Build 3540 can't install Windows 98, dies at file copy every time

Am am doing a trial of Parallels Desktop 4.0 build 3540 and I can't get it to install Windows 98. It dies at the same spot every time after chkdsk and during the message "Windows is copying files needed for setup...". This happens for both 98 and 98 SE, for all the varieties of media I have (MSDN and OEM discs). I am taking all the defaults for a Windows 98 VM.

I have tried:

- booting from a bootable Windows 98 CD image
- booting from a setup floppy disk and installing from CD
- copying the Windows 98 setup directory from CD to C: and installing from there

All of these fail for all of the media I own and they all fail at the same point during setup. My C: drive is left with a directory named WININST0.400 and the few files it was able to copy.

This is a particularly painful process to repeat since the format and required chkdsk take so long. I have had mostly good luck with Parallels so far with XP (though the VM would also crash at random points during XP installs). But I am shocked that 98 and 98 SE install fail so predictably every time.

Please advise - I want to buy Parallels, but only if it works!
Doug

 

Try to create ISO image as bellow:
1. Insert CD/DVD source

2. Start Terminal from Applicatins/Utilities, you can then determine the device that is you CD/DVD drive using the following command:

$ drutil status
Vendor Product Rev
MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-835E GAND

Type: DVD-ROM Name: /dev/disk1
Cur Write: 8x DVD Sessions: 1
Max Write: 8x DVD Tracks: 1
Overwritable: 00:00:00 blocks: 0 / 0.00MB / 0.00MiB
Space Free: 00:00:00 blocks: 0 / 0.00MB / 0.00MiB
Space Used: 364:08:27 blocks: 1638627 / 3.36GB / 3.13GiB
Writability:
Book Type: DVD-ROM

3. Umount the disk with the following command:

$ diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk1
Disk /dev/disk1 unmounted

4. Create the ISO file with the dd utility (may take some time):

$ dd if=/dev/disk1 of=file.iso bs=2048

5. Test the ISO image by mounting the new file (or open with Finder):

$ hdid file.iso

 

Thanks for the reply. Actually, I did try both physical media and ISO images (directly accessed by Parallels) during the install process. Both crashed the same way. I tried removing CD/ISO images altogether by copying the setup files from the CD to the C: drive, but that crashed as well.

 

FWIW, I can install Windows ME from MSDN discs no problem. It's just Windows 98 and 98SE that always bail on me. I submitted diagnostic data and it gave me # 19051.

 

Is it possible to put iso image for Windows 98 to some place we can test it?
If yes please reply me in PM with details

 

That sounds like you have a corrupt or damaged install/source disk.

By "copying the setup files ... to the C: drive" does that mean that you did something like step 13.9b from this post?
http://forum.parallels.com/showthread.php?p=59120#post59120

 

This person had your exact same problem and found out how to fix it:

http://www.benjohnstonphotography.c...iles/61e2f73ec533fa754189eb9b5d836bde-256.php

Enjoy, and good luck!