Recently a friend was given an old Win 98 computer which he wanted me to upgrade to 98SE, and then connect to a wireless network.

So I started the upgrade, but it only got so far then would stop with no indication of what went wrong.

I decided then that it might be better to format and put 98SE on from new, this also stopped during the installation.

So I decided to format again and try to put 98 on then upgrade to 98SE, this also failed.

Getting desperate now, I thought I would try to see if 2000 would go on, this threw up the error that the BIOS was not compatible and would need upgrading. I did not want to go to that extreme.

Just for fun I thought I would try to put XP on, but then thought better of it.

Getting really desperate I decided to try putting Linux on it, this got so far into the installation, just as Windows was, but then threw up screen upon screen full of errors, I made note of the first error that appeared and googled it, and it pointed to the CD Rom drive being faulty to a certain extent.

So, I put another CD Rom drive in that I had kicking around, and decided that it was probably the CD Rom drive that had been stopping Windows from being installed somehow. So I tried 98SE again, and it went on like a dream.

I can't believe that it was only when trying Linux on it that I managed to find out what the cause of the problems were. Anyway, just thought I would share this with you guys.

I've had to use Knoppix to make data backups when Norton's Ghost 2003 would fail.

Linux can be a very learning experience.

Windows often says things like "General error", while Linux often tend to say things like "Error in X because of Y".

Exactly.

Which as much as I feel that I need to stay with Windows, I still need to spend a lot more time using and playing with Linux.

I have a spare 20 gig hard drive in work, I am going to bring it home and put it in my computer to put Mandriva on.

lol, i always got the Id10t code untill i started to pay attention to what i was doing

You get the Id10t code when you turn your computer on.

thats why i leave it on 24/7. much easier that way

Sooooo, you are regarded as an Id10t 24/7 then?

lol, if you put that way then i guess so