got stuck. I did not see any led light activity on the hard drive.
The "user" is my employer company who is familiar with WIN98 and doesn't really want anything newer. The software they have will definately NOT run on Vista. It will not be a server, just a single user PC.
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I tried BillDL's last suggestion. Was able to get the partition created. Still cannot access the cd-rom drive. I have not looked at the website for newer drivers. Right now the project is on hold. I may try and load winXP in the near future.
"I may try and load winXP in the near future"
 Then you should go for Windows XP PROFESSIONAL ( not HOME nor MEDIA CENTER) because only XP PRO can utilize TWO processors.
 I still think your Dell 1400SC has TWO PROCESSORS ( CPU).
Thank you Mid-Atlantic-Data