HD + AC97 audio & beyond the 137GB/128GiB barrier

[Goodmaneuver]

When using the NAS as a network drive with Win98, the total NAS disk size would have to be less than 2.2TB. You could use 2 non-raided 2TB drives and then map 2 separate network drives. Mapping sections of a larger drive could involve sectors/blocks that could be outside the range of the 98 driver as the drive fills up. The 2TB drive size limitation & 4.29GB file limitations will still be applicable & is what I encountered with my WinME system.
 

Edited December 30, 2019 by Goodmaneuver

[tillewolle]

1 hour ago, Goodmaneuver said:

When using the NAS as a network drive, the total NAS disk size would have to be less than 2.2TB. You could use 2 non-raided 2TB drives and then map 2 separate network drives. Mapping sections of a larger drive could involve sectors/blocks that could be outside the range of the 98 driver as the drive fills up. The 2TB drive size limitation is what I encountered with my WinME system setup.
 

It will arrive on Tuesday, we'll see, what it says? Or is it possible to make a partition on the NAS (that is smaller than 2.2TB) that is accessible for all machines to put data on. And which protocol am I able to use? ATM I'm using FTP to get files from my 2015 MBP to the Win98 machine but it's not the perfect solution, because FTP needs to run on both machines all the time and ip-adresses are not static.

[Goodmaneuver]

My NAS formats the drive on placement but yours may be different. Even if possible the partition would have to be at the front of the drive. It is the 28 bit usage within FAT32 & thus inbuilt into the file management system of Win98 that gives us the address limitations. I do not think it will make any difference using different protocols but depends on if it uses a browser to download files but I do not know. Most of the time I install programs straight from the network drive.

As time moved on increasing hard drive sizes were able to be detected in motherboards BIOS. A motherboard BIOS update sometimes upped the size limit. Seagate explained very precisely about 137GB limitation with solutions for different operating systems. Search for 137GB.pdf, it explains how the SATA adapter coincides with ATA-6 as all SATA interfaces at the time of introduction 2003 and so is compatible with 48 bit.
 

Edited December 30, 2019 by Goodmaneuver

[Dave-H]

@dencorso
This discussion is now way off the original topic.
The thread title really should be changed at least, which AFAIK can still be done by the OP editing the first post.

[Goodmaneuver]

MSFN forum search defaults to search everywhere and to content titles and body, perhaps it is not that much of a concern that topics do not always contain content that is not in the title. Topic titles can be edited at anytime by the host, (OP), no need to edit first post. Certainly HD + AC97 audio & beyond the 137GB/128GiB barrier could enhance the thread/topic.
 

[dencorso]

5 hours ago, Dave-H said:

@dencorso
This discussion is now way off the original topic.
The thread title really should be changed at least, which AFAIK can still be done by the OP editing the first post.

Gimme a meaningful title and I sure'll oblige.

[Dave-H]

@Goodmaneuver's suggestion looks fine to me!

[tillewolle]

So... seems that the Soundblasters need to wait for a week or two. But I want to play The Settlers II. Game runs fine but - NO SOUND.

Googled a bit and found out that DOS-Games won't support the 98 Sound drivers.

Tried this VDMSound solution but had no luck. Installed vcredist.exe properly and rebooted. Unzipped the VDMSound.win9x.bin.alpha3 to C:\VDMSound. Ran install.bat, VDMConfig.dll registration succeeds. Edited autoexec.bat by adding SET VDMSPATH=C:\VDMSound and finally rebooted.

Running dosdrv.bat in cmd just displays C:\VDMSound>vxdsload with a blinking cursor. Nothing else happening.

In dosdrv.bat it just says

Quote

SET BLASTER=220 I7 D1 H5 P330

vxdsload

vxdsinit

vxds1

I tested dosdrv.bat with the SET BLASTER command and without it. No difference. Seems it won't even load vxdsload. Whatever vcsload is. Starting it manually from command also doesn't help. Not even getting to the point where there could be a tip of the day.

Edited January 4, 2020 by tillewolle
typo

[Wunderbar98]

Hi tillewolle.

Setting up DOS sound is tricky. Your Soundblaster cards should make it much easier, pretty much standard support for DOS games. VDMSound never worked for me either, wasted too much time on it.

The SET BLASTER line should probably be A220, try:
SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 H5 P330

The install link you posted doesn't mention an H or P setting, maybe it's just:
SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1

My Soundblaster card uses:
SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 H5 P330 T6

Each game can be unique, try searching DOS sound for that specific game.

[Goodmaneuver]

Tillewolle: from what I can determine is you have not got the Sound Blaster cards yet. The VDM sound solution needs a working sound card. Did you try and remove the AC97 files and install Realtek A3.99 AC97 driver for a test first?

[tillewolle]

Got Settlers II running, but just FX... No Midi Music. Used the SETSOUND.EXE from the Settlers II files and it found a "Creative Labs Sound Blaster(TM) 16 for MIDI and Creative Labs Sound Blaster Pro or 100% compatible" for digital audio.

Tried to get VDMSound working the whole night but no real progress.

At least I just have quite a good overview over all this sound black magic 98 is playing with.

2 hours ago, Goodmaneuver said:

Tillewolle: from what I can determine is you have not got the Sound Blaster cards yet. The VDM sound solution needs a working sound card. Did you try and remove the AC97 files and install Realtek A3.99 AC97 driver for a test first?

I don't have them yet. The VDMSound needs a sound card and I thought it might work with the internal Soundcard. But that was an easy thought. Some other users mention problems with c-Media drivers. Why should I use Realtek A3.99 AC97?

EDIT:

Okay. Somehow patched the dosdrv.bat with a newer one by a user in the vogons forum and now VDMSound starts! (with the tip of the day error/bug, but yeah!)

Need to figure out later if it works. Need to go to work now. Would be great!

Edited January 4, 2020 by tillewolle

[Goodmaneuver]

On mobile at the moment so can not check my system. In directx diag check all your sound checks. Sometimes later files did not work ie  31 versions & 30 version files are the ones I had to use at that time. In sound control panel check midi device perhaps CMI midi does not work and select Microsoft for a try. If CMI sound works then OK but RealTek is your sound chip manufacturer unless CMI prefix. I think you almost had it correct with A3.54 driver install but had to remove the later driver files and replace with the A3.54 ones. The alc***.sys is the main one.

[Goodmaneuver]

As a side note I am using 406 driver with 404 sys file, (I recommend using a 3  vs for Tellewolle to start with or leave the CMI installl), I experimented with sound at the moment as with old DVDs sometimes the sound is not that good. I placed all graphic equaliser settings to minus 12dB in RealTek system tray & In KMP I use direct sound rendering and Clarity plugin which is a noise reduction system. This made some thumping sound when switching devices :-  switching devices is an assumption by me.

[tillewolle]

On 1/5/2020 at 1:43 AM, Goodmaneuver said:

On mobile at the moment so can not check my system. In directx diag check all your sound checks. Sometimes later files did not work ie  31 versions & 30 version files are the ones I had to use at that time. 

 

DXDiag gives me the attachment:

On 1/5/2020 at 1:43 AM, Goodmaneuver said:

In sound control panel check midi device perhaps CMI midi does not work and select Microsoft for a try. If CMI sound works then OK but RealTek is your sound chip manufacturer unless CMI prefix. I think you almost had it correct with A3.54 driver install but had to remove the later driver files and replace with the A3.54 ones. The alc***.sys is the main one.

What should I check there? In Midi-Settings on Multimedia-Properties I can chose between Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth or Roland MPU-401. What is CMI? Why should I change driver? What do you mean by all***.sys?

I managed to get SFX AND Music running at Settlers II but now I just get SFX with kinda music. Not sure what is wrong there. At least VDMSound IS running and I'm able to switch between different soundcards to emulate.

 

 

[pangoomis]

WDM Audio drivers for 9x use the built-in SBEMUL.SYS driver which provides rudimental Sound Blaster emulation for DOS boxes inside Windows.
It does not provide OPL2/3 support as far as I know. That's why you can only hear sound effects and not music, more discussions about SBEMUL.SYS are here:
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard.tech/P1q1PCa0bag/KTCGkK3d86UJ
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/audio/kernel-mode-wdm-audio-components
https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=12016

If you want good DOS compatibility on Windows 98SE, the onboard C-Media audio will never give you such support.
Best way is to get Sound Blaster Live/Aureal Vortex 2 PCI audio card, which have their own Sound Blaster emulation drivers.
An even better way is to use an ISA Sound Blaster 16 card, although newer motherboards of course do not have the ISA slot any more.
Or, as you've already tried, use VDMSound.
Or...you can run DOSBox under Windows 98 although this kind of defeats the purpose