I found this posted at tomshardware. Pretty sound advice.
"the easiest install is to first make sure you have the most recent approved bios (a7v1004c). I backed up the original bios and flashed BEFORE loading windows, then installed 98se doing a "traditional" set-up by using the ATA-66 channel, having the HDD set up as 3rd boot device after floppy & CD... when you get windows in load current approved Via 4in1 (I used v4.25). you're going to see a yellow "?" next to a "pci mass storage device" in device manager, thats your ATA-100 controller. nail the most recent drivers for it, u160b25, and install them.
at this point you can power down and change bios to boot from "scsi" (ata100 controller) and switch your HDD cable into the ATA-100 channel, and continue loading your other (video etc.) drivers... save the SB for last... if your experience is like mine you'll have noticed that your machine was screaming until these drivers entered the mix (although I have seen people here who claim no difficulties but many are running in the ata66 channel).
if you have problems loading win after your SB install though you'll have to get into safe mode and do the following (after you have tryed of course, putting your card into differant pci slots)... try doing just ONE of these at a time, in order, until win boots normally:
1. Disable "SB16 Emulation" in hardware profiles.
2. Look in your "windows" directory/file for an ini file called "ctsyn" and Delete it.
3. open system configuration (RUN> msconfig ), go to the "config.sys" tab and edit/delete the line that contains "sbe.init"
at some point during this win will boot just fine albeit a tiny bit slower than it was previous to our SB live experience so to speak
hope this helps!"
(I myself like jauggernaults bios 1003e2. I have zero problems with it. I am running w/all settings optimized!!! Win98/Win2k
as mentioned above win 2k doesn't see the secondary ata66 controller, but I can manage w/3 controllers.)
1003e2
GOOD LUCK!
U-1
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