Possible to run Win 98 without a HDD ??

[PartsMan]

My wife and I enjoy using the internet in all its facets but we occasionally run across some nasty virus, spyware, trojans, and the like. All the fix-it, protect-it, guard-it things do help some but stuff still happens.

I've noticed a lot of the time the fix-it proggy I use refers to "registry changes" that have been made .... so .....

I was wondering if I could load 98 (clean install on blank HDD), toss in some viewers & players and ...... make a copy on a CD (?with a few changes?) and run my OS off of a CD instead of a HDD.

I was planning to leave in a small HDD (for some minimal temporary storage) and to be available for a swap file. I also have 384 Megs of SDRAM in this puppy.

I sure couldn't have any "registry changes" made to the CD if it's just in a ROM, not a burner.

FYI - I keep my HDD's in Hot-swap drawers so a turn of the key and a pull on the handle and my other HDD that I have can beused off-line quickly and simply.

So what do you think? Is it possible ?

[RedFury]

Interesting thought, but I think you'd run into errors because anytime you look at file, it gets saved in Documents, and anytime you use a media player, it saves the last few things you viewed in a list in the registry. I think that would be the only major hiccup, and possibly just need to figure out some kind of work around....Temporary Internet files folder would also be an issue....hmmm.

[Bill in SD, CA]

To my knowledge no.

Bill

I don't know why you couldn't. You could have it install a RAMDRIVE for your swapfile, temp, and temporary internet files when you booted from the CD. You could probably just have it copy everything over to a RAMDRIVE and not even worry about the CD. Just create an image on the CD, run a routine where your RAMDRIVE is created and called "C:\", all the stuff gets copied and you've got a blazing fast install of 98. 512MB would do just fine, you can do an install of 98SE w/ <256 if you don't put all the uneeded junk on it.

Hmm, maybe I'll give it a whirl.

[PartsMan]

Hey ER, let me know if it works ..... and how you did it too ... please !!!

I'd love to float around in the net with no worries at all .... and as I said I don't mind having a small HDD in to use as a swap file and temp file but .... I just don't want a "Registry" that can be tampered with by those malicious little net nasties .....

[fyxxer32]

If you are interested in Linux, there is a version called " Knoppix" , that will boot from a cd and run. I loaded it into a pc with no hard drive at all , was able to hook up to my lan and post on techimo.

http://www.knoppix.net/

[Scott Tiger]

Originally posted by EvilRick
I don't know why you couldn't. You could have it install a RAMDRIVE for your swapfile, temp, and temporary internet files when you booted from the CD. You could probably just have it copy everything over to a RAMDRIVE and not even worry about the CD. Just create an image on the CD, run a routine where your RAMDRIVE is created and called "C:\", all the stuff gets copied and you've got a blazing fast install of 98. 512MB would do just fine, you can do an install of 98SE w/ <256 if you don't put all the uneeded junk on it.

Hmm, maybe I'll give it a whirl.

What if your hardware needs extra drivers that Windows 98 doesn't know about and must be installed after you installed Windows?

How many times have you seen "You must reboot your computer for the changes to take effect" when installing your hardware? Wouldn't that alone ruin your "install" since it's all just running in memory?

Wouldn't it just be easier to run Knoppix?

Knoppix is the same thing.

This is one of my theories. You would do a complete install of the OS, update everything, load all the apps you want.

I don't think there's a way I can copy all the files needed while Windows is running. I would probably have to drop down to DOS and use XCOPY. But . . . I think it would be easier to use Ghost and create the image, then use Ghost Explorer to open it up and compy the file from there. Everything I'd need, except not in use at the time. I haven't used Ghost Explorer but one time, so I don't know if I can go that route.

Anyway, after getting all said files copied over, I would create a bootable CD and use RAMDRIVE to create a big @$$ drive in memory. I don't recall if RAMDRIVE has limits to the size, I don't believe it does, but I could be foiled right there. If it does work, all said files would be copied over to the "C:" RAMDRIVE and the fun would begin.

[Xeroid]

Originally posted by fyxxer32
If you are interested in Linux, there is a version called " Knoppix" , that will boot from a cd and run. I loaded it into a pc with no hard drive at all , was able to hook up to my lan and post on techimo.

I was thinking the same thing. It would also give you a chance to experience Linux the easy way.

You *nixers are starting to freak now, ain't ya.

Imagine the thought, the ability to run one of the fastest OS's on the market today, right from your RAM. No HDD req'd!