Computers don't usually go around loosing files. Clarisworks is still on that drive somewhere, you just have to find it.
If you are thinking of replacing the computer, what are you thinking of replacing it with? Mac or Windows.
I suggest that you start copying every file that you have created with Clarisworks onto a floppy disk and keep them safe.
If you buy a new Mac it will NOT come with Clarisworks (new name was Appleworks) because this program, under either name, has been discontinued.
If you can access these files on this machine, I suggest that you save the files as RTF (Rich Text Format) which can be read by any word processor worth its name.
You could try running the DIsk First AId Disk that came with the machine and that is on all of the system disks. 1998 is not an Operating system, it's a Year. You could be running any thing from System 7.5 to 9.2
More information is required but Disk First Aid is the first step you should take
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Have an antiquity of a computer that has clarisworks 5 on it, it has been the computer that a lot of work has been written on over the years. The issue of course is that it is old and outdated and so there was no possibility of transferring the material into a useable format that the information can be opened on --well more modern computers-- Thought we had the problem solved because dragon naturally speaking would allow us to read the information so that it didn't need to be retyped completely onto the new laptop that we have. Second problem came about is that the computer sounds like a jet engine taking off so is likely a power supply problem. But the third problem is that the computer recently started to readjust the files and has actually lost some of them completely like clarisworks. The computer won't allow us to install the backup files to the software, in fact it won't allow installation of pretty much anything. Is there anyone out there that knows apples inside out, because we live in Ecuador and no one literally knows macintosh here. Any suggestions with guidance we can do some repairs here if need be. Really once we get the information off the computer then it is pretty much garbage so if there is any great ideas or someone likes a problem then please respond.
Operating system (199
don't know

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