awkduck

I'm not into games anymore. But way back when the original Halo was released, it was said to work on Win9x and WinXP; but not W2K. Was that eventually solved, or does it still persist? If anyone remembers that, what was the issue? I never really looked into it. Or was it some myth, propagated as truth?

I've read the warning about updates, when using multiple cores with W2K. There is a registry fix floating around, that addresses issues with multiple cores on W2K. Does the registry fix resolve the update issue? Or are they unrelated?

@Joaquim You can use it "outside" of Windows. If you boot Win9x "NOGUI" to Dos only, you can then use Sbemu. If you boot "fully" to Windows Sbemu will not work. Sbemu does "not" provide audio for Windows. It can provide audio for Dos "before" Windows loads. So, you "can" use Sbemu on a machine that has Win9x installed on it (ME needs boot to Dos patch). Sbemu is "compatible" with Win9x "Dos". BUT, you will need to "configure" Dos to use Sbemu. You might need to read though https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=93006

Dear God, let it be just this :)

What is the audio chipset? How new/old is the driver that you used? The driver's inf file usually has a date in it, near the top (inf file comments). While you are checking out the inf file, just check that it is indeed a CHICACO style inf. I'm guessing that device manager actually says the driver is working correctly? You could also check the driver file properties (while you are in device manager) to see if some of the files listed exist inside your driver's installer folder. Just check the folder corresponding to Win98 (could also be a folder named win95, win9x, vxd ,or wdm). Some of the files listed may be Windows system files, so not all files may exist in the driver's installer folder. If you had to hunt the driver down, off the net, then it might just not be the perfect fit for your machine. Especially, if it is newer. I've had problems, like the one you are having, when the driver was made for a different version of Windows (some actually worked). If the driver is old, like say before WinXP even was on the market, then its probably something else (registry issue?). If the driver didn't come with the device, it could still be an issue with your machine not matching some special configuration. I've seen, for example, an Emachine audio device not work because it was fabricated just a little off from standard. Drivers matching the hardware vendor ID just wouldn't work. It had to be the Emachine version of the driver. Even a matching driver, from a different Emachine, would not work. I haven't seen it often, but when I have, the driver almost always needs to come from the restore CD/partition. I've seen some old Compaq machines like that too.

It has been a little bit, since I played with 95. Sometimes, the chipset data is important, but not always. At what point do you get hung up, if you don't use the chipset inf at all? Is there a device you cannot install a driver for, because it is not listed (without the chipset)? I think I had best luck with rlusb; but like I said. its been a little bit.

It has been awhile, since I have worked with KQemu. I believe that the Win9x kernels lack something that KQemu needs to access user space, for processing. Not to mention that the .inf installation file isn't written in "CHICAGO" format (service installation). I'm pretty sure I ran into this same thing, when looking to see if I could get ArOS (Amiga clone Co-Kernel) or CoLinux (Co-Kernel) to run on Win9x. All three required Win2k+ (KQemu maybe WinNT4+). But I did find that it might be possible to get it somewhat working. It has been awhile, but I think the easiest solution wasn't as clean, compared to the NT kernel method. A little less sand-boxed (one reason no one bothered), because Win9x is a single user system. Also, around that time, KVM became king; no one cared about KQemu anymore (except users with older CPUs).

You could still try SweetLow's Dos Drive Removal tool. Since it still froze, it is more likely something specific to that pendrive. Some have a fake CD image, with software for the pendrive (I haven't seen any like that, for years). That could also cause an issue.

Did you unplug the pendrive, and then reinsert it, before you typed win? If you did not do this, then you have not completed the test. When you boot to MsDos, the issue is still present. When you unplug the pendrive, you disable the issue. Then you can plug it back in, and type win. It should not freeze. Please verify that this is what you have done. If you have not, please test it and report back. Sound in Dos? That is something totally different. For game sound, in MsDos, you will need SBEMU or VSBHDA. But they only work in Dos, not Windows. BIOS drivers are what MsDos uses to access your USB pendrive. You don't/can't install them. They are part of your BIOS, and MsDos uses BIOS drivers. When you boot MsDos, it uses these drivers to access the Disks and Harddrives. When you boot Windows 98SE, it uses MsDos to boot, before going into Windows. So the BIOS drivers are being used by MsDos, to access your Pendrive as a system disk (not all systems do this). What I am asking you to do, is disable the BIOS drivers "before" loading Windows. You can do that by just unplugging then re-plugging in the pendrive, before typing win. No matter what, you boot from MsDos. That is how Win9x works. But in MSDOS.SYS, BootGUI=1 mode, Windows is loaded right after MsDos boots. So you can not disable the BIOS pendrive driver, by unplugging it (you have no time, because Windows loads immediately after MsDos). Do you understand? BIOS is part of your Laptop's firmware. This is why some newer machines, that have no BIOS/or lack a full BIOS, cannot boot MsDos/Dos (only in a virtual machine). MsDos uses your Laptop's built in BIOS, to access the hardware.

USB Freezing - For me, I'd still like to know if boot-up freezes, when you (1) boot to dos first [pendrive plugged in], (2) unplug then re-plugin the pendrive, (3) and finally boot windows with the "win" command. If it does not freeze, then it helps "more certainly" point to the issue I have been describing. I also believe, SweetLow is waiting for an answer dealing with Dos. If you don't know how to get MsDos only boot, there is a file C:\MSDOS.SYS. You can edit it, and under [Options] change BootGUI=1 to BootGUI=0. If it isn't there, then add it. This will boot you to Dos only. You simply type "win" (without quotes) to start Windows. You can then change it back to BootGUI=1, to re-enable loading Windows on Boot. I don't know the full story, on the different version of the USB driver. They may all have the forced hand-off. But if not, it might be good to know which one you installed. Maybe even verify that you are actually "now" using the new USB driver (device manager). If you just right click and install from an inf file, the old driver is still probably being used (just an example scenario). I know less about the Dos Drive Removal tool, by SweetLow. But, if indeed a duplication is causing your freezing, then you may need to install that also. Since SweetLow is already in this thread, you are lucky. SD/MMC - I really doubt that your driver is installed. Almost all of these SD/MMC drivers, for machine 2005 and newer, use NT services. I don't think this will work in Win9x. I don't even think the registry entries are compatible (for services). I've altered the registry keys to be Win9x compliant, but the Winnt system files are not present or the Win9x system files are not compatible (with the driver files). So, I have never gotten them working. Maybe someone else has? These driver are most certainly meant for a newer version of Windows, and might not (most likely will not) retro fit. The driver looks like it is installed because it's device name, associated to your hardware ID from the inf file, is displayed under "Device Manager". But the driver is not actually functioning. So you have the right driver for the hardware, but the wrong driver for this version of Windows. Sometimes you can get lucky; I haven't seen much luck with SD/MMC drivers. Keep in mind "Device Manager" will say this device is functioning, but it isn't doing anything. Sometimes you can even examine the installed files, listed for the device in "Device Manager", and nothing will be listed. Often times, when installing Win2k+ drivers on Win9x, the driver files do not even copy to the system. And yet, "Device manager" will say the device is functioning properly. This is because there is no fault being issued to "Device Manager" as these drivers are not configured for Win9x. Heck, even the right drivers used with the right hardware, and version of Windows, don't always work. And they still report they are working properly. Also keep in mind, unless your SD/MMC slot is just a SD-to-USB convertor, USB drivers do not pertain to SD/MMC devices. So SweetLow's USB driver's will not initializes the SD/MMC drive slot. This SD/MMC issue can be frustrating. But often on these near post Win9x era machines, the Cardbus slots work with Win9x (not always). If that is the case, you can get a PCMCIA SD/MMC Card. The generic driver (for PCMCIA SDcard Adapter) that comes with Win98FE worked for me. But there is no guarantee. I've used (so far) up to a 64Gb SDcard. FYI, on Win98FE I have the same Boot issue, with inserted pendrives. I am also using SweetLow's USB driver, but the NOWMI version that comes with it. I still have the boot freeze issue, but have been doing the work-around I mentioned earlier (only when I need USB audio). If I don't need USB audio, I've been using Grub2 to kick the BIOS drivers. I have yet to use SweetLow's Dos Drive Letter Removal tool. So, if I get a chance, I'll see if I can correct it on my machine, and then pass along the knowledge. If you beat me to it, I won't complain :)

Joaquim, if you are still interested in help, we may need more information than this. Like, -what is this "card"? (the usb drive?) -have you installed the USB driver? You said nothing happened when you plugged in the card; but we are talking about freezing, at boot when USB drive is still inserted. Was that meant for a different topic?

It is probably something to do with your browser. The link worked for me, but I got a warning about the link not being "https", while using Firefox. An older Seamonkey browser downloads it right away. So, the link is alive.

You are right. Both need to be addressed/understood.

So, unless I am wrong about the cause, this is what Joaquim should try. It would be a nice clean fix.

You should try the painful workaround, I mentioned earlier. If it works, it identifies the issue more clearly. Disable booting to Windows, from MSDOS.SYS. Reboot the machine, with the pendrive in. Once you are at the Dos Prompt, unplug and then re-plug in the USB drive. Then type win, and see if you boot normally. If you do not freeze, as before, then it can be "loosely" called a USB hand-off issue. Although, similar behavior (between two or more different machines) doesn't mean it is the exact same issue; it has to do with the BIOS USB drivers being released. Being unplugged, in MSDos, releases the drivers. Then windows can boot normally. I want to clarify, I am saying BIOS drivers; but this is really misleading. I just haven't taken the time to give a full on description. It has more to do with BIOS/firmware design. Some may consider this issue a bug; since other systems boot just fine, with a USB drive inserted. But often the machines with this issue were never meant to be used with Win9x. So you really can't call it a bug, but rather lack of backwards compatibility. It isn't always 'entirely' a hand-off issue. BIOS may have assigned the wrong geometry or drive type, to the device. BIOS my have detected a USB thumb drive, as a USB supper floppy or zip drive. With the different variables in BIOS design, there are different behaviors and fixes. There is probably a Dos tool, to 'potentially' configure the state of your USB device (and other settings). I just haven't looked. A person could boot to Dos, then autoexec,bat could run the tool, and then load Windows. But, I've gone on awhile about this, risking the part of a fool. Should wait and see if this is actually the problem or not. I wouldn't mind being "thumbs down" wrong about this. Especially, with my own machines. Even more especially, if it meant I could fix it differently.