creating a startup diskette problem

I'm troubleshooting a computer over the phone right now, and when trying to create a startup diskette from a 98 system, it prompts the EU to insert the windows 98 SE disc, which he doesn't have. The customer states he never upgraded to 98 SE, that he ran the system restore on his computer (this is a Compaq) and then did windows updates, I'm guessing that is why it's not prompting him to insert the disc right? If so, is there anyway to bypass that and create the startup diskette with the 98 SE CD?

When he ran the system restore, did he do a full format restore? the only time I have seen that happen is when 98se has been installed..something in the registry is telling you that the machine thinks this is so..have him right click on my computer and choose properties and check what version is listed. As far as I know, the only way to do this is to insert a win98se disk when asked for..

i don't know of an easy way around it...but you can have him download a start-up disk image from here.

this is a self-extracting disk image that will create a bootdisk. hope this is some help.

Thanks for the link, and yes that will help in this case, but sometimes I need a startup diskette when troubleshooting a modem and the EU does not have access to the internet from their computer and we have trouble creating a startup diskette because of the prompt, so I was wondering if there was a way to bypass it if I come up to it again when I need to create a startup disk when the EU does not have internet access at the time.

I have a nice cd which has boot diskette imagaes on it, various versions of internet explorer, and various other utils. I just take that with me and a couple of blank diskettes as a back up.

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Originally posted by Social Enemy
Thanks for the link, and yes that will help in this case, but sometimes I need a startup diskette when troubleshooting a modem and the EU does not have access to the internet from their computer

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When I worked for an ISP, if it asked for a disk I would have 'em go to C:\windows\options\cabs. Sometimes you get lucky and it will take it.:confused:

Add/Remove Programs will use the cab files from anywhere, eg. Windows\Options\Cabs folder or CD:\Win98 etc.

Also if EU has Windows\Command\EBD folder then he also has bootdisk.bat which will build the same disk as Add/Remove Programs will. The EU just has to type bootdisk into Run Box or Dos Box or Dos prompt, follow the directions for changing to Windows\Command directory and run it again.

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Originally posted by melee5
Add/Remove Programs will use the cab files from anywhere, eg. Windows\Options\Cabs folder or CD:\Win98 etc.

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if the OS is asking for the CD then chances are the CAB files are not on the hard drive.