Win98 Fat32 Hard Drive Maxed Out!

"what if the screensavers have extra files attached?" I am pretty sure everything to the screensaver is within the .scr file.
I don't know if this has been mentioned or not, but you can go to the properties of the hard drive, and do a disk cleanup, and at the same place you can remove windows components you don't use or need. If your not sure about something, do a search online to see what it is, before you delete it. I used to do this way back in the day because bigger drives where pretty pricey. Seriously consider just getting a bigger drive is still my advice. If you are doing it just for fun, let the search begin.

Also take a look right here on majorgeeks, https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/98lite.html. You can click on the authors site to read more on it.

 

I have the money and hardware to replace the hard drive, but the person my mother has to fix the computer is not in business due to COVID-19.

 

Hi, again. I removed some Win98SE components from the system, and WinSetup indicated that I will save just under 30 MB. I'll work on other things now.

 

I installed 98Lite, and it seems to have done its job, but it copied a lot of the Win98 start-up .CAB files to the hard drive I don't want. Can I just delete these file?

 

I'm uninstalling some unneeded Windows programs now.

 

It helped. I then deleted some old install files for an old DOS laptop, and it helped a lot. My goal for this weekend was to have the hard drive be 1/3 full, and I reached that goal today.

 

I honestly cant answer that. I do not know what files it installed. I am glad to hear you meet your goal. Have fun with it.

 

I deleted the CAB files manually. I thank you for your encouragement.

 

Have you looked up the computer's specs. Or even the internal components. Does it have a hard drive controller interface board or does it plug into the motherboard. The older card interface sometimes needed the board changed to match the hard drive. The newer motherboard style was an inprovement that made drive swapping a breeze.
Enjoy!

 

I have money in the bank, and my mother knows someone who can upgrade the computer, but he's closed due to the virus.

 

Don't worry. He has to go back to work sooner or later or he'll be eating his spare inventory for his breakfasst.

 

May I take a whack at this? I really love older OSs. So let me say these things to start you off: 1)The USB software for Win98 is in a somewhat hidden folder on the original CD you may or may not have. You have to look for it. You may be able to get a piece of software similar to FileLocatorLite to search for the USB software. (On my Win98 CD image it is located at : V:\drivers\storage\ftl\usbflash.sys). You copy this file to your Windows/System or Windows/System32 directory and then you can read/write CDs.

Second, Windows 98 (or 98se) can use almost any size disk drive you want to use with it. What you have to do is to format the disk drive so you have one Physical disk drive of X amount of space and then you can make any number of logical disk drives of X amount of space. This has been a part of the Apple software, Microsoft softwrae, and Linux software for ages and ages. Most people only know of the Physical size part because now OSs can have gigantic physical disks - but the logical disks can go all the way from C-Z (although I'd just get a 250GB hard drive and split it up. Too many and most older OSs will just dump on you because the idiots who made them did NOT intend people to do that. (Which is where the old network file systems came into play.) One exception is the Apple //gs which I have a SCSI dis drive with 32 partitions on it. Each one is 32MB in size. Glenn Bredon really understood how to address this kind of a problem. Too bad he died. :-(

So anyway - post and let me guide you through this. Also - if you are concerned about viruses and such - look up ClamWin which I think will still work under Windows 98.

 

Markem, I thank you for you input. Now, I do have USB drivers and a new hard drive to install on the computer. I just need to install the hard drive, which is 6.4GB. BTW, can I have some tips to suck a little more space from the hard drive?

 

If you format the disk drive as one drive there aren't any special things to do. If you are planning on breaking it up the broken up hard drive should have everything available to you. Otherwise, 7-zip should be ok. If you have lost files, I recommen QueTek's File Scavenger. It has aaved my but several times.

My suggestion is to not take the original disk drive out. If you can, all you need is (as someone else said) a Philip's screwdriver (the one with the cross on it). You really do not need the electrical item told about you above. Tun the computer off, unplug it either from the wall or take the power cable out of the back. If you are really scared - unplug the monitor and anything else that is on the back. You can use paper tape (found in a pharmacy) to tape each cable and label it. Take off one side of your computer and set it somewhere near you. That becomes your static charge item. Or to put that another way - you touch it before you begin and every once in a while. Any static build-up will discharge into it. (As long as it is metal. If it isn't - just get something made of metal like a frying pan or some other item that you can touch.) Once you have the side off, look for the cable going to the main hard drive. Follow it and see if it has a second connection on it. plug the cable in to the new hard drive and THEN plug in the power to the disk drive (should be a 4-prong power cable). Leave the side of the computer off, make sure all connections are on correctly (ie - plugged in basically). Then turn the computer on. It should come up correctly on the same hard drive you booted to before. Now - you don't have to do anything special. You can just use xcopy to copy the files from the C:\ drive to the D:\ or E:\ drive. (Or you can use UBCD or STRELEC's cds to boot up to and then copy over to the new hard drive.

Remember that you are not trying to take the computer apart - so you only need a screwdriver to open the computer. Once you have transferred the files over you can just unplug the original hard drive.

IF you want to take the original hard drive out THEN you will need the screwdriver to undo the screws holding the hard drive in, plug both the communication line as well as unplug the power plug, pull the drive out, set it to one side. BUT! If you don't really want to take the drive out - just leave it in. In this case, you just tape either the F2 key or F8 key or the DEL key or whatever gets you in to the BIOS. Here you just look around and find where it says what to boot first. You change that from the current C:\ drive to the new disk drive. This then becomes the C:\ drive and the old C:\drive would switch places and become the D:\ or E:\ or whatever.

 

Maybe I can do it myself, but I want my mother's help, and she's unwilling to help me.

 

It is not that hard. Think of it like a toaster. Unplug it, pull the case out, and bang on it. Then plug it back in and turn it on It will still work just as well as before.

It doesn't bite. It doesn't claw. Just take normal precautions. As I have said, unplug it. Take all cables off of the back of it, pull it out so you have room. Be sure to put something on each cable so you remember where it goes. Undo the screws on the panel. Take it off. Set it to one side. Use it as your conductor. Touch it first - then do something. then touch it again, and so forth. You'll have it all done in five or ten minutes. Then go outside in back of the house, jump around and scream "I DID IT!". Then go back and finish.

 

How do I copy the contents of one hard drive to another and preserve long file names?

 

That is easy. There are several ways you can do this.

BUT FIRST - Remember there are several different file types under Windows 98 (or even 95 or even 3.1). These are system files which might not let you just copy the files. Make sure you are running as an administrator (or at least an elevated account because I do not remember there being an administrator accuont). Also there are hidden files which will not be copies over (which is why I used WinZIP because it got every file). There are also hard coded areas on your hard drive. In later OSs you would see these as black areas on the hard drive. Again, WinZIP could get those too.

Ok - with that said....

#1 - See this article on Ars Technica : https://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=1070487

That uses xcopy BUT remember to use the xcopy32 version for long names (as some people have said on here).

Me? When I had to move my main disk drive to a second disk drive - I always used WinZIP. I would just tell it to copy the entire disk drive, then I would immediately unarchive it on the second disk drive. Worked great. I can put it on my DropBox account (I have to find it first of course) and you can then use it for 30 days for free.

Here is another set of posts talking about this: https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=60515
They use xcopy also. ALSO NOTE that they use the "format <drivve>: /s" to format the new hard drive as a system disk drive.

Then there is this: http://www.xxcopy.com/xcpydnld.htm
xxcopy says it will clone your hard drive. (I just downloaded it. Took like a minute to do so.)

The truth is - all you have to do is to Google software for windows 98 to backup or clone the hard drive and - that's it! (So like "windows 96 clone hard drive" and you'll get lots of information.)

 

I have the money to upgrade the Win98 computer but need to find my ID to get it. I will be seeing my mother tomorrow, so I'll be able to play with the computer. Right now, the computer's hard drive is about 1/3 full, and I want to get it down to 1/4 full without moving software to a flash drive I have connected to it to act as a second hard drive, which is about 1/2 full.

BTW, I'm using 7Zip to compress some of the files, and my version seems to be buggy. I' working on my own compression technique, and it is doing exceptional. When it's ready, I plan to use it to compress my files.

 

I forgot to mention: any other ideas? And, I have some Zip100 disks in the mail. I can offload some of my software to them. I have a 7Zip file of SNES games taking up about 30MB of space on my hard drive that I can offload.

 

Use the money to have the bigger HDD installed.

 

I plan on doing just that. I need to find my ID, though.

 

Do you mean the Product Key?

 

Myabe - unknown - could be a Driver's License number or credit card number. The word ID is a bit vague. It is like saying you are going to turn LEFT or RIGHT. Both are ambiguous. Be that as it may....

If you have a ZIP drive - that is great. Instead of deleting things - just wait until you have the ZIP disks and back things up to them. Better yet - uninstall whatever and then reinstall it to the ZIP drive. Or even better - just get a phillips screw driver and a standard screw driver, shut down the computer, open it up, add in the disk drive.

You are a lot like a friend of mine who has a degree in Chemistry. He is deathly afraid of destroying his Windows 98 system. What can I say? I've gone over to his house and fixed his system before and even showed him how to fix it himself. At least, though, I did get the USB software installed onto his Windows 98 hard drive and then got him to get an external hard drive and plug it in and back up his main hard drive. So now - if/when his hard drive fails all he has to do is to put in the other one. Too bad I no lnoger live in the same city. Now he has no one to fix his system.

Do you remember The Avengers movies? Do you remember what happened to them? You have to be like the Avengers and when things look their bleakest you have to realize that you and you alone can do these things. You don't need to spend hundreds of dollars for about an hours work. You jut have to do it. It won't be all that bad. But you can cower and say life isn't fair. It isn't. People die. People leave. Friends may become enemies. It doesn't matter. Only YOU matter. I'd use this opportunity to learn more about how your computer works. Nothing drastic. But the decision is up to you. Me? I took my Apple ][+ apart the day I brought it home. Undid all of the screws, looked at the entire thing, took notes as I took it apart and then put it back together again. I did the same thing with the //gs I still have and in fact - I'm going to bring it out here, put up my two PC laptops. Yepper - going to put the //gs back together. Only way to read my diskettes. It will take a day or two for me to do it because I'm in a wheelchair. But the wheelchair does not stop me - but that's just how I am.

 

By ID I mean a photo ID. My mother is afraid of damaging the computer, and I need her help to fix the computer. I can plug in the new hard drive, start the computer in Safe mode, transfer the information, shut down the computer, remove the old drive, install the other drives and turn it on, but my mother refuses to help me.

 

Please explain what your photo ID and you mother's refusal to help you has to do with replacing an HDD.

 

Guy! As Eldon has said - what does any of that have to do with you fixing the computer? ID - excuse, Mom - excuse, weather outside - excuse, weather inside - excuse. Quit making excuses.

My first question to you is - HOW OLD ARE YOU? I definitely need to know.

 

Harry Potter, My heart goes out to you for your sheer determination.
I willpm you, and give you another idea with your spare hard drive, which would be a lot easier than you think, but personal to you only, and will help with unavailable updates etc:
You could try it , and although I am sure you will find i helpful, if you don't like it, You can just clone your existing hard drive- Then I suggest you make a new post -One on how to clone your hard drive, one on how to remove and replace hard drive, and one on how to install from an iso image/create a disc image.
Read up good practice- ALWAYS DISCONNECT POWER SUPPLY- ALWAYS WEAR A WRIST STRAP/EARTH -THEN, BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE- PRSS AND HOLD POWER BUTTON TO DISCHARGE COMPUTER COMPLETELY, BEFORE REMOVING SIDE COVER- IN YOUR CASE HAVE AN ADULT WITH YOU WHO CAN WATCH WHAT YOU DO.
My grandson is 14, and has just built his own gaming computer-If you DO NOT reconnect the power , and restart your computer until the hard drive is changed, and the side is back on.
https://store.hp.com/us/en/tech-takes/how-to-replace-a-hard-drive-and-reinstall - is a good example
Your hard drive is probably an IDE hard drive--
Whereas most pictures nowadays will show you a Sata harddrive ..

Your replacement must be the same type (not size)


Read everything, twice, then again to check- have an adult (even your nan with you, and ask them to read and check everything, but remember an adult should be with you.

 

I am 40 years old but have a mental illness. I have Asperger's Syndrome, which is a mild form of Autism. Basically, I am awkward socially. I'm sorry for the pushiness.

 

Thanks for sharing that.
Now that we know we could possibly offer different advice in future.

 

I have nearly all of my larger programs compressed. I moved some files to floppies and Zip disks. I compressed some executables using UPX. What else can I do to clear up some space computer's on the hard drive? BTW, it's a little over 1/4 full.

 

Harry Potter- Thanks for sharing. your condition
No worries- I can see your determination is still to reduce the area of use with your hard drive.
On that I would suggest that maybe Markham can help more,as markham seems to be well into W98,still.
If I may suggest, - I have relatives with bad ocd, and from what I understand (although very little) this appears similar in many ways to Aspergers, in that you both get on one track, and find it difficult to move sideways from that.
Don't feel out of things because of your problem-You have behaved very well from the start, and I have never seen you say anything out of place-good luck, keep at it.

 

baklogic, I thank you for your compliment.

 

You could setup a Win98 boot thumbdrive, and use the hard drive for 100% program storage.
I have a Win98SE setup I use like that. It is 260MB unzipped (74MB zipped).
I don't even bother zipping it, it's just auto-copied unzipped to the ramdrive right off the thumbdrive.

If you think that might be something you're interested in let me know.

Just keep two things in mind:

1) It takes longer to boot due to copying Windows to the ramdrive.
2) On reboot - everything is gone (unless you ran the update batch shortcut).

 

I do have a flash drive as a second hard drive, and it is about 1/2 full. I really don't want to move the system to the flash drive, though. I also have a 16MB RAM drive I cold use for data storage, and it preserves its contents upon shut down. It is compressed, and I could use it for data storage. Is this helpful?

 

The ZIP disks are coming, and,when they come, I have some software I have compressed with 7Zip to install on DriveSpace-compressed ZIP disks. That should help.

 

The only advice I can offer at this point is don't forget to set the 7-zip compression to ultra. Good luck.

 

I do, but sometimes the 7Zip format doesn't work.

 

I thank all of you for your input and welcoming me in spite of my mental illness. I guess I'm out of options here. When I reach my mother's house next, I will update you regarding my ZIP disks.

 

Uhh...I can't go to my mother's house this weekend because she's not feeling well. Maybe next weekend.

 

I'm at my mother's house right now and moving some files to Zip disks.

 

Goal accomplished! The used hard drive space is now a little less than 1/4 full.