Can't install win98 again

[atjlo]

Try this on for size:

A while back I u/g to win98. I had to reformat my drive at the time, but no prob.
After several hardware and software additions it was giving me trouble, so I decided to re-install, no big whoop.
I reformatted the partition with win98 on it (I have a maxtor 5.7 gig udma drive w/ 3 partitions) switched the bios to boot from my cd, put in the win98 cd and prepared to install. My computer had different plans, it simply gave me a blank screen. I thought it was a prob. w/ the cd (actually a creative labs dvd) so I hooked up my other cd (also a cl) same problem.
I reformatted the ENTIRE Maxtor drive and tried again.
same problem.
I tried a DIFFERENT Maxtor drive (1.2 gig mode 4)
same problem.
I can work fine in dos, but when I try to install win98 from the cd or run scandisk I just get a blank screen!!!
I did not have this prob the first time I installed win98, so why is it being so difficult now? I've even resorted to switching out my IDE cables and pulling out all my cards except my video card.
I've reformatted about 5 times and even done
a LOW LEVEL format out of sheer frustration.
I can boot to the hd fine. I just can't install win98 (or 95 for that matter)
I've run a couple of different hd diagnostic programs only to find out my hd is working fine. The bios still recognizes everything correctly, so what the heck kind of spell is on my system.
HELP ME!!!

FYI
mb: epox mvp3e-m
cpu: amd k6-233
ram: 64M edo simms (yes I still use simms!)
dvd: creative labs encore 5x
cdrom: creative labs infra 1800

[JimS]

I dont see how you can boot from your CD if the CD drivers have not been installed first. Do you have a Win98 start disk? I would not try to boot from CD, boot from a floppy, this will install CD drivers. Then you can install from the CD.

[atjlo]

I tried to boot from the win98 startup disk, but when I do my computer just keeps rebooting. It will get to the point where it is supposed to start the setup program, but will just suddenly reboot like I hit ctl-alt-del?!
The first time I installed it I did it straight from the cdrom.

ATO

[Eli]

JimS,
You can boot right from the W98 CD. It somehow manages to read the drivers off the CD. Sounds strange, but it actually works.

[ScorpioLP]

Maybe if nothing else works, disconnect the DVD and then boot to Win98 startup disks, loading cd drivers and then run from CD.

[Cristi]

I'd concentrate on the connection and setup in BIOS of the CD you plan to use as a boot device. Maybe the system cannot "see" the CD, so it cannot boot from it.
As an alternative, as others said, it should work booting from a diskete, loading the CD drivers and then accessing the CD to install W98.
If you made a bootable diskete while you had w98 installed, when you boot directly from it, should appear on the sceen a menu asking to load the CD drivers or not. Is it doing that?

[Jake]

I used the floppy to boot to after I reformated the hard drive. Then it loads the proper drivers and loads windows 98. Did you ,by accident, change a setting in the bios. Good luck.

[atjlo]

The bios recognizes my cd correctly and I can boot from it without any problem. The problem arises when I actually try to run setup.exe or oemsetup.exe from the CD.
Then I just get a blank screen, it never even enters setup.
The same thing happens if I boot from my floppy and try to run setup, or if I boot from my HDD for that matter.

ATO

[Gary]

Other than rechecking your Bios settings could it be your Win98 CD is dirty or scratched? Try cleaning it.

[atjlo]

I've tried cleaning it, and I've also tried my old win95 disk and it does the same thing.
Anyone know how to just run setup from my HDD? I copied the entire win98 folder to my hdd, but when I try to run setup it says to put in the bootdisk and reboot, and then I am back where I started. It does not actually try to run from the Hdd.
Is it possible??
ATO

[atjlo]

I finally got it fixed.
Thanks for all your suggestions.

ATO