Problem installing Windows 98se (Yes, Windows 98se).

[darkrats]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

The bootdisk is a modern varient with additional drivers for mouse/keyboard.

Not sure what a WindowsME bootdisk is, but interested.

This evening I'll bring down the C partition to just 40GB and see if that make a difference.

It all may come to nothing, but nice to play around with an old system like 98.

I'll work on it for a couple of weeks or so. If I'm successful, I'll post back on how it was done.

[guitmz]

windows 98 uses usb 1 drivers... you need to install usb 2.0 drivers just like we do with win 7... as far as i remember :)

[trek]

You shouldn't need any drivers for a PS/2 keyboard. It should work, unless it's dead.

[Klownicle]

Thoe I know nothing about the system itself, some systems will not turn on USB till a certain point. So you could look in bios if that sort of thing is available ;). Settings such as "USB Keyboard: Yes" or "Turn on USB Devices at Boot" etc... Could be more of a modern problem thoe. I don't know. I don't work here :x

[majortom1981]

goto bootdisk.com and try using the windows me bootdisk.

[darkrats]

Tried installing on a 40GB partition with USB keyboard/mouse plugged in, and I'm sure the cursor moved for a second or so and then froze.

Tried again with PS/2 keyboard/mouse, but no movement.

I think I need a floppy to use the ME bootdisk. I'll have to search and see if I have any laying about.

[Detection]

  On 08/12/2012 at 00:51, darkrats said:

Tried installing on a 40GB partition with USB keyboard/mouse plugged in, and I'm sure the cursor moved for a second or so and then froze. Tried again with PS/2 keyboard/mouse, but no movement. I think I need a floppy to use the ME bootdisk. I'll have to search and see if I have any laying about.

Depending on the age of the machine, if it has the option to boot from USB, you could use this tutorial for creating a USB DOS boot disk

http://www.<< spam >>/tutorials/46707-ms-dos-bootable-flash-drive-create.html

The spam part is seven forums dot com

--------

@Staff

Why is that forum blocked again ?

[mrtonyg]

Try running it from a virtual machine. I have gotten even windows 3.1 running under VMware Workstation.

[McKay]

Windows 98 is fail, all of that new crap is for casuals.

Us power users use Windows 95.

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

What model of IBM NetVista are you using?

Try creating a 1GB partition to install the operating system to. You can always resize it later after installing Microsoft Windows 98.

Also, if the machine has a SATA disk drive, try setting the drive mode to "legacy" or "compatibility" in the BIOS.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

[Karl L.]

Setting the hard drive to compatibility mode is a very good idea. I didn't even think of that until goretsky brought it up, but MS-DOS can't handle SATA so you probably need it. According to the FreeDOS wiki, however, it does support SATA natively. (So you have a good reason to try the insane idea I posted earlier!)

[remixedcat]

[never mind]

[redvamp128]

I know when I used to install Win98se-- I sometimes would have to use install flags-- switches

http://www.theosfile...w98_secrets.htm

/l Use Logitech mouse during setup /n Run setup without a mouse

and on the really hard ones-- I would boot to a prompt- type "sys c:" then copy the install files to the drive then use the command line switches to install.

[darkrats]

The computer is a Netvista S42.

I tried resizing the partition down to 1GB. Still no go. I'm pretty certain the drive is not SATA.

During my last attempt (using both USB and PS/2 input) the cursor moved a bit and then froze.

So it looks like the computer "knows" they are there, but Windows 98 setup can't use them.

Using flags/switches might be worthwhile. I'm using a MS mouse and keyboard.

[redvamp128]

  On 10/12/2012 at 17:32, darkrats said:

The computer is a Netvista S42.

I tried resizing the partition down to 1GB. Still no go. I'm pretty certain the drive is not SATA.

During my last attempt (using both USB and PS/2 input) the cursor moved a bit and then froze.

So it looks like the computer "knows" they are there, but Windows 98 setup can't use them.

Using flags/switches might be worthwhile. I'm using a MS mouse and keyboard.

Yes but sometimes if no mouse move the logitech flag made the mouse work if I remember right- But then again worth a try.

[redvamp128]

  On 10/12/2012 at 17:32, darkrats said:

The computer is a Netvista S42.

I tried resizing the partition down to 1GB. Still no go. I'm pretty certain the drive is not SATA.

During my last attempt (using both USB and PS/2 input) the cursor moved a bit and then froze.

So it looks like the computer "knows" they are there, but Windows 98 setup can't use them.

Using flags/switches might be worthwhile. I'm using a MS mouse and keyboard.

Found this--

http://forums.techguy.org/earlier-versions-windows/292882-installing-ibm-600e-win98-boot.html

Even though it is for an Ibm 600e it might work for yours-- there is win_boot.iso to burn that sets up the drivers you need too...

then it will ask you for you Win98se cd

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

From what I have been able to find out about the IBM NetVista S42, it shipped with a 2.4GHz Pentium 4 processor.

According to Microsoft Knowledgebase Article # 312108, "Windows protection error in NDIS with a CPU that is faster than 2.1 GHz", neither Microsoft Windows 95 or Windows 98 will install correctly on a computer with a CPU this fast because of a timing error.

Perhaps underclocking the system to 2.0GHz (or lower) will allow Windows to successfully install onto the system.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

[Raa]

  On 10/12/2012 at 17:32, darkrats said:

I tried resizing the partition down to 1GB. Still no go. I'm pretty certain the drive is not SATA.

During my last attempt (using both USB and PS/2 input) the cursor moved a bit and then froze.

So it looks like the computer "knows" they are there, but Windows 98 setup can't use them.

If it moved for a brief second [a test would be to constantly move the mouse wildly around while you run setup, and that way you'll definately know if it detected it], then setup successfully initialized the basic input hardware, but the next part of setup locked the machine - most likely this is the detection of the 500GB hard drive.

As a test, can you drop in an old 20GB hard drive or something small to see if setup will at least proceed?

Heck, try removing the cables to the hard drive and see if you can at least get the mouse/kb to respond...

I'm still of the firm opinion you should be VM'ing this, but i'll persist for the sake of nostalgia. :p

[darkrats]

Thanks to Raa for suggesting to try a small hard drive. I do have a few sitting around, but it will be later in the week before I can get to it.

And thanks to +goretsky for mentioning the "error in NDIS with a CPU faster than 2.1 GHz". This awakened an old memory of encountering this before, and I also

remember that there is a workaround for this problem. I'll have to go searching for the fix as that eludes me at the moment. I may have written it down in my notes somewhere.

I'll work on this for a few more days and then give it a rest here in the forum.

[OilersFan]

You might have to enable the max cpuid in the bios as well as disable hyperthreading and multiple cores.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

  On 12/12/2012 at 00:19, OilersFan said:

You might have to enable the max cpuid in the bios as well as disable hyperthreading and multiple cores.

did you even read the thread? the computer is an IBM NetVista S42. it's a computer from 2002 it doesn't have any of those things

[OilersFan]

  On 12/12/2012 at 00:23, Brando212 said:

did you even read the thread? the computer is an IBM NetVista S42. it's a computer from 2002 it doesn't have any of those things

Actually no, just the last couple of posts. :/

[darkrats]

Well, thanks to everyone who replied to my original post. I tried a smaller physical drive with no success.

Maybe it's the motherboard, but I can't get past the first screen in the Windows 98se setup process, at least with what I know at this time.

So, I'll be taking a break. Strange enough, my old IBM S42 will let me install Windows 7 on it, and I've found all the necessary drivers.

I think I'm going to play around with all of the various fixes/programs that will restore the classic start menu, and see which one works best.

You might see me again in another part of the forum. Thanks again.

[Raa]

As a matter of personal interest, I tried to install Windows 98 SE on Hyper-V 2008 R2 SP1 today. I came up with the same result in any combo I tried. Which goes against a report I read online that someone said it worked.

It was quite puzzling as I ran the mouse driver in DOS and it said a mouse was detected. I gave up as it was just to have a quick test with.

Sorry it didn't work out for you darkrats. I know that 98 can be loaded in other VM's though.

Edit : After making some changes, I have been able to continue the setup. Mouse still doesn't work (Still despite the fact it's detected in DOS), but keyboard does.

A side note to this : if you click inside the VM window to capture the mouse, it locks setup. Not capturing the mouse still allows keyboard entry to work!

Edited December 27, 2012 by Raa

[Japlabot]

I'm sure that there is some funky hardware issue going on in the background where it is freezing just when it happens to get to that point. Good idea to give up. If you really want to give Windows 98 a try you are much better off using a Virtual Machine, even VirtualBox should run it pretty well, but don't use that old junk PC for it - that was designed for XP, use your main PC for Virtualisation.