awkduck

Those annoying bad drive letters. No matter how hard you try not to, you'll still click them. Especially if they are the ones that fudge your system stability.

I'd be a little less annoyed by it, if I spent enough time to resolve the USB2.0 conflict that it comes with. Works well "enough" with Windows 95. Same issue with the Snap driver (also SciTech).

@MrMateczko I back-up my installs, as they develop. Testing an earlier install, USB worked fine. Wondering if clearing out "Windows\Options\Cabs" caused something incorrect to get copied, during the USB audio device installation? @ABCDEFG I can't remember which chip it is, off hand. From what I can tell, this isn't an ideal audio device. The "WDM" drivers install with DirectSound support (crashes applications using DX audio plugins). But the "VxD" drivers install as emulated. [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\MEDIA\0010\DirectSound\Device Presence] "Emulated"=dword:00000001 "VxD"=dword:00000001 "WDM"=dword:00000001 Correcting the "WDM", and changing the "Emulated", values has makes no difference. This has been the case since the fresh installation. But, I may have fallen in to some luck. The "WDM" USB audio driver does not cause crashes (with applications using DX audio plugins). The USB audio does work with ASIO4ALL. ASIO4ALL ver 2.14 works with Win98FE, despite the authors claim otherwise. But this install does have updated files. It is just as well, that the VxD driver is DX emulated, I've never used Steinbergs DXASIO. I have no idea if it would have shortened audio latency enough. I'll probably investigate, to see if I can repair my current installs USB issue (knowledge gained). But I may have to bring the back-up install up-to-date. It isn't the worst task, since it is a basic USB memory image. All applications are installed portable (off image). So, AC97 "WDM" drivers may be problematic. This is the second chip that has caused issues, with DX audio plugins. Perhaps I am lucky the "VxD" driver is emulated; else it might have caused issues too. Who knows? I've been thinking about looking into PCMCIA cards. But if I got too serious, I'd just be using a Desktop. Thank you, I am glad for the communities input.

Yes. It only happens when exiting "Safe Mode". There is no USB/Audio in safe mode.

Rebooting Windows, from safe mode, I am prompted with the "Wait, End Task, Cancel" window. The title is "Multimedia Input Serivce". In "Process Explorer" I see nothing running, except the bare safe mode minimum. No applications/services initiated, from start-up/registry.

@deomsh I remember doing it for machines that were all the same, years ago (schools/business). But I haven't done it in a long time. I think everything needed to be in your Win98 setup folder's root. But I'm not sure how you controlled installation order, which may be required in some situations. I think there was a way. I have read about slipstream tools. But I've never used them. I couldn't find it, with a brief search, but there was a thread involving the "Unofficial Service Pack" (PROBLEMCHYLD) and USB only machines. I seem to remember something there correlated to "post install" USB driver tricks. The service pack was causing the common "Click Next How?" issue, with updated USB drivers. Maybe it has relevant information for someone. Surprised there isn't a "How to" thread on this, already.

When I use Rloew's "64bit File System API" I get a similar error. This isn't really a suggested work around, more informational, but I just don't use Explorer. With an alternative shell "like Losi or Blackbox" and Explorer "like 2xExplorer" I can get along just fine. It is actually my preference, even without the error. In this case, it might be good to rename Explorer.exe to Explorer.bak, and create a Explorer.exe.lnk to 2xExplorer.exe. Some people have altered the installation, to included the USB drivers. The process is then automated. You add your USB files to the Windows 98 installation setup folder. The process is the same for any other driver, you want included during setup. I just haven't done it in a long time. I've done it, post install. Depending on the circumstances it is almost trivial, for somewhat experienced users. But I recommend taking the high road. If you only have USB3, then it does not matter. With USB2 support you can also use most USB audio devices, for default sound. Anyway, good luck and congratulations, with your audio success.

Anyone have problems with "EXTREMELY" choppy USB audio. If you click on the tray speaker/volume slider, small parts of the audio adjustment alert space out and play for a really long time. I'm going to take the install, and test it on a different machine (one proven to work with Win98 USB audio); just in case it got broken. Then if the problem persists, I know its not a hardware issue. Edit: As feared, it is not a hardware issue. If I can detect the cause, I'll post it. Wondered if it had to do with trying to use the USB WDM driver, at the same time as the AC97 VXD driver. But after replacing the AC97 VXD, with a WDM driver, the problem was still there. Are there Win98 VXD drivers for AC'97 cards? Especially, when you get to the 2005-2008 machines. I know there are for Win95. Edit:For AC97, it seems that most likely they, the existing VXD drivers, are for Win95; usable on Windows 98 The following happens on multiple machines. Anyone experience this? I've had issues change from a VXD driver to WDM. Suddenly, programs that use "DX audio FX" crash on load (Example, SoundForge 5). Cakewalk 9 (no DX FX) needed to be downgraded to ver 7 on one machine, and 5 on another, or it would also crash. Dxdiag does not even work, unless I also downgrade to DX7. I might be able to stick with the VXD driver, but Steinberg DX-ASIO does not work with drivers in DX emulated mode. But I'm having suspicions that is isn't supposed to be in emulated mode (full DX support). The WDM driver isn't in emulated mode, and works with ASIO4ALL anyway; but the programs with low latency demands are crashing. Other then really bad "live" latency (best 156ms) the VXD driver works great. I know there may not be a lot of Audio/Music people here, but I thought I'd ask just in case.

@jaclaz No, "Super Grub 2 Disk" is the one I was thinking of. Its just been awhile, since I've looked at it. But now that I'm a little refreshed on it, it looks like one could examine it and maybe gain some Grub2 knowledge. This Github folder has many CFG files. Some of it is well commented. Even with all of that, it is still no Grub4dos. I see they have "disable_gfxterm=true"; so theme support would need to be learned elsewhere. [Some video cards cannot load Windows 9x (some NT versions too) graphics, after Grub2's extended graphics mode are loaded.] [An old bug, that was never addressed. The basic Grub2 video mode is fine.] loadfont /boot/grub/unicode.pf2 insmod all_video insmod vbe insmod gfxterm set gfxmode=1023x768x32 terminal_output gfxterm insmod png set theme=/boot/grub/themes/sometheme/theme.txt And if a guy wants explore the grub terminal, "set pager=1" is a must. There is no pause or scroll back, when listing more then fits in a screen. Pager is kinda like "MORE" or "DIR /P". I like that you can mount and boot an ISO/Harddisk IMG (Grub2). But if your not booting Linux, it would need extra help.

I should probably write something up. I've been meaning to. I only use the file that you are never supposed to edit. I never use Grub2 via Linux (install/configure). I've only compiled it on Linux. I don't know why they don't publish documentation, on using GRUB.CFG. I suppose because it is designed against that. But the syntax seems simple enough, once you actually know what it is. The boot core can be built per your needs, which is neat. Having everything managed by the system, aside from a 2nd config file (using almost completely different syntax), seems to be the kinda thing that made people really dislike systemd. There is a fork of Grub2 "Supergrub2". But I haven't looked into it. I think they moved it away from Linux isolation. Development may have ended.

Grub2 will eventually develop beyond usefulness, for the more minority use cases.

I'm guessing you have over 512Mb/1Gb of ram? Rloew is no longer with us, but he created a memory patch. You could revert your SYSTEM.* files, and try the patch. Your runtime error could be the audio driver. Someone else was getting a similar error. If it is the audio driver, you could use USB audio.

In general/normal use case scenarios, I' have to completely agree with you. Grub2 seems limited, in some important ways. At least in ways that matter to me. However, time and time again, I run into odd machines that will not work "completely" with Syslinux or Grub4dos. USB booting (stuck at USB1.1 speeds or no USB boot at all), strange hardware initializing timings, and legacy USB mouse/keyboard not properly releasing. I've had one machine that would not boot from USB using Grub4dos, unless I first initialized Grub2's USB modules. This must have removed the bios issue preventing Grub4dos from working. A different machine worked fine, without the Grub2 USB modules; but would not work if I had the Grub2 USB modules loaded. You can also edit MSRs with Grub2. But as I've said, these are things you would "typically" not be dealing with.

I don't know if you are still working on this, but more information might help. Maybe Damnation's input already helped? What AGP Bios options are available? What VIA chipset is this? Does this machine already have an integrated video device? I've mostly worked with laptops and thinclients, these days. My accelerated video knowledge, with Windows, is on the decline. Pairing your AGP card info, with your VIA AGP chipset info, may help provide some insight. Is this a configuration that already works, with a different installed O.S.? Have you tried older versions of Catalyst (if your device is supported by them)?

Yeah, sometimes the machine just doesn't want to be your friend. After reading the indecent description, I wondered if the "so I boot into DOS, fdisk, delete primary dos partition" was done from the hard disk dos, or Cdrom/Floppy/USB. Not that it would probably made a difference; I'm just trying to pick at something. I don't recall ever using the installed FDISK, to erase itself. 173a might have been using portable boot media, as I always have.

I've noticed the following, in the ATI SMBUS inf file: Does Win98 need this? Or is it irrelevant?

One of the CD ISOs, that works, was made with WinOnCD. Still UCS Level 1 and no Rock Ridge.

genisoimage -J -ucs-level 1 -o test.iso /iso_files This ISO failed to function.

I noticed "Joliet UCS Level-1" on working ISOs. No Rock Ridge . I'll look into creating something.

Here are four ISOs. All failed, but work when copied. All are CD images. FreeDos Live. FreeDos Bonus. ReactOS Live. Aros Live.

I have gotten a CD ISO to work, that didn't before. I'm guessing that the reason it did not work, previously, was because of errors already tampering with the system. EDIT:{Or, I made an assumption.} But it still did not work, from the foreign partition. I had to copy it, which worked without corruption. The still existing copying issue, with larger files, may be related to Rloew's File64. I can't really test it, when his API is disables. Maybe foreign partition to/from FTP. But File64 is not causing the issue with some ISOs working/not working , from foreign partitions. This still remains, with File64 disabled; both CD and DVD images. EDIT:{I guess it has been tested, since the still working DVD ISOs copied fine. That "potentially" clears it up a bit. Now it is just an issue with why some do/don't work, from the foreign partition. If File64 really was the cause, of file copy corruption, then if points back to some ISO specification difference. I'll try to test ISOs, from opensource projects. Likely most will not work, and serve as examples. If I can't find a certain type, then I'll create one, and upload it somewhere. What will be harder, is making/finding one that works. I can't share the ISOs that work; especially here. I don't have the tools that made the original CD/DVD. I do have some of the tools that cloned them. Knowing how to make working ones, might end up being useful. If anyone has D-tool/VirtualCloneDrive, Paragon's NTFS PNTFS.VXD (Thank's SweetLow), and a USB NTFS partition, this could be tested. If others do not have the same problem, then it might even have to do with my NTFS partition's attributes.

You are right. It is PNTFS.VXD.

Eventually, I'll probably try them both. I am using BIO95DRV.VXD. It isn't important that I have access to ISOs, while the foreign formats are active. But, different circumstances are foreseeable. I mainly wanted to point it out, in case someone has a similar issue. Then a probably culprit would be known. I think we are both in agreement about this. I only differ, from your view, a little. I can not state is as fact, yet. Keep in mind, all of these ISO work "normally", on this machine/OS. So there is nothing wrong with them. While the foreign partitions are active, the issue arises; at no "actual" fault due to any ISO specification/format. At a glance, the difference has been mentioned. It may be that, at one time, there was once a specification difference. Perhaps not even an official one. But, specification difference may have nothing to do with. When the foreign partitions are active, I can also not copy these files; they do not copy correctly. This is what, in my opinion, dismisses the "20" issue; since copying the files has nothing to do with ISO formats. The stunning part, is that the issue persists when the foreign partitions are not involve. Just being active on the system is enough. I should examine what does copy over, and compare that to the original. It is also interesting, with the foreign partitions active, that the other ISOs copy and function fine. This would mean there is something about those files. ISO format may be, inadvertently, playing a part. I initially thought is was partition alignment, and that may still be involved. All of my considerations may be too narrow. Something else could be causing the issue; and BIO95DRV.VXD is only partially involved. I also considered hardware disk issues, but all ISO files otherwise work fine. It is also strange, that the issue is only with ISO files. I thought it might be a large file issue. But, one of the working ISOs is over 4Gb. All of this is really back burner for me. What I wanted the files for, is more important to me. There is an innate desire to flesh it all out. But for now, under my own time demands, I just copied the ISO content to folders.

The Volume Label is at "8028" just below the Volume descriptor. -this is not char count accurate, due to font spacing- ...........CD001..Win3 2 SUMVOLLAB ...... ...V!..!V............. ...................... ...................... ............".(......( ........{............. ..<- from here (80BE) to (823D) is "20" -> Vendor Name <- "20" till (832C) Just as an example.

"20" as a space in a string, is okay. That did not prevent loading. It was empty space using "20" or "20,00". Data gap, if you will. Normally found right after offset 8000. Large sections of "20", and sometimes additionally "20,00", around and after the Volume Label. The use of "20" and "20,00" may be irrelevant. It may be related to some format/specification, that just so happened to allow for that. Perhaps just certain ISO/Burner software. It may be possible that the "20" and "20,00" could be fine; but as a coincidence, the only images that worked, didn't have them. I'm guessing I could modify a working ISO, filling some empty chunk with "20"s, and it would still work. Some Vendor strings, of non-woking ISOs, "GEAR CD DVD RECORDIG" and " ULTRAISO". A working one is "Smart Storage, Inc". The "Smart Storage, Inc" ISOs have a much cleaner layout.