Having trouble installing Windows 98SE to USB drive

[stompah]

Hi guys, I just scored a HP laptop that was designed for Windows XP. I want to run some older games on it. But I also do not want to overwrite the internal hard drive until I can verify that Windows 98SE will run on it.

So I set out to install Windows onto a USB drive. I get as far as the first Windows setup screen and it gives me an error that Windows needs at least 16 mb of memory to install. When I click on ok it takes me out of setup and back to DOS prompt.

The laptop is using Pentium M and has 2GB of RAM with 1gig internally installed and the other in the expansion slot. Going from 2 to 1 gig gives me the same result. I am not looking to source RAM (don't want to spend the money.)

Is there a modification I can do to the install files to only recognize 512mb of RAM? Or some other work around?

Thanks for the help guys.

 

[don256us]

Why not create a virtual machine (VM) within XP and install 98SE on that? I mean if your just trying to do proof of concept...

 

[wagex]

Why not create a virtual machine (VM) within XP and install 98SE on that? I mean if your just trying to do proof of concept...

a laptop that old probably doesnt support virtualization technologies, a requirement of virtual machines. not to mention it wouldnt help troubleshoot his hardware issues as all the hardware in a vm is.. well.. virtual.

 

[don256us]

a laptop that old probably doesnt support virtualization technologies, a requirement of virtual machines. not to mention it wouldnt help troubleshoot his hardware issues as all the hardware in a vm is.. well.. virtual.

Perhaps but I've seen VM supported in some very old machines. I could be wrong. You have a good point on the rest of the hardware.