To install Windows 98, the system hardware must be at least an 80486DX/66 or higher machine, operating with at least 16MB of RAM. The system should also possess a modem, a mouse, and a 16-color VGA or better monitor. The system's hard drive should have between 120MB (for a portable computer) and 355MB of free space available to successfully install Windows 98. The actual amount of disk space used depends on the type of installation being performed (Typical, Custom, Portable, Compact, New, Upgrade, and so on). Typical installations use between 170- and 225MB of disk space.

For a Windows 95 installation, 4MB is the minimum RAM option, 8MB is the recommended option, and 16MB, 32MB, or 64MB are preferred for running Windows 95.

One of the major drawbacks to using recordable media is that they are prone to scratching. A scratched disc cannot be played in the computer, it will simply give an error every time you try to copy data off of it. This is a potential disaster if the user has erased their system.

Transferring data using a flash drive gives you certain advantages. The drives themselves are incredibly small, a little bit larger than your keys. So flash drives can be transported many ways: you can slip one easily into your pocket, on your key chain, or around your neck using a lanyard (which a lot of drives come with). Some companies have even integrated flash drives into common devices such as watches, pens and Swiss Army knifes. Besides being small, flash drives come in a wide assortment of capacities. Drives get as small as 16MB and at the time of this review have peaked at 8GB.