[b]CD Burner with Windows 98?[/b]

[Rusty]

Is anyone using a CD burner with Windows 98 (not 98SE)? I have a 1998 Dell Dimension V350, Pentium II at 350 MHz running Windows 98. I have been backing up my files to diskettes, but the addition of digital photograph files is too much for the diskettes. I would like to back up to CDs, and would prefer an internal drive, but would be willing to go with external, also. Most of the drives that I have read about only run with Windows 98SE, or more recent O/S. Any advice? Thanks in advance! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Richard]

I didn't have a cd burner at that time (when I had that OS). What I used for a backup was an Iomega Zip or Jazz drive.

I started with the zip drive (250 mb as I recall) and because I programed 9 other machines to copy to same shared drive, I ended up moving to the Jazz removable hard drive (1 gig).

Worked for our needs and today, could probably be obtained pretty inexpensively.

 

[MadReferee]

I have an HP CD-Writer Plus 8100 series unit on my machine. It was running W98 with no problems. When I upgraded to W98SE it again worked with no problems.

You should upgrade to W98SE as many nagging problems were fixed. You will probably find that most software and hardware today, including CD writer units, are not supported and probably will not work on W98 since it's no longer supported by Microsoft. W98SE is the minimum supported.

 

[CharlieTn]

I can't say with 100% certainty but I am 99% sure you should have no problem. Go to the windows update site and make sure you have the latest and the greatest from MS. Burning CD's on anything under XP IMP is a b***H. BUffer underruns, lock ups a real PITA (and I am a computer guy)

I would suggest getting an external hard drive. You can get a 250+Gig (600 CDR's) IDE hard disk for <$100.00 from TigerDirect

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1354283&sku=thd-2500bb&CMP=ILC-FPM10

or even on sale at a Staples or CompUSA and an enclosure that will make it a portable USB drive <$50.00

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=31389&Sku=ULT31310

You will then have a portable disk that is easy to use (it will simply be a drive letter) that can be plugged into any computer in the world.

I have three of them. One for my jobs, one for backups, and one for storage. WORK GREAT

 

[Ozarker]

You would do better to consider an upgrade to XP before installing a CD. The Win 98 OS will not recognize CD's and must use a translator program to work. It does work and you can burn CD's using win 98, but you run the risk of other computors and/or programs not being able to read them. A consideration if you ever get a newer computer and want to transfer your backed up files to the new unit.

I learned this the hard way.

 

[MadReferee]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( You would do better to consider an upgrade to XP before installing a CD. The Win 98 OS will not recognize CD's and must use a translator program to work. It does work and you can burn CD's using win 98, but you run the risk of other computors and/or programs not being able to read them. A consideration if you ever get a newer computer and want to transfer your backed up files to the new unit.

I learned this the hard way. )</font>

I have never heard of W98 not recognizing CDs or having to use a translator program. What translator program? Where did you get this bad information? Even Windows 3.11 supported CDs and CD burning. I know because I used them.

I used my HP 8100 CD burner for several years running under W98 with Adaptec's Easy CD Creator software. I burned on W98 and had no problems reading those CDs on W98, W98SE or W2000.

Your problems may have been due to the actual hardware or software that you were using. Or were you trying to use a R/W CD on a machine other than the one it was burned on? That is not guaranteed to work.

 

[gws]

98 doesnt know about burning CD, but it can be added. You need to add drviers to see the drive, drivers to allow buringing plus the burning software

 

[Rusty]

Thanks for all the input. You have given me some ideas to pursue. Just FYI, I am trying to prolong the life of this computer and O/S and conserve cash. I am concerned about the potential for a catastrophic failure, so I back up weekly. This was OK, until the digital camera files started gobbling space.

MadReferee - What effort and cost would be involved in an upgrade from Windows 98 to 98SE?

All - Thanks, again!!! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Rusty

 

[jwstewar]

I have a CD you can have that'll do it for you. It was something that I had gotten from Microsoft when Win 98SE came out. If you want to PM your address I'll try to get it out to you this week.

 

[CT_Jeff]

Rusty,
First, if you have all the updates (windows update) on your computer, then you essentially have Win98SE. So you should not have any problem with installing a burner. However, at 350MHz processor, and how much RAM? You will be installing a 48+ burner, I would always select a much slower burn rate. Nothing wrong with trying to make a computer last a bit longer, as long as it does what you want. Good Luck and let us know if you have any issues with it.
CT_Jeff

 

[MadReferee]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( First, if you have all the updates (windows update) on your computer, then you essentially have Win98SE. )</font>

Not true.

There are several differences between W98 and W98SE that are not covered by Windows Update. You best bet is to take up the offer from a previous poster and either get a W98 to W98SE upgrade disk or a full copy of W98SE and install it over your current system. Make sure you get the serial number with the disk. Bear in mind that W98 and W98SE are no longer suported by Microsoft.

 

[Ozarker]

XP will use it's own built in drivers and treat a CD just like another floppy drive. Win 98 will not. To use a CD on a win 98 machine you must first install the drivers and program that came with your CD to make it work.

 

[slowrev]

Yep, but you can copy some stuff with win98 that you can't with SE.

Ben

 

[MadReferee]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( XP will use it's own built in drivers and treat a CD just like another floppy drive. Win 98 will not. To use a CD on a win 98 machine you must first install the drivers and program that came with your CD to make it work. )</font>

The machine I am on right now is plain jane Win98 and has not been upgraded but has the latest Windows Updates. The reason I have it is that I have some old network print software that will not work on later versions of Windows.

The installation installed the generic CD driver and everything works just as it does on my Win98SE and Win2000 systems. I installed no special program to get the CD to work (the CD itself is a generic brand).

The real bottom line here is that Win98/SE is no longer supported and trying to get new software and hardware to work is really a waste of time. Upgrade your operating system to at least Win2000 and go from there. That is what I tell all my paying clients.

 

[jwstewar]

I agree with 98 supporting a CD drive as even Win95 would do that. Now back in the Windows 3.1 days and the CD-ROM ran off the sound - I digress - but I know that used to be a challenge to get to work sometimes. I also agree that Win98 updated is not Win98 SE.

Rusty: I have the jewel case that I'll send as well that has the CD-key on the back of it.

 

[Rusty]

Jim - Thanks for the Windows 98SE CD offer! I just sent you a PM. 98SE will allow me to use a flash drive, which was my original choice for ease of use and cost.

All - Thanks for all the comments and advice! FYI: my Windows 98 has all the critical updates, but not all the updates, I have 192 MB RAM (64 original + 128 added), my optical drive is a 4.8X ATAPI DVD ROM (factory install). Thanks, again!!! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Rusty

 

[rcrcomputing]

A burner will work fine under 98se. Though many new burners want at least a 400mhz machine.

If the disk you get is an oem copy. You will first need to boot from a boot disk and rename the win.com file to something else for it to do the upgrade. ie.
c:
cd\windows
ren win.com win.old

Then begin the install and it will upgrade your 98 to 98se.

On a side note, I always install from the hard drive. That way I'm not forever having to get the disk every time windows wants it. Before the installation, you would..
c:
md win98
cd\win98
copy d:\win98
Then just type in setup and hit enter

It may be easier for you to copy the win98 directory from the cd to the hard drive while you still have win98 up and running. In that case you could then restart in msdos mode and cd\win98 and type in setup. Much easier if your not a dos kind of guy...

RCR

 

[rcrcomputing]

BTW, Standard procedure here is to make sure the system is "clean" first. Install spybot and ad-aware and update/run them. Make sure your virus free. Consider d/l'ing the latest-greatest drivers for your system after the upgrade.

Also, to remove temp files cookies and run scandisk and defrag all by clicking one button, download my handy little batch file I wrote some time back. (Warning, this only works on 95, 98, and ME)
win 98 clean.bat

 

[jwstewar]

If was just looking at the CD for the 98SE upgrade. I noticed that it came with Media Player 6 and IE 5. That got me thinking about all of the patches and everything. I hope this works for you. After you install this, I'll be you have to download a bunch of updates. Hope you have a fast Internet connection.

 

[jwstewar]

What I'm sending him is an upgrade of 98 to 98SE that I had gotten from Microsoft. He doesn't need to do any of the rename or anything. Actually if he does, it'll have problems. You just boot normally, insert the CD and go.