Are there Windows 98/ME drivers for nVidia nForce 4 chipset motherboards?

[Nocturnal]

I have a client who is adament about having Windows 98 SE on this unit running 2GB of memory, nForce 4 SLI chipset mobo, with a 4600 X2 CPU.

I just realized there are no drivers at the nVidia.com website. Is it a crap shoot to try and get it working with Windows 98?

 

[rkwok]

win98 will only support up to 512MB, if you put more than that in the machine, it will give you error. you might wanted to search on the internet on that issue. Also, drivers for win2k will not work on win98 in general.

 

[Nocturnal]

Originally posted by: rkwok
win98 will only support up to 512MB, if you put more than that in the machine, it will give you error. you might wanted to search on the internet on that issue. Also, drivers for win2k will not work on win98 in general.

There's a fix for that and I've already got it working with the 2GB. My main concern is installing the drivers. I'm heavily trying to influence the client to move all of his work over to Windows XP as it's a PITA to try and get all these drivers working with hacks and what not. I'm sure it will only lead to further problems in the future. I just don't know how to persuade him to do it.

 

[rkwok]

another problem, win98 do not support dual CPU, how did you get it to work, I was installing a machine for our sales department with win98 as well, using p4 w/HT and even that gave me a lot of error, I had to disable HT in the bios for everything to run smoothly. you sure that the machine is working properly?

 

[Nocturnal]

It's running an AMD dual core and yes, I am not imagining the computer running Windows 98 without any drivers.

 

[rkwok]

the last win98 driver on nvidia chipset was nforce3, guess you are out of luck. I am aware you are using dualcore AMD, what i meant was using some program in win98, it will crash without any reason when using HT or dualcore(and yes i know win98 always crash).

 

[Nocturnal]

Originally posted by: rkwok
the last win98 driver on nvidia chipset was nforce3, guess you are out of luck. I am aware you are using dualcore AMD, what i meant was using some program in win98, it will crash without any reason when using HT or dualcore(and yes i know win98 always crash).

Thanks, what about DOS?

 

[rkwok]

Dos should be ok, i remember during the installation of win98, I forgot to turn off HT, but it still install without issue, at least for the time I was testing it (am glad i am not the one using it ). But seriously if using dualcore, win2k(or XP) will be a much better platform, show them side by side, i am sure they would realize what they had been missing for all those years

 

[xgsound]

It sounds to me like the only way you may keep this client is to explain that with only one of the win98SE limitations (ie 2GB mem, nForce 4, SLI, or dual cpu) there could be hacks that MAY make the system useable. Combining all of these multiplies the odds by a magnitude that the resulting system will never be unusable as a dependable system and cannot be supported by a professional such as yourself. No one supports this; not MS, not Nvidia, not AMD, and not you.

You will lose the cust. either way if he insists on this. If you try to make it work, it sounds like you have some suffering in store for you even if you get it to stumble along; and I bet he'll tell everyone! If you refuse, even if he tells everyone, they'll think, " Of course he wouldn't do that."

Your only good option (and best service to the customer!) is to convince him this is wrong. Remember this is why people come to you; to keep them from building an incompatable system. Build a lessor win98se machine if one is required, but this one requires XP SP1 or higher.


Jim

 

[Heidfirst]

98 knows nothing about PCI-E.
basically it's incompatible.