98SE gives Windows Protection Error when trying to reboot to MSDOS

[Shep]

I have a computer I built for my daughter. The motherboard, graphics, sound, and processor work just fine for Windows XP Pro, but I decided to set this computer up as a Windows 98 machine so that older games that my daughter likes would work correctly.

Other than the occasional crashes and unstability that I remember when I used to use Win98 a long time ago, the system works pretty well. Except when we try to "Reboot to MSDOS". It closes Windows and then I get a black screen that states "Windows Protection Error. Please restart your computer." I'm not sure how to fix this, but I'd like to get it working so that we can get some old dos games to work. Plus, it's just nice to have the ability to go into DOS directly.

Here are the specs of the computer:

PC CHIPS M848A (V5.0) Socket A (Socket 462) SiS 746FX ATX AMD Motherboard

AMD Ahtlon XP 1500

Kingston ValueRAM 1GB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200)

AGP 4X / 8X slot, with an Nvidia 6600 card

Onboard audio, Realtek ALC655

Windows 989SE, Full Install (no upgrade)

80gb hard drive, but all I partitioned was 30gib for W98. The rest will be for a dual boot for XP later on.

Something else I've noticed is that the audio is at times glitchy and it will stutter, pause, or skip during load times on a hard drive such as when W98 boots up. I've intalled the latest drivers for Realtek, but it didn't help. I'm guessing it's just the nature of onboard audio with Windows 98. I know the onboard audio is smooth with Windows XP Pro, though. Any ideas on how to improve the performance of the audio chip? (Other than buying a sound card.)

Also, if there's anything that can be done about that Windows Protection Error, that would be great too. Thanks so much for the help.

[gosh]

you could go into device manager and disable devices. since i assume this is a clean install, it's probably hardware, specially drivers. simply go into devman and disable everything under sound, modems, nic's, things like that. if that works you just need to update the driver. you might need that 98 shutdown update. use msconfig too.

-gosh

[Shep]

Do you have a link to the 98 Shutdown fix?

[MDGx]

Here it is [at the bottom of link below]:

http://www.mdgx.com/web.htm#98SE

* Microsoft Windows 98 SE APM Battery Computer Lockup VPOWERD.VXD 4.10.2225 Fix:

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=246817

Direct download [158 KB, English]:

http://www.mdgx.com/files/Q246817.EXE

More info:

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=246615

Requires Windows 98 SE Shutdown Supplement below already installed!

* Microsoft Windows 98 SE Shutdown Supplement TSHOOT98.CHM, MSCONFIG.EXE 4.10.2223, APMBATT.SYS 4.10.2223, CONFIGMG.VXD 4.10.2222, PCI.VXD 4.10.2223 + VPOWERD.VXD 4.10.2223 Fixes:

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=239887

Direct download [504 KB, English]:

http://download.microsoft.com/download/d/d...b2c/4756US8.EXE

REQUIRED READING:

- MSKB: How to Troubleshoot Windows 98 SE Shutdown Problems:

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=238096

- MSKB: How to Troubleshoot Windows 98 + 98 SE Shutdown Problems:

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=202633

- MSKB: Windows 98 Troubleshooters:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/windows/tshoot/

- James: Windows 98 SE Shutdown Troubleshooter:

http://www.aumha.org/win4/a/shtdwnse.htm

- James: Windows 95, 98 + ME Shutdown Troubleshooter:

http://www.aumha.org/win4/a/shutdown.htm

- "FIX WIN98 SE USB + SHUTDOWN ERRORS":

http://www.mdgx.com/98-5.htm#FWUE

HTH [Hope This Helps]