Make your own Windows 98 OEM Install

**TL;DR:** Create an unattended Windows 98 hard disk image using the 86Box emulator, then `dd` it directly onto a target hard drive and expand the partition for an OEM-like installation experience. ## Background & Goal My Toshiba Libretto 50CT's hard drive is failing, and I need to reinstall Windows 98 on a machine with neither a CD-ROM nor a floppy drive. Copying installation files straight to a new drive is the simplest approach, but I wanted to go a step further: turn a plain hard drive installation into a fully unattended process, much like an OEM factory install. This article documents how to create your own self-booting Windows 98 image that can be written to any machine's hard drive, greatly simplifying the setup process. ## Required Tools & Preparation - Windows 98 retail installation media (this article uses Second Edition) - 86Box emulator (for creating and configuring the hard disk image) - A working Windows 98 environment (the easiest way: do a fresh install first) - A Linux system (for `dd` writing and GParted partition management; Windows/Mac also possible, but require additional partition tools) When setting up the virtual machine in 86Box, you **must**: - Enable the hard disk controller - Add a CD-ROM drive - Configure a 1.44 MB floppy drive - When creating the hard disk image, choose "Raw image (RAW image)" and a recommended size of 1024 MB (1 GB). This size lets the Windows 98 format tool automatically use FAT32. Smaller sizes default to FAT16, and the built-in FAT16‑to‑FAT32 converter does not resize partitions, so 1 GB is a practical starting point. ## Stage 1: Prepare the Base Boot Environment 1. Boot the virtual machine in 86Box (if it won't boot from CD, mount a boot floppy). 2. Use Fdisk to create one partition covering the entire hard disk, then reboot. 3. Navigate to the `Win98` folder on the CD and run `format C: /S` to format the C: drive and copy system files, making the hard disk bootable. 4. Create a `C:\Win98` folder, then go back to the `Win98` folder on the CD and execute `copy *.* C:\` to copy the installation files to the current path (i.e., `C:\Win98`). After this step, shut down the virtual machine and make a backup copy of the current hard disk image (I placed mine in a folder named "hold") – we'll reuse this clean material later. ## Stage 2: First Installation & Custom Template Restart the virtual machine. Once in DOS, switch to the `Win98` folder on the hard drive and run `setup.exe`. The advantage of installing from the hard drive is that the installer will set the source path to `C:\Win98`, so you won't need the CD later when installing new hardware. Proceed with a normal Windows 98 installation. I recommend configuring a basic version that will serve as a template for all future installations. Adjustable options include: - Enable all accessibility tools and fun little accessories. - Remove Address Book and Outlook. - Disable all networking features. - Disable the odd web server components. - Remove outdated ISP advertisements. - Add system monitoring tools. Disabling networking avoids the login prompt on every boot. After setup is complete, the system copies files, reboots, prompts for the product key, sets the time zone, auto‑detects drivers, and eventually reaches the desktop. ## Stage 3: Generate an Unattended Installation Configuration with the Batch Tool From the Windows 98 CD, go to `tools\reskit\batch` and run setup to install the Batch Tool. Once installed, launch it from the Start menu. This tool generates an INF file that, when passed to the installer, pre‑sets all installation options. Key steps: - Click the **Gather Now** button to extract the current installation's settings. - Under **General Installation Options**, pre‑enter the product key. - Browse through the menus, noting the PCMCIA option under **Setup Prompts** (the 86Box won't trigger it, but real hardware may). - Save the settings as an INF file. To simplify execution, create `C:\setup.bat` with the content `C:\Win98\setup.exe <path-to-your.inf>`. If you want it to run automatically at boot, name it `autoexec.bat`. ## Stage 4: Place the INF and BAT into the Original Hard Disk Image Overwrite the virtual machine's hard disk image with the previously backed‑up uninstalled image (the 1 GB raw state). Boot the VM, then copy the INF and BAT from a floppy disk to the root of C:. Now you have a hard disk image fully prepared for unattended installation. Alternatively, you can make a copy of the image that already has the Batch Tool installed, for later modifications. ## Stage 5: Deploy to Real Hardware On the Toshiba laptop, I use an IDE emulator with an SD card as the hard disk. In Linux: 1. Use `dd` to write the prepared Windows 98 hard disk image directly to the SD card. 2. Because the image has only a 1 GB partition but the SD card is 32 GB, resize the partition with GParted: open the SD card, right‑click the partition, select **Resize**, drag it to fill the entire drive, and apply. (Note: KDE Partition Manager cannot resize FAT32, so GParted is needed.) After that, re‑plug the SD card – you'll see about 30 GB of free space. If you need to preload drivers or software on the target machine, now is the time to copy them. ## Stage 6: Verify the Unattended Installation on the Target Machine Insert the SD card adapter into the laptop (carefully align it), connect the VGA expansion dock (output may be slightly blurry). Boot into the minimal system, double‑click `setup.bat` or run the installer directly. The setup will still ask for username, license agreement, and product key confirmation, but after that, the installation is fully automated – only the aforementioned PCMCIA dialog appeared unexpectedly; no other intervention was needed. After the reboot, skip the password setup, and the system is ready – the sound card even works out of the box. ## Summary Through this process, we've created a hard disk image that can automatically install and configure Windows 98 in a nearly OEM‑grade manner. This approach is especially useful for quirky machines lacking a CD‑ROM or floppy drive. Many more parameters can be tweaked, but the above covers the core idea. I hope this guide proves useful. **Source:** [Make your own Windows 98 OEM Install](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUm5eW_XGMU)