Windows 95 in ICH7 Board

[RobbieB]

Hello, long time lurker, first time poster

I am building a multiboot retro rig based on a Asus P5G41T-M lx V2 board (iCore2)
At the moment I am struggling getting Windows 95 to work, the Plan is to use CPUFIX for speed, rloew's patches for SATA and Memory, LoneCrusader ICH chipset drivers and XUSBSUPP over OSR 2.x
I tries several time starting fresh but the latest (XUSBSUPP) seems likes it doesn't want to collaborate. I must use LoneCrusader drivers after the installation because if I try to slipstream them (both the old and new version) in the installation folder I get an error as soon as hardware detection starts in the first stage of Windows 95 installation.
I tried with both OSR 2.5 and 2.0 but both crashes once I get XUSBSUPP installed, on the third device the computer just shuts down and reboot. I also tried USBSUPP, USBUPDAT2 and RLUSB separately, but the third controller still crashes the system.

I strongly suspect it is due to the fact it shares IRQ 15 with the HDD controller but even disabling automatic configuration and trying to manually set that or the HDD controller to different IRQ in the device manager I get an error message that I cannot modify that resource, but I can't find the reason why it does it or how to circumvent it (I tried disabling PnPOS to no avail, and my MB don't let me manage USB IRQ).

The order I do things (tell me if anything is wrong) is starting the fresh Windows 95 installation with the vanilla WIN95 folder, then on the very first reboot I boot with the CPUFIX diskette, use it, then on reboot I go straight to command prompt and run PTCHSATA, copy the SATA.INF in the WINDOWS/INF folder, run PATCHMEM /M (and add NUMHANDLE line). Then I reboot. Windows goes through the second phase (Timezone, Printer etc), and then reboots. Then I install either the MS USB updates or XUSBSUPP. The only way I managed to keep it running is either disabling the above said usb, or skip the PTCHSATA at all and keep HDD in compatibility mode, without being able to enable it later, but that would mess other OSes configuration. When I get XUSBSUPP to work I replace the MACHINE.INF and other files in the windows INF folder but here i get other minor problems like being unable to "Rename" some devices because the "Finish" button does nothing or random devices disabling.

I also tried replacing the chipset files during the previous reboots, but that gives me a lot of nameless devices in the device manager

Could someone point me in the right direction to either try changing the USB IRQ or slipstream the chipset drivers in Win95? (for the latter I suspect it may be due to the fact they were developed for windows 98 instead of 95 and there may be some differences?)

[RobbieB]

After weeks dealing with this issue now that I was finally able tò post about it the problem Is partially sorted.

After installing XUSBSUPP without deleting the USB controllers I installed the chipset drivers according tò older ICH chipset drivers instruction, but using @LoneCrusader ICH7 inf files manually. After installing most of the chipset drivers only the USB and HDD controllers were missing, I installed most USB chipset drivers and, I Guess due tò chipset drivers, I was finally able tò change the USB irq, so It installed properly.

The only issue I have at the Moment Is with sata disks.

I have installed RLOEW patch but as soon as I connect something tò the IDE Port the system refuse to Boot. I tried also installing the chipset drivers for SATA and Ultra ATA but despite showing the correct name in the add new hardware Window I can't finalize the process because the Finish button does nothing.

 

May It be cause RLOEW prchsata Is intended for Windows 98? Is there a way to "downgrade" It for Windows 95?

 

It should be better to point the driver search tò the ICH chipset folder or the folder containing Rloew SATA.inf?

 

Any help Will be greatly appreciated

[awkduck]

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.

[SweetLow]

On 10/26/2024 at 11:20 AM, RobbieB said:

Asus P5G41T-M lx V2 board (iCore2)

1. Instead of trying to setup RLoew SATA patch you probably need to setup something like "Legacy" or "Compatible" for chipset ATA Controller in BIOS.

2. Why is this thread in THIS subforum?

[LoneCrusader]

On 10/26/2024 at 3:20 AM, RobbieB said:

...Asus P5G41T-M lx V2 board (iCore2)
...Plan is to use CPUFIX for speed, rloew's patches for SATA and Memory, LoneCrusader ICH chipset drivers and XUSBSUPP over OSR 2.x
...
The order I do things (tell me if anything is wrong) is starting the fresh Windows 95 installation with the vanilla WIN95 folder, then on the very first reboot I boot with the CPUFIX diskette, use it, then on reboot I go straight to command prompt and run PTCHSATA, copy the SATA.INF in the WINDOWS/INF folder, run PATCHMEM /M (and add NUMHANDLE line). Then I reboot. Windows goes through the second phase (Timezone, Printer etc), and then reboots. Then I install either the MS USB updates or XUSBSUPP. The only way I managed to keep it running is either disabling the above said usb, or skip the PTCHSATA at all and keep HDD in compatibility mode, without being able to enable it later, but that would mess other OSes configuration. When I get XUSBSUPP to work I replace the MACHINE.INF and other files in the windows INF folder but here i get other minor problems like being unable to "Rename" some devices because the "Finish" button does nothing or random devices disabling.
...
Could someone point me in the right direction to either try changing the USB IRQ or slipstream the chipset drivers in Win95? (for the latter I suspect it may be due to the fact they were developed for windows 98 instead of 95 and there may be some differences?)

Hello and welcome to the forum!

Always nice to see some interest in 95, although I'm not able to give the level of attention that I used to give to my projects, and it's been a long time since I actually installed an unmodified version of Windows 95 to any system. Long ago I built a slipstreamed version that bypasses the need for FIX95CPU, XUSBSUPP, etc. to be installed manually and saves so many headaches such as these you are facing. So, fair warning, my memory may be a bit rusty!

A few initial thoughts - I can see problems arising from trying to accomplish all the tasks in one pass so to speak...

First - I would not attempt to fix the SATA issue until after the other issues are sorted. As SweetLow suggests, try using any available Legacy modes for the board storage controllers, or even leave them in compatibility mode until the rest is fixed. If I remember correctly, the SATA patch should work with the last 95 version of ESDI_506.PDR, but if not, it is possible to simply use the 98 version of this file.** (**may require "downversioning" hex-edit!)

Second - XUSBSUPP, or the official MS USB updates, will replace VMM.VXD. This will break any previous installation of PATCHMEM and require repatching. Another reason to sort issues one by one.

Third - The 98 INF files could definitely cause some weird issues as there are differences between them and the ones for 95. I may be able to provide a matching set specifically made for 95, but I can't promise a timeframe on this. It may be a simple copy, zip, and publish, but I'll have to go back and compare old notes and see whether the ones in my slipstreamed copy are affected by any other changes I've made. I just never expected interest for 95 on these honestly; pleasantly surprised!

On 10/26/2024 at 10:06 AM, RobbieB said:

After weeks dealing with this issue now that I was finally able tò post about it the problem Is partially sorted.
...
The only issue I have at the Moment Is with sata disks.

I have installed RLOEW patch but as soon as I connect something tò the IDE Port the system refuse to Boot. I tried also installing the chipset drivers for SATA and Ultra ATA but despite showing the correct name in the add new hardware Window I can't finalize the process because the Finish button does nothing.

Fourth - MS set a hard limitation in ESDI_506.PDR that you cannot use an optical drive as the Primary IDE Master. Are you using a SATA HDD and a PATA ODD by chance? I encountered this problem before. rloew was able to patch out this issue, but I'm not certain that this patch exists "by itself" anywhere; it may only exist as one of many changes inside one of his larger packages, such as TBPLUS, which of course was only specifically made for 98. It's possible to use the 98 driver as I mentioned, but this would require a lot of time digging through our old emails for me to find a definitive answer.

On 10/29/2024 at 1:09 AM, SweetLow said:

2. Why is this thread in THIS subforum?

The meaning of "Projects" seems to vary among members; some of them see it as a place to discuss their "projects" as in patches, fixes, updates, guides, etc. While others see it as a place to discuss "project machines" they are working on. It's not really an issue either way as far as I'm concerned.. not like we get a lot of new members or posters these days, haha.