Windows 98 Add/Remove Programs Wizard Options

This article provides an overview of the tools and settings found in the Add/Remove Programs applet in Microsoft Windows 98. It covers the three primary tabs available in the utility—Install/Uninstall, Windows Setup, and Startup Disk—explaining how each function allowed users to manage third-party software, configure optional operating system components, and create emergency recovery media.

The Add/Remove Programs utility (accessible via the Control Panel or by running appwiz.cpl) served as the central management hub for software in Windows 98. It was divided into three dedicated tabs:

1. Install/Uninstall

The Install/Uninstall tab was the default view and handled user-installed applications:

  • Software Installation: Users could click the "Install..." button, which launched a wizard that automatically searched floppy drives and CD-ROM drives for installation files such as SETUP.EXE or INSTALL.EXE.
  • Software Removal: Below the installation prompt was a list of registered third-party software. Selecting a program and clicking "Add/Remove" launched the application's dedicated uninstaller, allowing users to remove the software or modify its installation settings.

2. Windows Setup

The Windows Setup tab allowed users to add or remove optional built-in operating system components to save disk space or enable extra functionality.

  • Component Categories: Options were organized into categories with check boxes, including Accessibility, Accessories, Communications, Entertainment, Internet Tools, Multilanguage Support, Multimedia, System Tools, and WebTV for Windows.
  • Details and Sizing: Highlighting a category and clicking "Details..." allowed users to select individual sub-components (such as Paint, Calculator, or Dial-Up Networking). The interface displayed the disk space required for each component alongside the remaining free disk space.
  • Have Disk: A "Have Disk..." button allowed users to install optional components or drivers directly from an external disk or directory rather than the standard Windows 98 installation CD.

3. Startup Disk

The Startup Disk tab provided a built-in utility to create emergency boot media:

  • Create Disk: By inserting a blank 1.44 MB 3.5-inch floppy disk and clicking the "Create Disk..." button, Windows 98 created a bootable MS-DOS floppy disk.
  • Recovery Tools: The resulting disk included real-mode MS-DOS system files, universal CD-ROM drivers, and essential troubleshooting and disk partitioning utilities such as FDISK, FORMAT, and SCANDISK, ensuring users could recover their system if Windows failed to boot.