[Chipster]

Hi all, Here's my problem. I've had a Windows 98 system given to me. I wanted to update to XP so I borrowed an XP disc and loaded it. It worked for 60 days and then quit. (I assume a trial period before purchase) The windows activation wouldn't take the product key as valid as it had been used 3 times already. I got and XP disc from my uncle which had been used only once. I found out it couldn't be used either as it was a recovery disc for his system. Here's where I am now.
I have XP loaded but non functional. I cannot activate windows. I do not know how to get back to Windows 98 and wipe out the XP version that's been loaded. There's nothing of value on the computer. Can anyone describe to me...in detail...how to wipe out the hard drive, get rid of XP and go back to Windows 98. Without windows functioning, I don'yt know what to do. I can't access anything on the computer without windows all it wants me to do is register and activate windows. I can however get on the internet through a Microsoft help site link on one of the registration pages. I have no recovery disc for 98 but if I can wipe the hard drive I'm willing to go buy my own copy of XP to load.

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Try here to remove XP

http://support.micro...kb;en-us;312569

For 98, boot the PC and keep tapping F8 until you get the options screen, choose command prompt, type format c: then press enter, Y to confirm, when it completes, press enter for volume, press ctrl + alt + delete keys together to reboot. As soon as it starts rebooting, tap the delete key to enter BIOS set up, change the boot priority to CD ROM, load the XP CD, press F10 to save changes then Y to confirm, it will reboot and XP set up will run

Edited by Keith, 06 June 2005 - 10:35 AM.

[Retired Tech]

Try here to remove XP

http://support.micro...kb;en-us;312569

For 98, boot the PC and keep tapping F8 until you get the options screen, choose command prompt, type format c: then press enter, Y to confirm, when it completes, press enter for volume, press ctrl + alt + delete keys together to reboot. As soon as it starts rebooting, tap the delete key to enter BIOS set up, change the boot priority to CD ROM, load the XP CD, press F10 to save changes then Y to confirm, it will reboot and XP set up will run

Edited by Keith, 06 June 2005 - 10:35 AM.

[masteranubis]

As soon as it starts rebooting, tap the delete key to enter BIOS set up, change the boot priority to CD ROM, load the XP CD, press F10 to save changes then Y to confirm, it will reboot and XP set up will run

Make sure that the XP cd is a full version and not an upgrade, because if you don't have the full version the upgrade will ask you for a previous version of windows, and if you don't have that you are SOL.

[Chipster]

I followed instructions by using f8 to options then command prompt and typed format c: but when I press enter for volume I get a message telling me it is in use by another process and I cannot go further to get into the BIOS setup to change the boot priority to CD ROM. I also tried the Microsoft link provided to manually remove XP but step one is to use a 98 or ME disc. I have no recovery discs to use. I would prefer at this point to simply remove XP and take the computer back to 98 operation but nothing so far is working. Is it so hard to wipe out the hard drive? Really need help getting this computer either back to 98 or the version of XP working. Without windows working, I'm lost. HELP!