Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition Installation & Set-up Checklist

While the installation of Windows 98 Second Edition is smoother than ever, Microsoft recommends that you follow some basic guidelines before installing any operating system. Here are some tips to follow for the best installation experience.

	Check your system requirements Make sure that your PC is at least a 486/66MHz with 24 MB RAM. Also, please make sure that you have enough hard-disk space. A typical installation requires 205 MB to 260 MB of free hard-disk space, but may range between 190 MB to 400 MB, depending on your specific system configuration, the options you choose to install, and whether you are installing the full version or upgrade version of Windows 98 Second Edition. You can review more detailed information on disk-space requirements in the Setup.txt file located in the Win98 folder on your Windows 98 Second Edition CD.
	Update your drivers Check with the appropriate hardware vendor for the latest drivers for peripheral devices that may be attached to your computer such as scanners, modems, etc. Please consult the hardware documentation on obtaining updated driver software, or access the manufacturer™s online Web site for this information.
	Check for viruses Scan for viruses to make sure your computer is not infected with a virus prior to installation. Run an anti-virus program with the latest virus signatures and allow the program to remove any viruses that it finds. Consult your software documentation on obtaining updated virus signature files.
	Disable anti-virus applications After completing the virus scan, but before running Windows setup, disable all software-based and hardware™based anti-virus applications. Re-enable any anti-virus applications after setup is complete. Consult your software or hardware documentation, or consult the manufacturer of your anti-virus product for instructions on how to do this.
	Shut down applications Close all open programs and disconnect from the Internet before installation.
	Back up your files Back up all critical data on your hard disk by using a third-party backup utility or by manually saving important files to floppy disks or other media.
	Read the Setup.txt file Review the Setup.txt file located in the Win98 folder on the Windows 98 Second Edition CD for late-breaking issues that may affect particular computer configurations.
	You can keep your current settings If you want to preserve your current Windows 95 settings when you upgrade to Windows 98 Second Edition, run the Windows 98 Second Edition setup program while running Windows 95, and install to the same Windows directory on your hard drive.
	Have your old disks handy If you are installing the retail upgrade version of Windows 98 Second Edition to a new (or reformatted drive), have your previous Windows version disks or CD ready. Setup will ask for them to verify your previous operating system version.
	Dual-boot?  Install Windows 98 Second Edition first If you're planning a dual-boot scenario with Windows NT, install Windows 98 Second Edition first.
	Make a Startup Disk Create the Windows Startup Disk when prompted by Setup. This disk has many capabilities beyond those in any previous version of Windows. In addition to several utilities, it has MS-DOS drivers for most CD-ROMs so that you can access your CD-ROM from DOS when booting from the start-up disk.
	Save your system files We strongly recommend that you save your system files, when prompted by setup, in the event you need to return to your previous version of Windows. This requires 45MB of hard-disk space.