Win98 Can't Cope

[Tramp]

Hope someone out there can help.

I am getting a new computer built. Because of the problems running older games with Directx9.0 and WinXP I am getting a new computer. The computer will have a dual boot system running WinXP and Win98 on separate 120g hard drives. Specs are:-

Intel P4 3.0g 800mhz
Intel Motherboard P4 (800/533/400 FSB) HT (DDR) (S)
Dual 512mb DDR DIMM 333Mhz
Dual Western Digital 120g 7200RPM 3yr 8MB Hard Drives
Audigy 2 ZS Creative Sound Card
XFX Gforce4 MX440 128 Video Card

The problem is Win98 is having trouble coping with the high specs. it's only used to 2.2g and 512mb DDR.
Does anybody have any ideas on driver upgrades to solve this problem. Or any ideas on how to fix the problem.

I really want to get the computer as I am working on a Packard Bell with only a 20g Hard Drive and have already had to upgrade my sound and video cards to run AOD and since upgrading to Directx 9.0b I cannot run Tomb Raider Chronicles on XP at all.

Hope someone can help.

Cathy

[Simulation]

Are you sure you want to install Win98? Most games can run under WinXP.

Anyway, you need to format the drive with FAT32 file system. Have a read of this Microsoft Win98 guide (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=255867&product=w98) ;)

[ 19. February 2004, 22:41: Message edited by: Simulation ]

[Tramp]

Hi Sim,

I've been wondering where you were. I am having XP on one drive. The reason for win98 on the second drive is just as you say MOST games run on XP but not all. A lot of my older games do not like directx 9.0. Tomb Raider Chronicles in particular. On XP with TRC using my game pad Lara just runs everywhere but on 98 it works fine. At the moment I cannot even load TRC on XP but it loads on 98. The computer I am on now is only 20g and is far too
small. My computer is my main source of entertainment to keep my brain active as I have MS and have to rest a lot.
When I click onto the Win98 Guide thread it just keeps coming up to the TRF reply page.

Thanks Cathy

[Duffman]

just so you know windows 98 will only ever recognise 512MB of RAM... no way round it from what i know - its how they programmed the operating system... and same with the CPU speed - Micro$oft only allowed for about 2Ghz, so thats all it will recognise... that shouldnt really be too much of a problem because:

a) games (older ones i mean) that arent running on Windows XP, but will on 98 wont need anything more specs than that...
b) Windows 98 is NOT supported anymore... well, its 5 year microsoft support is over, so you wont be able to play newer games on it anyways...

[Simulation]

Hi Tramp,

aaaaaahhhhhh. Bad link alert!!!!!

Silly me. I use a multi-window browser and pasted the wrong link into the post above. http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/clown.gif

I fixed it, but just in case here it is again

Microsoft - How to use Fdisk tool and format tool to partition. (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=255867&product=w98)

Microsoft 98 Page (http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/default.asp)
Windows 98 Support Centre (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;w98)

P.S. FAT32 supports drives up to 2 terabytes in size.

[Simulation]

Hi Duffman,

Microsoft just recently extended support for Win98 for a couple of more years. They realised that developing countries still use older hardware and they can't afford to lose the business.
http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/whistle.gif

[Tramp]

Hi Sim & Duffman,

Thanks for the help. That problem has been solved. They have also had a problem with the Sound Card. Putting in Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS 128 and for some reason it will not load on Win98 SE even though it is supposed to be compatible. Don't know yet if this
has been solved as they were loading it via autoplay. Win 98 only handles 64bit so I have suggested they do a manual load instead of autoplay. The main problem could be the additional software on the CD. I don't really need these additional programs on 98 only on XP so it doesn't matter if they are not on 98. The company building it normally build Business Computers and have never come up against this problem with a gaming computer. Creative have still not gotten back to them regarding the problem.
Hope it's solved soon I can't wait to get it. It really is and awesome beast and everyone is jealous, especially as it also has an LCD.
Thanks guys. Duffman what State do you live in, I'm in Sydney. (outer Western Suburbs).

[Simulation]

Hi Tramp,

Glad to see the drive was sorted out. ;)

Hopefully the Sound card can be sorted out as well. http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/wave.gif

[The Master]

Hi this is a bit late but...

As has been already stated Win98 will only handle 512mb of Ram. I have Win98 SE and it will address a full 137Gb on a hard drive, the same as the later OS's but I think the earlier version of Win98 will only support 60gb max if I remember rightly. I have Win98/2000/XP and they all happily co-exist on the same PC. You could use Microsoft's dual boot option that NT/2000/XP supports but the boot record is always stored on the same primary partition, i.e. the Win98 one. If that gets lost or damaged you lose the boot record for everything and nothing will boot including XP. A more elegant solution is to use Partition Magic's Boot Magic which will let you dual (or triple in my case) boot but the boot record is stored differently and it's very easy to get everything working again if something goes wrong.

Regards

[ 29. March 2004, 13:08: Message edited by: The Master ]

[Tramp]

Hi Master

Sorry I have not replied to your post have been a bit busy playing with my new computer and then stupid me I was given a nice dose of bronchitis which turned to bronchial pneumonia.
Both systems are now running fine. They are 2 completely separate drives both 120g. They are not in the tower at the same time. They are in separate carriages which are locked and unloked with a key and can be completly removed so they run totally independently. Compared to my old pc it is so fast and now that I am on ADSL Broadband surfing and downloading go at high speed. Great thing is no phone calls to log onto the net, and I can use my phone the same time as I am on the net. Glad Telstra BigPond brought the cost down so I could afford it. The new Creative Surround Sound Speakers are great, nearly blew myself through my loungeroom wall when I first booted up. Scared the hell out of the dogs and birds and did not do my nerves a lot of good either. All my games now play great and look really good on the CMV LCD screen. I am really pleased with it. So much room on the HD. Will take me a long time to fill them up. I am about to renovate my house so my old computer will be going into the bedroom. Just need to get a better gamepad now and everything will be fine. Only problem is my Microsoft Keyboard will not allow multiple keys to be held at the same time so if I want to cheat in Last Revelation I have to connect my old keyboard to the cheats and save and then re-connect my new keyboard again. Oh well nothing's perfect. http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/c-5.gif