Windows 98 SE Setup Guide |
This guide describes how to install and configure Windows 98 SE on a gaming PC. Windows 98 SE is a good fit for Windows games and PC hardware released between approximately 1995 and 2001. It is also suitable for DOS games.
1. Prerequisites |
Installing Windows 98 SE requires the following items:
Windows 98 SE CDs and boot disks can be purchased on Amazon.com and eBay. ISOs are also available for download on abandonware websites, but may not yield the same results as authentic media.
Microsoft's official system requirements for Windows 98 are as follows:
Windows 98 SE also has upper hardware limits. By default, the following are not supported:
Windows 98 SE does not place a hard upper limit on CPU speed. However, Windows XP is typically a better fit for faster CPUs. In general, Windows 98 SE systems do not benefit from CPUs above the Pentium 4 2.0 or Athlon XP 2000+.
- Windows 98 SE CD
- Windows 98 boot disk (3.5" floppy)
- a compatible PC
Windows 98 SE CDs and boot disks can be purchased on Amazon.com and eBay. ISOs are also available for download on abandonware websites, but may not yield the same results as authentic media.
Microsoft's official system requirements for Windows 98 are as follows:
- 486DX 66 MHz (Pentium recommended)
- 16 MB RAM (32 MB recommended)
- 195 MB free hard drive space
Windows 98 SE also has upper hardware limits. By default, the following are not supported:
- more than 512 MB RAM
- hard drives larger than 128 GB
Windows 98 SE does not place a hard upper limit on CPU speed. However, Windows XP is typically a better fit for faster CPUs. In general, Windows 98 SE systems do not benefit from CPUs above the Pentium 4 2.0 or Athlon XP 2000+.
2. Hard Drive Preparation |
Before Windows 98 SE can be installed, the target PC's hard drive must be properly formatted. This is a three step process:
These steps can be performed with a Windows 98 SE boot disk as described in this Microsoft support article, using the fdisk and format tools. Alternatively, the hard drive can be prepared using a partition editing tool such as GParted.
- Create a new Master Boot Record (MBR) partition table;
- Create a new primary DOS partition and set it as active;
- Format the new partition using FAT32.
These steps can be performed with a Windows 98 SE boot disk as described in this Microsoft support article, using the fdisk and format tools. Alternatively, the hard drive can be prepared using a partition editing tool such as GParted.
3. Installing Windows 98 SE |
Windows 98 SE installs from the CD using a graphical setup utility. Once the target PC's hard drive is prepared as described above, boot the PC from the Windows 98 SE CD and follow the on-screen instructions.
Some PCs may be unable to boot directly from the Windows 98 SE CD. These PCs must first boot from the Windows 98 boot disk, then run the setup utility on the Windows 98 SE CD. This process is also described in this Microsoft support article.
The Windows 98 SE setup utility occasionally prompts the user for information. One piece of required information is the product key. Keys were typically distributed on certificate of authenticity (COA) stickers attached to the Windows 98 SE manual or the PC on which the operating system was installed. While later Windows versions attempt to enforce a one-to-one mapping of product key to installation, Windows 98 keys can be freely reused on any number of systems. The key below is reported to work with all Windows 98 CDs.
Some PCs may be unable to boot directly from the Windows 98 SE CD. These PCs must first boot from the Windows 98 boot disk, then run the setup utility on the Windows 98 SE CD. This process is also described in this Microsoft support article.
The Windows 98 SE setup utility occasionally prompts the user for information. One piece of required information is the product key. Keys were typically distributed on certificate of authenticity (COA) stickers attached to the Windows 98 SE manual or the PC on which the operating system was installed. While later Windows versions attempt to enforce a one-to-one mapping of product key to installation, Windows 98 keys can be freely reused on any number of systems. The key below is reported to work with all Windows 98 CDs.
VP9VV-VJW7Q-MHY6W-JK47R-M2KGJ
4. USB Mass Storage Drivers |
USB flash drives are generally the simplest way to transfer files between newer Internet-connected PCs and Windows 98 PCs. Windows 98 SE has native USB support, and most Windows 98-era systems have at least one USB 1.1 port. Generic USB mass storage drivers for Windows 98 are available here, and should support all USB flash drives. Some flash drive manufacturers released their own Windows 98 drivers, but these can be difficult to find and do not work with all drives.
5. Internet Explorer 6 SP1 |
Because Internet Explorer is a core system component in Windows 98, updating the browser is equivalent to updating the operating system. Internet Explorer 6 SP1 is the latest version available for Windows 98. An offline installer is available here.
After installing Internet Explorer 6 SP1, it is advisable to create a disk image of the fresh Windows 98 installation using an imaging utility such as Clonezilla. This will expedite future installations, as restoring a saved image is much faster than installing Windows 98 SE manually. It is important to image Windows 98 before installing device drivers, as these are not easily removed.
After installing Internet Explorer 6 SP1, it is advisable to create a disk image of the fresh Windows 98 installation using an imaging utility such as Clonezilla. This will expedite future installations, as restoring a saved image is much faster than installing Windows 98 SE manually. It is important to image Windows 98 before installing device drivers, as these are not easily removed.
6. Device Drivers |
Before using Windows 98 SE, it is essential to install device drivers for components such as video cards, sound cards, network cards, motherboard chipsets, and game controllers. Use Device Manager to determine which components in a system need drivers.
Installing drivers on Windows 98 is a three step process:
Identifying hardware components can be difficult. Many components are not clearly labeled, and some OEM components require custom drivers. It is often necessary to remove a component from the PC and Google its part number to make a positive identification.
Locating Windows 98 SE drivers for identified components is usually straightforward, as most major hardware manufacturers continue to host Windows 98 drivers. Many third-party websites also host Windows 98 drivers. If a driver is no longer available on the live web, it can often be located using the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.
Installing drivers on Windows 98 is a three step process:
- Identify components that need drivers;
- Locate and download needed drivers;
- Install drivers.
Identifying hardware components can be difficult. Many components are not clearly labeled, and some OEM components require custom drivers. It is often necessary to remove a component from the PC and Google its part number to make a positive identification.
Locating Windows 98 SE drivers for identified components is usually straightforward, as most major hardware manufacturers continue to host Windows 98 drivers. Many third-party websites also host Windows 98 drivers. If a driver is no longer available on the live web, it can often be located using the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.
7. DirectX 9.0c |
PCGames9505 recommends always upgrading DirectX to the latest available version. For Windows 98 SE, this is DirectX 9.0c. The last DirectX installer to support Windows 98 was released in December 2006 and is available here. It is good practice to install device drivers before upgrading DirectX.
8. Next Steps |
Microsoft distributed updates for Windows 98 SE through its online Windows Update tool. While the Windows Update servers for Windows 98 SE are now offline, the updates are still available as an unofficial service pack. This package is not necessary for gaming systems, and may cause undesired changes.
While most modern software does not support Windows 98 SE, the operating system still has a large software catalog. See this post on MSFN for a list of programs and utilities known to work with Windows 98 SE.
See also the Utilities page for a list of essential Windows 98 programs.
While most modern software does not support Windows 98 SE, the operating system still has a large software catalog. See this post on MSFN for a list of programs and utilities known to work with Windows 98 SE.
See also the Utilities page for a list of essential Windows 98 programs.