More geeky help needed for Catt's computer

[fluffymark]

Windows 98 is being silly. It refuses to install on the basis that it can find an already installed version of itself - although the already installed version is corrupted and fails to work at all. It doesn't give me the option to continue on with the install, it just quits when it finds itself already there. I don't want to delete things, as catt will lose vital files she needs to keep. I've tried renaming the windows folder and COMMAND.COM to other names in the hope it cannot find them, but it still does.

So, how do I fool Windows into thinking it doesn't exist, without actually deleting it?

(or should I just give up and persuade Catt that Linux is the way forward...)

Comments

[incy.livejournal.com]

some windows are docotred to stop pirating, it sound spossible that you may have fallen foul of that. It should be possibly to do a windows install over a perfect version of windows. Solotuoion would be to find other CDs (has the one you got stamped with stuff like OEM only)

Since these are anti pirating measures, it might be worht trying to find another cd. Failing that can you back up the relevant files from the dos prompt (if you boot from floppy). Also have yout ried doing a scandisk from the dos prompt?

Linux might solve the issue (if not the exact problem) and may end up being the cheapest way of sorting the issue out.

[fluffymark]

Trick: Rename WIN.COM. Thats the file it looks for.

And it *insists* on running scandisk before installing windows anyway. The drive is perfectly healthy.

The Linux comment wasn't entirely serious. Catt's head would explode, even if it does have cute penguins.