Even worse so, whenever it does and I reboot, it won't let me get into the Windows 98 setup again, I'm getting the following error after the hard drive scan:

"You have to create a MS-DOS start partition for a HPFS- or NFTS- hard drive to install Windows".

Any help is appreciated.

Ok I'll bite. Welcome to Vogons - not a great start, as you posted in the wrong Forum 😀
"This forum is for running old windows games on NEW (supported) versions of Windows"

A better choice would've been Marvin\Software.

Now the error message means you probably have a NTFS partition still on the hard-drive you're trying to use. You should boot on a Win98 bootdisk and prepare your hard-drive with FDISK before trying the install again.
But before getting there, can you give us the specs of the computer you want to install Win98 to?

Thank you!

I don't have a Windows 98 boot disk and couldn't find any on Ebay, so I bought a Windows 2000 CD and hoped that would solve it, but the pc again freezes during installation.

The specs are:

Mainboard: Epox 8k3a+
Processor: AMD Athlon XP 2000+
GPU: Geforce 4200 128mb
Memory: 1x DDR1 512mb
HDD: 80gb IDE 7200rpm

I've tried finding more info on how to create such boot disk myself but wasn't sure where to find the correct files/information. I'd appreciate any further help. Thank you!

Search for the Internet for 'REMOVED' and you can find a Windows boot disk (or bootable ISO). You can use any version of 95/98/ME floppy disks for any version of Win9X without hassle if you start the computer with CD support and then navigate to the D:\WIN95, WIN98, or WIN9X directory and run setup from there.

However, I recommend you create a C: partition first, create a C:\WINDOWS\CABS directory, and then copy the files from the D:\WIN95 or WIN98 or WIN9X directory to the C:\WINDOWS\CABS directory, and then run setup from C:\WINDOWS\CABS. This way, you don't need the CD anymore, and anytime Windows needs setup files for adding/removing Windows components or included drivers, you will never be prompted for the source files.

retrojunky wrote on 2022-05-12, 14:14:

I don't have a Windows 98 boot disk and couldn't find any on Ebay, so I bought a Windows 2000 CD and hoped that would solve it, but the pc again freezes during installation.

I have never owned a Windows 2000 CD so I'm not sure, but it THEORETICALLY can delete all current partition(s) on your HDD and create FAT32 partition(s) for you. Once done, exit the Windows 2000 installation and resume Windows 98SE installation.

retrojunky wrote on 2022-05-12, 14:14:

Memory: 1x DDR1 512mb
HDD: 80gb IDE 7200rpm

I see that you've limited RAM to 512MB, which is cool, but HDD might slightly bigger than what you need. While the format program on Win98SE can create and format >32GB partitions, this MIGHT add an incompatibility factor to your system. Sure you can create 3 or more partitions on it but that wouldn't be very practical.

retrojunky wrote on 2022-05-12, 14:14:

I've tried finding more info on how to create such boot disk myself but wasn't sure where to find the correct files/information. I'd appreciate any further help. Thank you!

Looks like Meatball's keyword got censored. 😅 While it wouldn't be too hard for any VOGONS veteran creating one for you, transmitting its contents to you might be violating forum rules.

You also have following options, depending on the spec of your new (current) computer(s):

An IDE-USB conversion cable (with external PSU / transformer providing power through MOLEX connector) so you can connect your IDE HDD to a modern computer and partition it to your liking. It's an important tool if you want to keep retro computing as a hobby. However the formatting program in Win7+ does not create an 100% same FAT32 partition compared with one created by Win98SE; the former would leave a few hidden volume information files, and the total capacity might vary a little bit.

An IDE-SATA converter, usually consists a PCB with IDE and MOLEX connectors on one side while SATA connectors (data + power) on the other side. You can then install the HDD into a modern desktop for partitioning. More cumbersome than USB though.

Finally, if you really need a boot disk NOW, you might want to find someone with a working Win98SE computer who either live nearby or on a less "restrictive" forum to create a physical disk for you. 😉