I am not sure if this is the correct place for this query so please let me know if there is more suitable place.
A friend wanted to downgrade her system from unstable Windows ME to stable Windows 98. When she tried to insert windows 98 disk, computer would not allow it to run because OS on machine was newer than the one she was trying to load.
So we put in windows start up disk to reformat computer to allow Win 98 to be loaded. We go into a/fdisk and delete primary partion and make sure no existing partitions, there is some question about fat 32 and the OS having capacity to store more than 518mb (?) on one drive which I answer yes to as this is the default. Then "restart with CD rom". Type in e:/setup.exe and the windows 98 startup menu appears. However after 30 seconds a message appears saying that we need an OS update as current version on computer is newer than what we are trying to load. The error begins (I think) with SU and then some numbers. So it seems that windows ME has penetrated deep within the bowels of the computer so that even deleting primary partition does not get rid of it.
I confirm this by putting in the Win ME CD and it starts to load no problem.
I then go back into fdisk and try again by deleting primary partion. this time I am not allowed to run setup.exe without recreating an active partion:
"If you have HPFS or NTFS installed on your hard drive, you will need to create an MS-DOS boot partition to set up windows"
I then restart choose "start computer with CD rom support", type in d:/setup.exe and then read that "diagnostic tools were successfully loaded to drive D but then read that "sector not found reading drive A". I continue getting this or the next screen that freezes after the words:
"Please wait while setup initializes scanning system registry.
Windows setup requires X bites available on your" (writing stops somewhere around here)
However many times I delete and recreate partions using fdisk this continues.
I then try with a different start up disk but still get the same error message or frozen screen
So am no longer even getting into the Windows setup screen and need HELP PLEASE!