Windows 98SE fdisk/format in Vmware Fusion?

Dear reader,

I know this has been covered before BUT I am almost completely new to running guest operating systems... regards MS-DOS - I was still a young child when those older than me were bending their minds around it.

I am running OS X 10.8 and have Vmware Fusion 4.1.3 (730298). The issue is that I am attempting to install Windows 98SE using this software. I've got the relevant installation ISO and also the IMG for the floppy boot.

So far so good but then we come to the actual installation upon starting-up the virtual machine... I type R: [enter] setup [enter] and something or another tells me that I 'cannot create a temporary directory' and then there's something about formats.

I've googled all this and the words 'fdisk' and 'format' crop up everywhere. Appreciating the fact that those who were at least in their mid-teens when 98SE was released probably know exactly what they need to do. I don't... googling further there seems to be dispute as to what to do first - format first, or fdisk first?

The Vmware forums are almost undecipherable so please don't send me back that way. I did, however, find this quote but - to me - it's in a different language altogether:

I started the vm, did fdisk at the a> prompt, copied format from C:to the floppy (really an iso), rebootted the vm, formatted C:, then typed Ewin98\setup at the a> prompt and I was off...

Please be ready to take me by the hand and show me what to do step-by-step and I urge you to leave as little as possible to interpretation. I hope you can be patient with me.

Kind regards,
J.R.S.

I guess I have to ask... why are you trying to install Win98SE? You do realize that 98SE runs on top of DOS and is not a stand alone OS? You first have to properly install DOS in Fusion and get that running before you can install 98SE.

Which version of DOS do you have? And do you have an external USB floppy drive to use?

Also, I believe the VMWare Fusion guest operating system page has pre-configured guest operating systems that can be downloaded and installed. Have you checked to see if 98SE was on that list? I'll let you do the searching....

Thank you for your response.

OK - I have nothing else in Fusion currently. What do I need to do to install a DOS and what do you mean precisely by that?

No I don't have an external floppy drive, which is why I am using IMG files for the boot floppy.

98SE is not on the VMWare pre-configuration list to the best of my knowledge.

Lastly, in my opinion, 98SE is a brilliant OS and that is why I want it back on my laptop.

Versions of Windows from 1.0 through WinME are not stand alone operating systems. They run on top of DOS. From my vague memory of installing Win98 and SE long ago, the CD includes everything that's needed to install it.

I just dug out my Windows 98SE CD and checked. The DOS setup and Windows setup are both included on the CD. So if you have a genuine MS Windows 98SE CD, or iso you should be all set.

I know you stated you don't like the VMWare Fusion forum but that's going to be your best source of information unless someone here has experience in doing what you're trying to do.

Hello again chscag,

The copy I'm using is certainly genuine - I ripped it from the official CD some years ago but have lost the physical CD which is why I am using the ISO. Hopefully this means that I'm all set for DOS.

My issue is using fdisk/format. Can I not get any help for that here? Even just a translator for the quote in my initial post?

My issue is using fdisk/format. Can I not get any help for that here? Even just a translator for the quote in my initial post?

Click to expand...

Those two commands are DOS commands. Both can be found on any DOS floppy set and should also be included on the 98SE CD. But I'm trying to understand why you would have to use fdisk? Windows 98SE goes back to 1993 so my memory of how to install it is sketchy. I do know the VM that Fusion creates for 98SE will have to be formatted to FAT-16.

I think the floppy IMG was corrupt. Just found another online and everything is now working fine.
I had tried using fdisk and was getting a windows needs more space error, which was ridiculous given the capacity I had allocated it... I thought the problem was me not typing the commands correctly.
School error.
Thank you so much, chscag, for your kind patience.