I am a beginner. I need to reinstal windows. I started in MS-DOS, typed UNINSTAL and the computer went through its paces completing with the statement that Windows had been uninstalled; remove floppie and upon reboot W would be gone. It reboots back to Windows as if nothing has happened at all. I have a DELL inspiron 7000.
I followed one of the threads with this forum which advised obtaining a Boot up disk from bootdis.com and inserted it with my Win98SE CD-Rom but it goes straight to Windows as if there was nothing in the drives.
I am a begiinner and a little thick too so I'd appreciate some advice right back to basics if you have the time. I have a hard time even with statements like 'boot from the floppy'!
Thanks.

If you follow the tutorial here it will guide you through the steps you need to take to re install 98.

http://www.d-a-l.com/reinstall-win98.php

I downloaded the boot disk from bootdisk.com but the computer doesn't 'see it' upon start up and goes straight into windows. I can't get it to boot from the boot disk in the A drive. I followed the tutorial you suggested before I posted my SOS.
I cannot uninstal W98ii from MS-DOS either.
Some while back if I accidently left a floppy in the A drive on start-up the computer would let me know that there was a non-system disk in place and prompt its removal before proceeding. I've noticed the computer has stopped doing this recently. Is this a clue?
Thanks for taking the time.
Mel

Ok, you will probably need to go into the Bios when the computer starts up. Hit the delete key usually when it is just starting and it will open the Bios. Click on Bios setup from the list and you will see Boot Sequence down the list. Change this to A,C then save and exit Bios.
The computer will now look for a floppy before it looks for the hard drive. Then you should be right to follow the tutorial.

SUCCESS! Thank you. The only snafu I had involved substituting the 'delete' input with 'F2' on this DELL machine upon start up to access the BIOS setting.
Now reloading windows proceeds just fine up to the Windows product key. I've had this machine a few years and never reloaded windows. I recorded the product key on the installation CD itself when I first got it. Now it says 'product key invalid'. I've moved house several times since and the docs have gone from me. What can I do?
With Many Thanks, Melu

Originally Posted by Melu

I've moved house several times since and the docs have gone from me. What can I do?
With Many Thanks, Melu

Contact Microsoft, we don't help with lost product keys here.

Thanks for the advice, Bear, curt though it is.

Microsoft should re issue you with a new key without too much trouble. Glad you got it cleaned up and ready to install though.