Best way to upgrade Win 98 to Win 98SE

[cadillacmike68]

Hi, I'm getting a few older ThinkPads from a former admin here (he's an "admin emeritus") including a 600 which I think will come with some sort of win 98. I want to update it to 98SE if it does not already have it.

What's the best way of doing this? I'm pretty sure I have some original win98SE discs hanging around. By discs in mean CDs. I would not want to do this with the 78 floppies. I also have what should be working copies of 98SE on some other Thinkpads. I read somewhere that if you took a DOS or 95 system (or perhaps a non 98SE 98 system) system and copied the entire windows directory onto the computer you would have it, but one would have to have the CD and other devices already in autoexec,bat and config.sys.

Is this doable, or can you run the w98 setup off the CD on a working 98 (non-SE) system and have it update all the files?

Or will I have to wipe out the windows directory and install from scratch from the CD.

Or will I have to run some recovery discs on it, which may, again, only be the original 98, not 98SE?

[dr_st]

You may be able to run SETUP from the 98SE CD while inside Win98, to do an in-place upgrade, as described here:
https://www.pctechguide.com/how-to-do-a ... to-win98se

[ZigFromLitva]

I restored my 600 to Windows 98 with the restore CDs and then upgraded it to 98SE using a 98 to 98SE upgrade CD that I got from WinWorldPC

[cadillacmike68]

zig,

When did you get that w98SE upgrade CD? I don't see any "upgrade" CDs hanging out on ebay.

I'm not sure if my win98SE CD is an upgrade or a straight install disc. I should be able to boot one of the several floppies that I have and try using the 98SE disc(s) that I have on hand. I just don't want to overwrite everything on the system, just the windoze files.

[ZigFromLitva]

zig,

When did you get that w98SE upgrade CD? I don't see any "upgrade" CDs hanging out on ebay.

I'm not sure if my win98SE CD is an upgrade or a straight install disc. I should be able to boot one of the several floppies that I have and try using the 98SE disc(s) that I have on hand. I just don't want to overwrite everything on the system, just the windoze files.

Hmmm... then I'm not sure. Here's the link I used: https://winworldpc.com/download/417858c ... e284a2c3a5. Maybe it's some sort of a modified install, but it works fine.
Nonetheless, a retail upgrade CD should say "upgrade" under the name. If your's doesn't, then probably it will do a fresh install. The thing that I'm not sure, is if that non-upgrade will delete everything, or will it just replace the FE files. I'm also not sure about the drivers.

[W500tragic]

Hi - hoping not to sound too dismissive here for your endeavours - I also had a string of historical projects that I used to comb the MSFN Win98/ME forums for (all the unofficial drivers and updates), plus I have a 486dx desktop sitting under my feet needing attention. I am sure there would be a 'how-to" archived on that forum to give advice on your upgrade choice. However, once I experimented with Puppy Linux I was particularly pleased at how well it performed in my older hardware - particularly in the ThinkPads - and I wouldn't consider anything from the MicroSoft stable again.
I have an unopened XP.Home CD looking for a home, if anyone is interested

UPDATE: Here y'go cadillacmike68 http://www.mdgx.com/upd98me.php - good luck!