Master Recovery vs. Installation Discs

[MegalosSkylaki]

OK, an store-bought OEM computer came with preinstalled WIN98(first ed.) and seperate Master Recovery (which looks like it contains all the x-tra "software" you luckily get with the Computer.

The other disc is entitled Campanion Disc and states it contains the "WIN98 Installation Files".

It is not clear where the Computer HW drivers are located on. The machine came with a COA .

Here's the questio(s):

!) Can I assume the whole WIN98(FE) OS is on the Companion Disc ?

II) Does the COA give any Rights with OS before I begin?

III) I have always wanted to re-build this oldie but goody for sentimental reasons, but also because the RAM is limited to 128 MB EDO 72 Dimm (?), not the modern SDRAM . This was once very expensive, but I've seen EDO 32 Mb at $10 or so. (Once it would have cost $200 to increase 64Mb to 128mb !.)

IV) If possible, it would be nice to simply build a new machine with some older (but brand new) HW I have, and use the WIN98(FE) for...well, just for the heck of it. Ah ! Sentiment..the Old computer has been retired..

V) I updated the WIN98FE to ME--a major mistake --with an Upgrade Disc, but this prevented the use of some SW and HW I would like to now use.

Can the OS be used independent from the drivers? How?

DOOOG

[MegalosSkylaki]

AWoooaaaHHHH ! maybe I outa shoulda left outta that stuff about COA, since nobody except M$ seems to know why some are "authentic"..

Anybody with the Technical aspects of using an Install Disc ?
Darned if I am sure what I'll end up doing with it.....sentimental DooG.....

[John Prophet]

Well have you looked at the disks to see what is on them?? Look at them in "my computer" or whatever and see what files they have on them. Maybe you will get lucky and see a "Win98" folder.

Usually they have something like a disk with the OS on it and drivers etc...and then they have a disk with the other software.

And sometimes the recovery programs let you just install the OS without all the other software.

So search the disks and see what files they seem to have....if you find the win98 files..or maybe some ".cab" files, you may be able to extract those to another disk or else just manually install W98 from them.

JP