need to reinstall windows

i was removing programs and accidentally removed windows 98. Well I have the disk I need to get it back but it must be scratched. Plus some keys on my keyboard do not work like the needed f1 key. And I found an older hard drive that I do not know why my parents replaced it with the said one above. It is a windows 98 and stuff but when put into my computer I am not able to install any games

How did you accidentally removed windows? Did you sent files to the re-cycle bin?

You could start the computer up in Safe Mode keep the Ctrl key pressed until you see the boot menu then select Safe Mode and restore all files from the re-cycle bin.

Is this a laptop or desktop?

Now the beauty of Win98 is you can go into DOS and copy useful/needed files back to the floppy drive before you format and do a rebuild. As the computer is starting up keep the Ctrl key pressed until you see the boot menu then press 5 for Command Prompt Only. At the C:\ find the folder where these files are stored and type DIR and enter that will list all files in that folder. If there are loads type in DIR /p and enter that will puse each screen so you can read the filenames. Put in a blank floppy disk, if the files are the same type *.doc just type copy *.doc a: and enter.

Now you will need a bootable floppy from Bootdisk either a Win98 or WinME will do. You will need a friend with a floppy drive to make this bootable floppy if you don't already have one. Set the boot sequence in the BIOS so it boots up from floppy drive first. Restart the computer with the bootable floppy inserted and select with CD-ROM drivers. With the Win98 CD inserted in the drive, at the A:\ prompt type D:\Setup to start installing thats providing the D: is the CD-ROM.

Now the other beauty of Win98 is you can swap hard drives from another machine providing they are similar size. Depending on which BIOS you have you may need to check this other drive is compatible with and option in the BIOS. The only difference with the drives will be the different drivers for graphics card, sound card, printer etc which you will have to find drivers for if you don't have them.

I'm not sure why your keyboard has stopped working but they are cheap enough buy one or borrow one.

How did you accidentally removed windows? Did you sent files to the re-cycle bin?

You could start the computer up in Safe Mode keep the Ctrl key pressed until you see the boot menu then select Safe Mode and restore all files from the re-cycle bin.

Is this a laptop or desktop?

Now the beauty of Win98 is you can go into DOS and copy useful/needed files back to the floppy drive before you format and do a rebuild. As the computer is starting up keep the Ctrl key pressed until you see the boot menu then press 5 for Command Prompt Only. At the C:\ find the folder where these files are stored and type DIR and enter that will list all files in that folder. If there are loads type in DIR /p and enter that will puse each screen so you can read the filenames. Put in a blank floppy disk, if the files are the same type *.doc just type copy *.doc a: and enter.

Now you will need a bootable floppy from Bootdisk either a Win98 or WinME will do. You will need a friend with a floppy drive to make this bootable floppy if you don't already have one. Set the boot sequence in the BIOS so it boots up from floppy drive first. Restart the computer with the bootable floppy inserted and select with CD-ROM drivers. With the Win98 CD inserted in the drive, at the A:\ prompt type D:\Setup to start installing thats providing the D: is the CD-ROM.

Now the other beauty of Win98 is you can swap hard drives from another machine providing they are similar size. Depending on which BIOS you have you may need to check this other drive is compatible with and option in the BIOS. The only difference with the drives will be the different drivers for graphics card, sound card, printer etc which you will have to find drivers for if you don't have them.

I'm not sure why your keyboard has stopped working but they are cheap enough buy one or borrow one.

Good Advice Keithuk.

I remember a time when my Mate had a similar thing happen and I eventually got into Safe Mode, checked the recycle bin and there was the win.ini file that he had accidently deleted, sitting there. Just a simple click on File, then restore fixed it. Upon reboot it went straight into Windows with no hassles what so ever. Maybe allouttaluck can use that part to see what Window's Files are there and Restore them? I always recommend people that I work on their Machines that they NEVER empty their Recycle Bin until after a reboot, just to be sure.

Edit.
To all reading this, unless you know exactly what you are doing, please stay out of Window's Files and the Registary. It can cripple your Machine so quickly. Don't use Programs that purport to do it for you, as you could also be very sorry at the result.

Ray

Edited by Drovers Dog, 21 March 2011 - 01:22 AM.

thanks, that sounds like it could work

Well if it is the system.ini file missing I would have thought that Windows would have started up but with messageboxes of files missing from that ini file. It could say missing from system.ini or the registry and its generall the registry.

You can restore the system.ini and win.ini if you do a system restore in DOS. As suggested before start the computer up and keep the Ctrl key pressed. At the boot menu select Command Prompt Only again. At the C:\ prompt type in c:\windows\command\scanreg /restore with a space before /restore and enter. Choose and earlier date from the list and follow the instructions.

I am not exactly clear about what the problem really is here.
The original post is vague and kind of hard to follow.

Can you please be a little clearer about exactly what the issue is and give us any error messages, if any.

Try your keyboard on another system. If the key issue follows the keyboard it may be time for a replacement.

What happened was I was removing programs I didn't think I needed. (Granted I'm a 16 yr old) and when I removed one thing my screen sizing went all outta wack with big icons nd stuff so I restarted my computer and it said I needed to reinstall windows nd bleep.

And my keyboard for my newer computer doesn't work. I could be able to reinstall windows but the cd to do that is scratched to bleep

Whenever I boot it up the ctrl thing doesn't work and it goes to please insert windows cd in cd-rom drive and press f1 to continue. Well my f1 key doesn't work

Well CD's aren't as robust as they make out so if you still want Win98SE it looks like you need another CD. There are some on eBay Windows 98SE