Hello,
I'm here because I want to donate a pc to my wife's russian nephew. I don't use it any more and it will benefit him more.
We travel in May so before then I want to try to get the knowledge to convert the OS to the Russian version of W98 or 2000 from a disk that his dad will buy in Russia. I don't think that the HD is big enough for much more....
At the moment it is running W98 with all my stuff on it. I really want to install the russian version on top of the existing if poss. and I'm not worried about the files and folders still being there and being indecipherable.
Can anyone here tell me what to do. My knowledge is sketchy on these things.
Cheers,
Peter

Sorry for the delayed response.

In the process of installing a new version of Windows you will have the option to format the drive.

So all previous data will be overwritten.

"... convert the OS to the Russian version of W98 or 2000 from a disk that his dad will buy in Russia"

and

"... want to install the russian version on top of the existing if poss. and I'm not worried about the files and folders still being there and being indecipherable"

Is there a specific reason, even if the files and folders may not come out correctly?

I've done an advanced search of the MS knowledge base for converting an english (98) O/S to Russian, and had no luck.

An "over the top" type of install ~could~ be attempted, but I would strongly recommend installing fresh as jephree eluded to. The problems and wasted disk space which will most likely occur doesn't make this feasible (to me anyway), and you will probably have to install fresh anyway.