Why do you need a win98 system to access a floppy? Windows is backwards compatible you can get a usb floppy drive and set up compatibility mode. Also there is no such thing as being formated to IBM unless is formatted to as/400 or one of IBM other server only formats. If it doesn't work on a floppy drive on another computer then the floppy is bad. No if, ands, or buts about it. Floppy disks if you remember had a real bad habit of losing the access point when transfering them from one pc to another. I used one a few months back so that I could load programs onto a CNC machine. I was constantly having to format the thing because it would lose the access point. Your only option after losing an access point is a full recovery on a floppy.