Windows 98: The Clean Install

Creating a FAT32EBD disk

Unlike a Windows 95 startup disk, a startup disk created under MS Windows 98 contains a number of generic CD-ROM drivers and will attempt to load real-mode CD-ROM driver support when you boot with with the disk.

Microsoft includes a utility on the Windows 98 Upgrade CD itself
which supports creating a "FAT32EBD" disk...an Emergency Boot
Disk (EBD) which is a truncated version of a Win98 Startup disk containing real-mode CD-ROM driver support and a copy of FDISK which supports the FAT32 file system. Using this disk will allow a
user to repartition a PC with multiple FAT16 partitions into a single
Drive C partition using FAT32.

Note that while previous versions of the CDBoot utility designed to assist owners of IBM Aptivas in performing a clean install of Win98 did not support the use of FAT32 when used under Windows 95 OSR1 the latest 3.0 version does. Disks created using CDBoot3 are now a viable alternative to a FAT32EBD disk and CDBoot3 is highly recommended for owners of systems with Win95 OSR1 who wish to repartition to a single large C drive (or larger than 2GB multiple partitions) as part of their clean install.

Creating a FAT32EBD disk
  1. Insert your Windows 98 Upgrade CD in your CD-ROM drive
  2. Insert a blank 3.5" diskette in your floppy disk drive
  3. Click Start > Click Run > Type the following and Click OK:

    G:\TOOLS\MTSUTIL\FAT32EBD\FAT32EBD.EXE

  4. Follow the prompts
NOTE: The above command assumes a CD-ROM drive letter assignment of "G", if your CD-ROM is not Drive G:\ adjust the
command accordingly.

Using the FAT32EBD disk
  1. Start your Aptiva with the FAT32EBD disk inserted
  2. At the initial menu choose "Start with CD-ROM Support"
  3. Test to verify that you have access to your CD-ROM:

    • Type X: and tap [ENTER]
    • Type DIR and tap [ENTER]
    • Make sure you can see a list of the CD's contents
NOTE: X: = your CD-ROM letter

Booting with the FAT32EBD disk your CD-ROM will always
be assigned to the first available drive letter after all hard drive
partitions are assigned.

Examples:
  • If your hard drive is partitioned into C: D: and E: when
    booting with the FAT32EBD disk the CD will be F:

  • If your hard drive is partitioned as drive C: only when
    booting with the FAT32EBD disk the CD will be D:

Troubleshooting Problems with the FAT32EBD disk

Should the FAT32EBD disk fail to work properly when you test it see
the suggestions in the ReadMe file FAT32EBD.TXT on the Win98 Upgrade CD (\TOOLS\MTSUTIL\FAT32EBD\FAT32EBD.TXT).

As suggested there check for any zero-byte files on the disk and if necessary look to create a new diskette employing the suggestions made in that file.

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� 2001, Don Schneider aka DON5408
DON5408's Unofficial Aptiva Support Site