Got a Q9550S... now working with W98SE, but it's a close shave...

[ragnargd]

Hi,
 
just acquired an Intel C2D Q9550S (4 x 2,83 GHz, 65W, 1333FSB).
 
And i just happen to have more than enough compatible GPUs, Audio, NICs and RAM lying around, and some cash to spend on a fitting MoBo. Does anyone have a suggestion (or even better: Experience) on a MoBo that could run W98SE together with this baby? Needs to have a fitting chipset, PATA for my sneaky IDE-SSD, and enough strategically distributed PCI(e)-slots for Sound and - probably - LAN. 8GB Ram or more would be nice, too. Any idea?
 
I just acquired a refurbished ASRock G41C-GS R2.0, which is compatible with Windows 10:
- Northbridge: Intel^® G41
- Southbridge: Intel^® ICH7

4GB DDR2 Ram, limited to 1GB for W98SE with XRayers/Ushers method (thank you both!). I'll use 8GB DDR3 later on with Windows 10 on that machine.
 
...as there are some modded inf-files around here, suggesting this may work. I'll report, once everything either works, or does not...

 

Onboard LAN (Realtek RTL 8111GR) is not supported by Realtek on W98SE any more. Modifying INF doesn't help, the driver simply doesn't work for it. Disabled.

- I put into the PCIe 1x Slot an older GBit PCIe NIC from Realtek (a RTL8168) that is supported on W98SE and Windows 10.

 

The modified INFs for ICH7 recognize SATA/IDE, and in "compatible" mode, the drives work.

Unfortunately, the system hangs during boot with the controller in "Enhanced Mode" (which would be the one interesting for SSDs in Multiboot, as it allows trim)

This is probably, because the INF does not touch the MS Single FIFO for the channels, which should change to the Intel Dual FIFO ones...

(that's just my unqualified guess... when i dump the driver onto the system somewhere else, the Intel Dual FIFOs show up... hell if i knew why...)

- i disabled the Single FIFOs, so the SSDs for XP and Windows 10 (updated from W7Home64bit) are invisible to the system

- I installed a separate PCI-card with a VIA VT6421 controller on it, which is supported both by W98SE and Windows 10, providing IDE and two SATA-I ports, connected an IDE-DVD to it, and boot W98SE from it (OS boots both from IDE and SATA-SSDs, and a SATA-DVD is usable as well)

 

I did't check Onboard Sound, as i own an Audigy 2 for that purpose (which is, you already guessed, compatible with W98SE and Windows 10).

 

I did't check the onboard-GPU, as my GeForce 6600 256MB PCIe resisted for a short time, but now works with the 82.69. (which is... you know the drill... thanky you to RLoew for the shutdown-fix!)

 

The modded inf for the G41/ICH7 provides a ich7core.inf, which i use successfully.

 

USB2 works fine with the Native USB Drivers. I use the german inofficial SP2.1d, as provided by Leotard (thank you!).

 

As all onboard-devices are replaced by add-in cards, and no slot is available any more (and no space for anything but a 1-Slot GPU), it very much depends on your taste if you call it a success. Thief 1 runs perfectly on it, though, which is a good benchmark, as that game is very sensitive to bad W98SE setups.

 

A close shave, as the englishmen call it.

 

Cheers,
Ragnar G.D.

Edited August 12, 2015 by ragnargd
No selling allowed on MSFN!

[Tripredacus]

You are not allowed to sell hardware on MSFN. Read the forum rules!

[netbookdelgob]

Well my netbook has ICH7 chipset, the modified inf "works", USB just dont work, it crashes the system it freezes.

[ragnargd]

Well my netbook has ICH7 chipset, the modified inf "works", USB just dont work, it crashes the system it freezes.

Thanks for the warning.

[ragnargd]

This cost me dear, in terms of time and money... i guess i'm the poor IT-aequivalent of rich men laying under old expensive cars in their spare time...

[rloew]

The Motherboard SATA Controller would require my SATA Patch to run in Enhanced Mode. This could free up a PCI Slot if you don't need the extra Ports. I also have a Windows 98 compatable TRIM Program.

[ragnargd]

The Motherboard SATA Controller would require my SATA Patch to run in Enhanced Mode. This could free up a PCI Slot if you don't need the extra Ports. I also have a Windows 98 compatable TRIM Program.

This board is too cramped for my taste anyway, so i think it will go away, and i'll replace it with an ASUS P5K SE or an ASUS P5KC. P5Q Turbo

The JMB PATA on the ASUS P5Q Turbo does *NOT* have an W98SE Driver (if my download claims are true see below) - unfortunately it's hard to get a second board for this (which i always like to keep, as over time boards fail).

Do you (or does anyone) know if the Marvell PATA on many ASUS boards have any Driver for W98SE? (Google didn't answer).

Edited August 30, 2015 by ragnargd

[ragnargd]

Well, bad news: There are no native w98SE Drivers for JMB 38x.

Some (dubious) websites claimed they had this, but this was quickly discovered as a scam.

But much worse, the OEM-producer of an Add-In card claimed it had such a driver, and even added a pdf with an installation instruction claiming this.

Getting the driver from their homepage proofs: No such thing, false label. Most probably they didn't even test this...

 

I'm still fighting with P45/ICH10R

 

- Now with an ASUS P5Q Turbo

- Q9550s

- 8GB Ram (only 1GB visible to W98SE via XRayers method)

- Sound (Add In) Audigy 2 Platinum ZS

- NIC (Add In) RTE 8111 GBit PCI-E

- IDE Controller (Add in) Via  VT6421A

- SSD Transcend 330 IDE 120GB (only 58GB usable atm)

- GeForce 6600 PCI-E

Disabled onboard JMB36x/Sound/GB PCI-E/Serial port

Made invisible to W98SE: ICH10R (can still be used with XP and WX)

So far, it looks good.

 

Unfortunately, any install of an USB 2.0 driver, be it NUSB or XRayer's tweaked INF, no matter in what order, crashes the system in an endless loop... i'm still on it... :-(

Edited August 30, 2015 by ragnargd

[LoneCrusader]

I have a custom INF set that provides 9x INF's for ICH10 chipsets, I just never got around to releasing it. It's an update of the "Slipstreamable" Intel INFs that are posted here somewhere. (The original set only goes to ICH9.) Currently it should wipe out all unknown devices except those associated with Intel Active Management/Management Engine.

 

The bad thing is I have run several tests on an Intel DP43TF motherboard (ICH10) and it is an absolute nightmare to get anything working properly. Most of this appears to be due to the Intel BIOS (which is garbage and leaves the user virtually no control options). I'll wager that a third-party ICH10 board with an AWARD BIOS would function much better. There are many problems, but one specifically - I was unable to load any USB2 driver on this board, it will always cause Windows 98SE to hang during boot. This happens with or without using "SETUP /p i" to kill ACPI, and happens whether one uses the Microsoft Win2K USB2 stack or the OrangeWare USB2 stack.

 

I wouldn't even make an attempt on such a project without rloew's RAM and SATA patches though.

[dencorso]

Do spend some time searching for modded Intel DP43TF bioses... It's quite possible someone has created a more full featured version of it...

[ragnargd]

I have the impression i'm on something here... perhaps a false trail, but nonetheless interesting:

 

I Installed the 98SE SP 3.0 RC1, and then... i thought... why the hell does the USB-Stuff freeze the PC only on the third USB-Hub ?!? The driver is from w2K, so it SHOULD work.

 

So instead of going according to instructions of the NUSB36AD, i

1. did NOT remove any stuff, but DEACTIVATED everything, and rebooted.

2. activated only ONE device, and installed NUSB36AD, and rebooted

3. Now it correctly installed without freezing the PC.

4. and then activated, one reboot at a time, one device after the other, so only one device got a new driver, and not all at once (which i correctly supposed freezed the PC)

 

I found out this way, that probably my board has one damaged USB-Hub (Port 7 and 8), but five intact ones (1-6, 8-12. ICH10 has 12 ports on six hubs, connected to two 2.0 Hubs in a dynamic manner)

 

Going step by step, avoids any crashes and freezes.

 

At the moment four ports / two hubs show up as USB 2.0 Hubs, although i cannot read from any USB-Stick (no letter is assigned). But that may be a matter of what to activate first, as the Southbridge of the ICH10 is a complicated thing, with only two USB 2.0-Hubs (with 4 ports), which then are directed to any device asking for it (i read the intel-specs). That means, the fifth 2.0 device will get only USB 1.1. (Clever, most will never notice, that saved intel some money...)

 

I will experiment a bit longer with the installation order (therefore install w98se again for the umphteenth time), and maybe try to get another (hopefully intact) board.

 

Ah, that will be some long nights...

[LoneCrusader]

Do spend some time searching for modded Intel DP43TF bioses... It's quite possible someone has created a more full featured version of it...

 

From all the info I've found it's almost impossible to mod an Intel BIOS in any meaningful way. Intel provides some tools for modifying the default settings for options that they have graciously already provided, but nothing whatsoever that would allow "pro-legacy" modifications. One tool I used to examine the BIOS files seemed to indicate that Intel BIOS'es are modified AMI BIOS'es. Another step in the wrong direction... I have yet to see an AMI BIOS that was comparable to AWARD.

 

From just about all of the experiments I have run on post-9x hardware in the past two years, and from a handful of threads about similar hardware I've seen posted here, the lesson learned and the motto to be remembered is "Thou shalt not attempt to use an Intel-branded motherboard later than the D875PBZ with Windows 9x." Third-party boards based on Intel chipsets are sometimes OK, but the Intel-branded Intel-BIOS ones are junk from a 9x standpoint.

Edited September 1, 2015 by LoneCrusader