Improving Windows 98 / safe mode

[Tihiy]

Sometime ago i wanted generic SVGA/VESA driver (like in XP) to include onto my 98 rescue CD.

I've found generic SVGA driver for Windows 3.11 circulating in net (SVGA.EXE, you can find it here for example).

But it refused to work (even in 3.1 on 486)

But recently i've found a cool patch which adds VESA compliant video card support to this driver.

And now you have 1024x768x256 instead of 640x480x16. I think it is much better!

MDGx may advise this driver and patch somewhere in his useful tips.

I've created a zip with required files and nothing unnecessary.

You must merge system.cb included into this zip with yours in \windows (if you have one) and copy other files into \windows\system.

After that, in safe mode, you will get maximum resolution. You can reduce "resolution=" in system.cb

I haven't tried it enough - it does not work under VMWare (but nothing bad must happen, just error message and VGA driver loads)

SVGA.zip

Edited March 9, 2006 by Tihiy

[Chozo4]

Just tried it, merged the entried with my system.db as indicated. Also extracted the neccessary files to my system folder.

... booted into safemode to test. The patch seems to be a dud. I still had the generic 640x480 resolution and 16 colors.

Edited March 9, 2006 by Chozo4

[Petr]

It works for me - just 60 Hz is not very pleasant vertical frequency.

I have ATI Xpert/2000 Pro video card with ATI Rage128 Pro graphics accelerator.

There is written in the file accompanying the patch:

SVGAPTCH will patch svga256.drv to make it VESA compliant. Svga256.drv is a 256 color video driver included in WfWG 3.11 with support for special graphics chipsets only. (enables Hi_res 256 color for ATI Rage 128 AIW AGP adapter for Wins 3.1)

Maybe really just ATI Rage128 is supported?

Is there any utility that lists all available VESA modes?

Petr

[Acheron]

This driver is working fine on a fresh Windows 98 install. I couldn't do much of a test, since my USB-mouse doesn't work in safe-mode. I'm just a bit lazy when it comes to attaching PS/2 convertor-stuff.

I made some screenshots:

As you see, driver properly reads the Setup.bmp image.

1024x768 at 256 colors. Better than nothing.

[ssmokee]

This driver is working fine on a fresh Windows 98 install.

What video card are you using?

[Acheron]

I'm using a nVidia Geforce4 Ti4200 64MB videocard. It's VESA-compliant

[TbbW]

hmmm i remember looking for this a year back.

but i know that vesa suports more then 256colors.

i.e 16bit to be exact.

some cards suports vesa mode up to 32bit ( i'm thinking back to the old dos time when i downloaded *coffs*porn*coffs* from bbs'es... not much fun when they displayed wrong lol )

[jasinwa]

worked for me (ati offshoot card?, gigabyte radeon 9250) but my eyes hurt from the 60hz!

Anyway to change freq and color mode (at least 16k color)?

but at least the icons don't move arond...thanks Tihiy!

[TbbW]

someone hafto code a new driver for that to be possible.

not sure anyone wuld put that much time into win98.

[Acheron]

someone hafto code a new driver for that to be possible.

not sure anyone wuld put that much time into win98.

And it's not very useful at all. It's just a basic SVGA driver for Safe-mode usage.

Modern videocard use drivers that also support 3D Hardware Acceleration

[jasinwa]

someone hafto code a new driver for that to be possible.

not sure anyone wuld put that much time into win98.

And it's not very useful at all. It's just a basic SVGA driver for Safe-mode usage.

Modern videocard use drivers that also support 3D Hardware Acceleration

It's useful if you need to go to safe mode and hate to jockey around your icons after safemodes 640x480 throws them all out of kilter....since I play/test a lot of sw, it happens on occasion.

At least now, the icons don'tr move around....but it was not pleasant to view, either!