Hewlett Packard my first ever computer. It is now really old and I need some advice. I still own it. Need help.

[RSV.]

OK so I still have my first computer ever. Hewlett Packard with CD rom burner. 1998 I think is when I got it? Ok so Years ago a guy without my permission took it and changed the Windows 95/98 operating system. I was angry. My computer needed something done I cannot remember now. Dad took it to his work. He knows nothing about computers. The computer guy at his work changed the Windows operating system. And did other things. I never gave permission for him to do anything like that. I also think dad said he said computers should not be used for gaming or something to that effect?

I had bought my favorite computer game ever Interstate 82 at Burlington Coat Factory. Plays like Twisted Metal. The game will not run on any modern systems. Why? Because windows had a major flaw. The SE. The game was built around the flaw of the windows SE. So now that the SE got fixed it will not run. It will load up but not run. So I have not played it in so many years. Still angry.

So I still have the original recovery disk with al the original windows and programs. I never got rid of that thank God. But for years I could not reinstall it. Here is why. He changed the administrative password years ago. He is dead now I think? I do not have it. He never as far as I know gave it to me either? So I could never do a reinstall.

So now I have a question? How to do a reinstall without the administrative password on my old computer I still own? And how to change the administrative password? I Want to take apart my old computer and clean it on the inside. Then I want to reinstall Windows 95/98 and the original programs. Then play Interstate 82 again. Could you help me please?

 

[Brian Boru]

Take the system disk out and format it with the FAT 32 file system by using another computer.

Put the now clean system disk back in your PC and load up the Widows you want.

 

[JarlBSoD]

If it is primarily Interstate 82 you are after its like 2USD or so on GoG, should run fine on modern systems (bar the original developers jank and bugs that is)

 

[Colif]

So I still have the original recovery disk with al the original windows and programs. I never got rid of that thank God. But for years I could not reinstall it. Here is why. He changed the administrative password years ago. He is dead now I think? I do not have it. He never as far as I know gave it to me either? So I could never do a reinstall.

Why do you need admin password? If you clean install win 98 it won't ask for a password until you are in the account set up screens. And at this point you are making a new one.
Its been... 25 years... since I last used win 98 so I could be wrong there. You don't have a microsoft account as such so a clean install shouldn't know what password was.

Take the system disk out and format it with the FAT 32 file system by using another another computer.

should be able to do that in his PC.

Use a win98 startup floppy disk and choose the "load without cd-rom support" option.

once loaded, type fdisk /mbr and hit enter.
Then type fdisk -> you will be taken into a new screen containing partition options.

Follow the numbered options to delete the existing partition. Once the partition has been deleted, create a new partition in it's place. Then exit Fdisk. You will then need to reboot the computer.

Use the startup disk again as you reboot, and this time use the option for CD support. At the command prompt type format c: to format your drive.

After this, you should have no problems installing windows by changing to your CD directory (remembering that the ramdrive is drive d: and so your cd drive is incremented by one letter) and running setup.exe

Alternatively, you may like to copy the cd contents to a folder on your C drive and run setup from there (it can be quicker depending on how quick your computer is).

Windows 98 Command Prompt on Bootup only

I need help. Recently my friends father had an old Dell Inspiron 3800 wiped clean. I tried to install Windows 98 onto it, and it stated that it already had an operating system installed on it. Each time I restart the computer the windows screen flashes on quickly and then goes immediately to a...

www.techspot.com

 

[JarlBSoD]

Why do you need admin password? If you clean install win 98 it won't ask for a password until you are in the account set up screens. And at this point you are making a new one.
Its been... 25 years... since I last used win 98 so I could be wrong there. You don't have a microsoft account as such so a clean install shouldn't know what password was.

should be able to do that in his PC.

Windows 98 Command Prompt on Bootup only

I need help. Recently my friends father had an old Dell Inspiron 3800 wiped clean. I tried to install Windows 98 onto it, and it stated that it already had an operating system installed on it. Each time I restart the computer the windows screen flashes on quickly and then goes immediately to a...

www.techspot.com

Yes, there wasn't even any such thing as a microsoft account back then, all accounts were local. As Mr Colif said, you can probably just boot up using OG cd, format the drive and reinstall.

Edit. While you are at it, you might want to replace the CMOS battery

 

[RSV.]

Why do you need admin password? If you clean install win 98 it won't ask for a password until you are in the account set up screens. And at this point you are making a new one.
Its been... 25 years... since I last used win 98 so I could be wrong there. You don't have a microsoft account as such so a clean install shouldn't know what password was.

should be able to do that in his PC.

Windows 98 Command Prompt on Bootup only

I need help. Recently my friends father had an old Dell Inspiron 3800 wiped clean. I tried to install Windows 98 onto it, and it stated that it already had an operating system installed on it. Each time I restart the computer the windows screen flashes on quickly and then goes immediately to a...

www.techspot.com

It says it needs a administrative password when I stick in the recovery disk to make any changes. I do not have it.

 

[Colif]

I see its a HP recovery disk? it likely access a hidden partition on drive to help fix installs.

Its not the same as an installer. Its designed to fix the install, not make a new one. I assume in theory one option it might have is a reinstall but that is academic since it asks for a password.

You couldn't use it for what Brian suggested. It only works on working install I think.

He is dead now I think?

anyway to check?

Getting a new Win 98 installer now... 26 years later... might be fun.

Microsoft Windows 98 SE (Retail) ISO / Boot Disk : Microsoft Corporation : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Windows 98 SE (Second Edition) is an operating system released by Microsoft Corporation in 1999. It is an updated version of the original Windows 98 and is...

archive.org

nvm, its actually the install key that would be the problem. Unlike 10 & 11 it won't work without one.

You could ask on

Windows Legacy

forums.tomshardware.com

someone might bite