Is there a generic display driver for 98 that does better than 640x480, 16 color? It needs to be generic as it's for a live CD experiment.
Rick

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=105725
http://www.bearwindows.boot-land.net/vbe9x.htm
very alpha for now, but reported to work for some cards.

If it works, it's exactly what I'm looking for. Hopefully, I'll know by tonite.
Thanks.
Rick

It's a big improvement over the default drivers. I'm still working with it but 256 color looks good, all screen sizes available. With 16 bit, the colors are way off. White is a lite, bright blue. With 24 bit, the colors are good, both web pages and image files. Unfortunately, this PC has always had a problem with 24 bit. Screen scrolls in waves, shutdown issues. I can't get it to switch to 32 bit at all. Might be different on another PC but it'll be a while before I'm ready to move this setup to a CD. Still have a ways to go, apps to add, excess to strip out.
Rick

I had the same symptoms with that colour setting, so I guess the problem is in the driver.

I didn't have a problem setting it to 32-bit, though.

Got the same results with 98SE loaded into the PC. Can only get 32 bit with the ATI updated driver, Rage IIC AGP. I'm surprised it's still listed there. http://ati.amd.com/support/drivers/98me/legacy-98me.html
Rick

In version dated December 2007 I solve some problems in VBEMP for 9x:

P.S. If you haven't already know, I made VBEMP driver for NT/9x. Feel free to test it.

VBEMP-(video drivers) IS GREAT ON a CHEM PC3000(desktop/laptop2000)-450mhz/128ram/11gb-hdd/100mhz-bus:::all 98se---Updates and +AP2007-present,RP7 all,Renovatio,SESP1.5-3.01bnew,mddac1.4new,mdcuie2.0new,all thee bandaids and crutches laid aside as life breathes into me WIN98SE and nice color again W O W ! ! !thanx...thydreamwalker!!!!!!!!!!! {: P.S. keep prayin'as 98se will survive with all thee helps...

The 16bit colors are much better with the present version. Very usable. I still can't get 32bit to work. When I change settings without rebooting, it stays at the previous setting. When I switch to 32 and reboot, the display falls back to 16 color.
Rick

There is a bug in the "change settings without rebooting" dohicky that can be fixed by using the Quick Res tweak from 95 Power Toys set supposedly. But only sometimes does it actually work to change settings without rebooting or answering that silly "look OK?" screen first. There is also a stand alone Quick Res toy from these folks http://qres.softwarecave.nl/ which will change your settings automatically when you select a shortcut for a particular game for example and back when done with it. And this one also has the fix for the "change settings without rebooting" bug and/or having to look at a permisso screen again supposedly.

The only time I had similar troubles, somehow, something had changed my refresh rate from "Adapter Default" choice. You might check yours?

The various options and even choices screen we see are all determined by the various drivers that get installed depending primarily on the hardware installed and or are enabled in the BIOS. Just FYI. So a final check really should involve removing all possibly related devices from the device mangler and rebooting to see what you eventually wind back up with. And then double check your settings.