|
|
|
|
| Welcome, Guest | Home | Search | Login | Register | |
| Author | Anybody use Win98SE back in the day? (Read 16977 times) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
snes1423
256 MB  Posts: 458 A Man born of Mechina |
on: December 26, 2023, 23:25
so i put together a Pentium 4 2.26ghz PC with a Nvidia Riva TNT2 32mb AGP low profile card and a 20gb quantam hdd pretty good for running Unreal at max settings 1024x768 but i have this odd issue (maybe driver related??) where if the monitor turns off it wont turn back on when using the agp graphics Sorry if this is a bit off topic but im not sure what the heck is going on and theres not much info online fyi the PC is a small form factor Dell Optiplex GX 260 from 2002 and yes i had it recapped around the CPU |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
68040
|
512 MB Posts: 971 68k - thy kingdom come, thy will be done !
Reply #1 on: December 27, 2023, 00:37
|
I still have a Win98SE setup for my QEMU VM. But it was just a smitten more stable than the infamous Win95. Why it improved a lot in some aspects, it still had issues with most 3rd party drivers having been developed for the old Win3.1/Win95 model. There 16bit Windows ran on top of 8bit MS-DOS, switching CPU modes all the time. Win98 was Microsoft's last stopover in the "old World", before launching into the Windows XP stratosphere (but not on a straight trajectory either, using Win2k a.s.o. as a go between). So you have to be extra careful which drivers you use and also "plug'n play" doesn't always play nice there. When in doubt about your display stick with VESA or (S)VGA mode. Same goes for any other hardware: Only use it if the driver was certified to work with Win98SE (not 95, 3.1 or XP).
Last Edit: December 27, 2023, 00:41 by 68040
|
snes1423
|
256 MB Posts: 458 A Man born of Mechina
Reply #2 on: December 27, 2023, 01:28
|
the driver is from 1999 December and its a win98se driver certified and everything no control panel for the card though or setup.exe you just go into the display control and configure the adapter from there but still no luck with the display issue dont have this issue under ME and in case your wondering ive never had stability issues with ME even on a Fujitsu 266 PII laptop of sorts with a Trident card again when the display goes to sleep (not the PC) the display refuses to turn back on
|
wove
|
1024 MB Posts: 1367
Reply #3 on: December 27, 2023, 01:49
|
That is often due to a bad design of the card, or a bad design of the buss the card is attached to and the problem can sometimes be attributed to the hook up of an LCD panel. One often runs into very similar troubles when switching an Apple computer over to Linux. The screen will work fine on the Mac OS, but not come back on under Linux. (Have you tried both a CRT and an LCD monitor?) On an LCD panels the backlight can either be controlled directly via the graphics card, or by system calls that turn it off and on. On older PCs with LCDs this is not uncommon in that neither the OS nor the video card will be aware of the specific requirements of the LCD in question. In full disclosure, I know nothing of Win 98SE, and in general I just say, "Oh Microsoft, well that figures." 
|
68040
|
512 MB Posts: 971 68k - thy kingdom come, thy will be done !
Reply #4 on: December 27, 2023, 10:23
|
@snes1423 - Try VESA mode or SVGA. They are built in defaults, requiring no 3rd party drivers.
|
cballero
|
1024 MB Posts: 1187 System 7, today and forever
Reply #5 on: December 29, 2023, 20:24
|
A long time ago, in a land far, far away.. Yes, driver issues, boy, that right there was the bane of using all of the early Windows OSes, especially when one was building a system from scratch or updating from a previous OS on either an outdated or one built from scratch as was often the cheaper route, but oft times more costly down the road if sourced too cheaply. Hardware makers would ship with drivers for the current OS at ship, but it was harder once MS upgraded their OS; it sometimes felt like they wanted to force people to update their hardware to help manufacturers stay in business and the people paying the price were the end-user consumers. The headaches went away after Win Millenium Ed, with the one exception of Windows 2000, the precursor of XP. It still remains one of my favorite OSes from back then. If you're not bend on having Windows 98 (or your game needs to run in '98) your system should run Win 2000 perfectly fine. I remember it being exceptionally stable, easier to plug-and-play hardware, and not demanding on resources like XP and later siblings; just a thought 
|
MTT
|
256 MB Posts: 394 SSW7 Oldtimer
Reply #6 on: December 29, 2023, 22:53
|
@snes1423: You haven't mentioned system software which may have come with your GX 260, but if you don't have the original Dell supplied software and drivers, then iso images of them may be sourced from the Internet Archive: It looks like this model may have shipped with Me (Millennium Edition) not 98se Here's original install media for Dell Optiplex 260 (https links): Windows ME For Dell Optiplex GX 260 Published 2001 https://archive.org/details/windows-me-for-dell-optiplex-gx-260 These following 3 downloads are for the drivers and restore, etc: Dell OptiPlex ResourceCD (drivers for the 260) Published 2001 For OptiPlex GX260, SX260, GX60, GX270 / GX270N et SX270 / SX270N https://archive.org/details/resource-cd_20231126 Dell Optiplex Drivers & Utilities CD (same as above Resource CD) Published 2001 https://archive.org/details/dell-drivers-cd Dell Optiplex ResourceCD 5H413 (same as above Resource CD) Published 2001 https://archive.org/details/delloptiplexresourcecd5h413 While each of those 3 Resource CDs are of the same disc, one may be a better pressing and rip than the others -you'd need to determine this for yourself (if necessary).
Last Edit: December 29, 2023, 22:55 by MTT
|
snes1423
|
256 MB Posts: 458 A Man born of Mechina
Reply #7 on: December 30, 2023, 01:38
|
it has a XP sticker and is a Pentium 4 northwoord from january 2002
|
cballero
|
1024 MB Posts: 1187 System 7, today and forever
Reply #8 on: December 31, 2023, 00:49
|
Even then SNES, MTT's driver links are most likely your best bet on that particular computer model. [ side-note: quite often, computer hardware would be bumped-up to the next OS, but it would still work best running on the lowest OS as far as speed and in most cases compatibility ] In any event, kudos to MTT for locating those resources for your PC! 
|
MTT
|
256 MB Posts: 394 SSW7 Oldtimer
Reply #9 on: December 31, 2023, 03:21
|
Yes, when this model that you have was 1st purchased in 2002, it would have had the latest OS installed. But as the model itself is unchanged, the software it would have shipped with in 2001 would also be suitable for that model. I believe that in 2001 they shipped this model with a choice of Windows ME or Windows 2000. In my search of the Web Archive I searched the date ranges 2000 to 2003, and the ME install and the drivers CD's for that model, were the only ones to surface. The WA of course being solely reliant on volunteers in having copies of software to contribute, so you take pot-luck. However, as you mention that you don't have that display issue with ME on other hardware, then maybe ME could also be a safer route (than 98se) to consider.
Last Edit: December 31, 2023, 03:22 by MTT
|
wove
|
1024 MB Posts: 1367
Reply #10 on: December 31, 2023, 14:39
|
The Internet Archive is a real hit or miss place for finding old Install Media for various systems. I did find the installer DVDs that came with the 2006 MBP I picked up. Feeling lucky I hunted for the installers for the 2008 MBP I have had for a long time, and I came up empty handed in my search. Whenever I find myself with a "new to me" piece of hardware, I am always driven to see if I can locate all the bounty that came with the machine. Rarely do I ever keep them stock as shipped, but it does tickle my fancy to at least once arrive at the point where, "Ahhh this is what they were like fresh and new!" Of course it can be trying to achieve that feeling amidst the broken plastic, dead drive, dying display panel backlight, and lots and lots of greasy gunk built up from past users.
|
MTT
|
256 MB Posts: 394 SSW7 Oldtimer
Reply #11 on: January 01, 2024, 00:24
|
"Feeling Lucky" A couple of years back, walking home one evening from a friends birthday dinner, I spotted something flat-ish, silver looking, and jutting out from a box of unwanted discards waiting for the next morning's recycling collection. It was an early 2011 MacBook Pro... On taking it home I discover it had a dead battery, but was otherwise in fine working condition. 10 years old and considered junk. Ha! It had a fairly recent Mac OS installed. Researching the specs at everymac.com I discovered that it had shipped with Snow Leopard (10.6.6) as the original OS. Searching archive.org, I found the original install DVDs had been uploaded there, and I then proceeded to "downgrade" the MBP to Snow Leopard. Long story-short. I kept the book and still use it (and SL) today ---- Another quick peek at the WA, I spotted an install set for a 2009 MBP... Not quite 2008, wove, if you still have that book, but getting closer. 2009 13-inch MacBook Pro Mac OS X Install DVD - Mac OS version 10.5.7 https://archive.org/details/2Z691-6468-A Applications Install DVD https://archive.org/details/2Z691-6458-A
Last Edit: January 01, 2024, 00:51 by MTT
|
wove
|
1024 MB Posts: 1367
Reply #12 on: January 01, 2024, 01:33
|
I really like 17" MBPs. My first one was my 2008 model, which I traded a ThinkPad for it. It is not in bad shape considering its age. It was the high end model that year and is a very versatile machine. It is currently running a stripped down Debain install. I purchased 2010 model a few years back from a fellow up in Canada. It was cheap because he said it was in horrible condition. All I can say is he must really be fussy about his gear, for outside of missing a couple feet and having a dead battery it was pristine. Like the 2008 model it is the high end machine with all the upgrades included. I just experiment with all the various OS X versions it can run. I had Sonoma installed on a couple weeks ago, and hey you know it was not horrible. At the moment it has El Capitan installed, which still runs all the software I had/have on my G5 tower. The 2006 I just picked up was my "good luck". I have the iso images of what it came with, but have had no luck turning them into bootable USB sticks. I broke down and ordered a small pack of Dual Layer DVD disks, so when they arrive I hope to get it back to its original state. At the moment I have Lion installed on it. I have been looking for a nice condition 2009 17", but all I have found are either too shabby or too expensive. It is considered the most reliable of the 17" machines although the others that I have are pretty darn reliable. The 2009 was the first of the unibody machines and the last of the Core2Duo machines. 2011 models mark the start of the video problems and I am not sure I have any interest in getting any of them.
|
MTT
|
256 MB Posts: 394 SSW7 Oldtimer
Reply #13 on: January 01, 2024, 01:51
|
Yes, the 17" models are hard to come by, either they are not as common or folks are reluctant to let them go. As for the 2011 MBPs, there were two releases that year, the "early" and the "late" 2011 releases. The early 2011 shipped with Snow Leopard 10.6.6, and the late 2011 shipped with Lion 10.7 (my least favorite Mac OS). As for video problems, I haven't experienced any issues at all, it has a beautiful display. Especially considering its rough beginnings of how I found it ;-) I've used this early 2011 MBP every day since bringing home. Maybe I got lucky, but nothing dreadful has happened video wise for me, over that time. It's been flawless and its performance under SL simply beautiful.
Last Edit: January 01, 2024, 01:55 by MTT
|
wove
|
1024 MB Posts: 1367
Reply #14 on: January 01, 2024, 02:04
|
All the good Mac models are those that still work! Now I like Lion, it still has the skumorphyness, the Calendar is a desk pad calendar, the address book looks like a book and Oh my I always thought cover flow was the bee's knees. Granted that is like steam punk, totally pointless, but visually it is pure eye candy. Lion is also the oldest OS X that works with iCloud, so all my stuff syncs up.
|
|
Pages: [1] 2
|
| |||||||||||||||
|
© 2021 System7Today.com. |
