Windows 98/ME support for modern hardware and software

[MadEye2]

I suppose you could install win98 on a spare partition and test it out with the latest hardware and software, see how it fares against 2k/xp

 

[episodic]

Funny, I just reinstalled windows 98SE instead of Windows 2000 on an amd 2200 kt 600 motherboard with a radeon 9200 and 512 memory . . .

I like it better with 98. . .

 

[VirtualLarry]

Hey, does anyone have an idea how to use a Win98se system, with only a USB keyboard / USB mouse? The OS was already installed onto the HD, but I don't have any PS/2 keyboards with the bigger AT connector style on them. When I boot, I can enable "Legacy USB support" in the BIOS, and the USB keyboard will work at the command prompt and in Safe Mode, but as soon as I boot into normal mode, it tries to install the USB keyboard, and during the process it prompts to install a USB HID device, and it requires me to click "Next" in the wizard, but at the same time, during the hardware probe, it resets the USB host port, and thus the USB legacy BIOS support isn't in effect any more.

In other words - I need a non-USB keyboard to install a USB keyboard in Win98se. Catch-22!

 

[MadEye2]

There should be another option in your BIOS to enable USB keyboard support as well as the Legacy USB support.
I know you can get USB-PS/2 adaptors, but I don't know if you can get adaptors for the AT kind. I don't see why not though. How old is the machine you're using anyway?

Hardware Book

All the information should be there to make your own USB-AT adaptor

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: MadEye2
There should be another option in your BIOS to enable USB keyboard support as well as the Legacy USB support.

I know you can get USB-PS/2 adaptors, but I don't know if you can get adaptors for the AT kind. I don't see why not though. How old is the machine you're using anyway?

The system is a Cyrix/NatSemi MediaGX/Geode system, Cx5510 chipset, I think. Onboard video, sound, USB, a couple PCI slots, 3 ISA slots, etc. The BIOS has options for USB enable/disable, and then under that, if USB is enabled, there is a "legacy support" option, which I assumes makes USB keyboards work like standard PS/2 ones, at least from the POV of the software. That appears to be how it functions. That's a little different than my current main machine, that has an MSI KT4V-L (KT400/8235), and offers a BIOS option for "port 60/64 emulation" underneath both the USB enable and legacy support options. I've tested that, and it actually is a chipset/hardware-level emulation of the port 60/64 keyboard controller, not just a BIOS API-level emulation. It interferes with W2K/XP's usage of USB devices though, and seems to conflict if I have a real PS/2 keyboard or mouse plugged in at the same time. (Not surprising.)

I'm using an IBM Trackpoint II keyboard, via a QVC PS/2 keyboard/mouse to USB1.1 adaptor that I got at MicroCenter to connect them. I also have a Belkin 5-button USB optical mouse, and some Memorex "multimedia" keyboard with a PS/2 plug.

I suppose I could do a PITA workaround - install those USB peripherals onto my main system, in my Win98se OS installation, and then manually export the registry settings, edit, and then import them into the registry at the command prompt under safe mode, along with manually copying the driver binaries. I didn't want to have to resort to that though.

I can boot that system in Safe Mode, and control Win98se with the keyboard, but of course you can't install hardware devices in Safe Mode.

 

[MadEye2]

I've got a USB mouse and keyboard, both came with adapters to use the PS/2 ports - this way I don't need to use the legacy USB switch in my BIOS. If you can cludge up an adaptor to plug the Memorex keyboard or the mouse into the old style PS/2 port it should work. You might be able to find an old style AT keyboard being thrown out of a local school you can use temporarily, but it might be quicker to find and copy the registry entries.