How to Build Your Own Athlon Computer
(Slot A Processor)
Part 8 - Install Windows
Last updated: 12/17/99

Also see How to Build a Computer with a Socket A Athlon or Duron Processor

Now we Install Windows 98 SE OEM and motherboard-specific software

We can install Windows 98 from the CD or we can copy the requisite files to the hard disk and install it from the hard disk.  The first method saves about 110 MBytes of hard disk space.  The second has the advantage that the CD is not required every time windows needs a driver, etc. such as when changing the network configuration.

118.  First method.  To install using the first method, boot to the Startup Floppy or Windows CD as described in Part 7.  With the CD you can simply select the first choice in the second menu, but that is not the way I do it because part of that process is to make a Startup floppy which takes time.  So, select "2.  Start computer with CD-ROM support" from the menu to get to the DOS prompt. 

119.   Since we formatted two partitions on the hard disk in Part 7, the CD-ROM should now be drive E:  Change the current drive to drive E:, change directory to \win98, and start the Windows Setup as follows:

A:\> e:

E:\> cd \win98

E:\win98> setup /ie

The ie flag tells setup not to make a Startup floppy.  Don;t run setup from E:\

120.  Second method.  To install using the second method and to use a convention that is in common practice, make a windows\options\cabs directory on the hard disk, copy the files in the e:\win98 directory to it, and run setup from the hard disk as follows:

A:\> c:

C:\> md windows

C:\> cd windows

You can type cd and use the F3 key to repeat the rest of make directory command to speed up changing to a directory you just created.

C:\WINDOWS> md options

C:\WINDOWS> cd options

C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS > md cabs

C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS > cd cabs

C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS > copy e:\win98\*.*

This copies a bunch of cab files, etc. to the hard disk.

C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS > setup /ie

You may want to be non-conventional and move the cab files to the D: drive which has a lot of space; e.g., D:\win98cab.

121.  After setup runs scandisk you can simply Exit scandisk.  I wouldn't bother doing a surface scan at this point; it would take a very long time.

122.  Shortly thereafter, with this method, setup will discover there is already a windows directory and suggest installing windows in another directory: c:\windows.000.  Do not let it install windows in the c:\windows.000 directory; you want it in the c:\windows directory.  Choose select another directory, Backspace four times to remove ".000" and ignore the setup warning about overwriting stuff in the Windows directory--it won't in this case.

123.  Complete the Windows installation selecting setup defaults and following setup instructions.  I won't elaborate.  The process is simple, straight forward, and requires no cookbook instructions.  Unless something is defective, you should not encounter any Windows setup problems with this motherboard and the other items in the bill of materials.

124.  After Windows is installed and the computer has rebooted for the last time, insert the CD which came with the motherboard.  Wait until the menu is displayed and install the AM K7 INF update.

125.  This install will erroneously leave an unclosed DOS window.  Hold the Ctrl and Alt keys and press the Delete key to display the Windows Close Program window and click the End Task button to close DOS window.  This will also reboot Windows.

126.  After the reboot, Windows will install several drivers.  Just click the Next button through the process and then click Yes when it prompts for a reboot.

127.  If you were booting to the Windows CD instead of a Startup floppy, reboot the computer, press the Delete key to get into the CMOS Setup, select Advance BIOS Features, press the Enter Key, Select First Boot device, use the Page Up/Down keys to Select Floppy (or HDD-0), Esc to the Main Menu, select Save & Exit Setup.

128.  The  EIDE and AGP miniportdrivers on the CD which came with the motherboard for this computer were out-of-date.  Check AMD's web site and download the most recent version of these and any other relevant drivers for the Athlon processor and the AMD 751 and 756 chips.  These download files are not compressed, but, rather, are the actual executable files which install the drivers.  The versions installed on this motherboard were:

Both executables will fit on one floppy.

129.  The installation instructions on AMD's site for the EIDE driver are erroneous.  To install the driver, simply copy the executable to a floppy, insert the floppy in drive A:, run the executable using Start Menu Run command (click Start, click Run, and type in or browse to "A:\EIDE_122.exe" without the parenthesis), and reboot  when prompted (twice).

130.  The AGP Miniport driver (A:miniport_445.exe) is installed with the Run command just like the EIDE driver, except the program erroneously does not prompt for a reboot after running.  Shutdown and Restart the computer manually after running it.  Click the Yes button when Windows comes back up after the manual restart, installs the driver, and prompts to restart.

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