Member Avatar for Darizuka

G'day,

im just wondering if anyone can help me with this...

i have all these important data under ms-dos in my old windows 98 computer... and i was wondering if its possible to send all the data into a more modern computer without losing/corrupting any files?

if so, can anyone help guide me how to move my win 98 MS-DOS data into a win XP (and any other more modern versions)
and would i still be required to use MS-DOS or is there a more new and efficient program available? but can also use the data within MS-DOS.... like... imported into the new program?

Cheers Mate

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Since confirmed there is USB and already checked available interfaces, the goal is twofold: move your files safely and preserve the ability to use any DOS programs later. The shortest, lowest-risk plan is: (1) verify the Win98 disk health, (2) copy data to a medium the old PC can actually write, (3) verify the copy on the modern PC, and (4) use an emulator or VM if you need to run DOS apps.

Before copying: run ScanDisk (Windows 98’s error-checking) to fix filesystem errors and make sure the drive isn’t failing. If the HDD shows noise or bad sectors, create a full disk image first (do not trust copying sector-by-sector on a failing disk). Always run an up-to-date antivirus scanner on the copied files before opening them on XP.

Compatibility notes and practical tips: Win98 cannot natively write to NTFS or exFAT—use a FAT32-formatted USB medium for best compatibility. (If your external drive is preformatted NTFS, plug it into the XP machine and copy from there, or reformat a secondary drive as FAT32 first.) If the USB device needs external power, use a powered hub or powered enclosure so the old PC can enumerate it. If copying fails with “path too long,” shorten folder names before copying or copy in chunks.

How to copy and verify: regular Explorer copy works; for a command-line option that preserves attributes use something like:

xcopy "C:\path\to\data" "E:\backup\data" /E /H /K

After copying, compare folder sizes and file counts. For critical archives, generate checksums on the XP machine to verify integrity.

Running DOS/Win98 programs: modern XP may run simple DOS apps under NTVDM (32-bit XP only), but many older programs need real-DOS behavior or direct hardware access. Use DOSBox for pure DOS software or create a Windows 98 VM (VirtualBox/VMware) to keep the original environment. Finally, make at least two backups and scan for malware before opening older executables on a modern system.

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Member Avatar for n_e

Does you windows 98 PC have a:
1. cd-burner
2. network interface
3. USB
4. Card reader
?

Member Avatar for Darizuka

yes i have a USB :D
thank god

what next?

Member Avatar for n_e

Just get a big ass USB-stick or better: an external HD and copy everything from the win98 on there. Then plug it in your winXP machine an copy it back.

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