P
pjp
Ok, long time Windows user since Windows 2.x 
but have stayed with 98SE as
it still works fine for me. It's on 5 pc's in my house (yes each with it's
own license), all older P100 class pc's except for this one. They all share
printers and one acts as a general file server and a proxy server to the
Internet (for all except this one which uses it's own dialup). All the pc's
share (no password, read and write) at least one folder on their "own" hard
disk(s) and a few are additional (password, only read etc.). All printers
(4) on the various pc's are also shared. I run both TCP/IP (for proxy server
and running/testing various web servers, stream audio/video etc) over the in
house ethernet and Netbuei for all the files and printer sharing. The two
modem adapters (one on this pc and one on the proxy server) only run TCP/IP
as a protocol, firewall, etc. etc.
My 98SE has become a little "flaky", I know you all know what I mean by I
feel it's getting closer to a complete re-install. In any case, as I have
the hard disk space on second pkysically separate drive, it seemed like a
good time to do the dual-boot thingie I'm now about to attempt my 3rd go
around at it.
Round 1 :
Couldn't believe how smoothly everything went. I've a lot of extras on this
pc and after some searching managed to find XP drivers for all of it, even
my older cheap "extra buttons" keyboard and my older lpt port scanner. My
Wacom tablet, Creative Webcam, Fuji camera (as both msd and cam), DVD drive,
burner, even my Dexdrive (reads/writes PS1 memory cards) all working. I even
had my video-in working off the Radeon 64DDR VIVO and retained control of
the TV-OUT dialog even after I also installed an Xpert98 for dual-display
(under 98 the Xpert's driver takes that dialog box away if Xpert's enabled).
I had the 3rd party Netbuei protocol installed and working, and both
connecting to the net thru dial-up and also proxy server (change connection
in appropriate dialog, to another pc on ethernet) working also.
In fact had progressed so smoothly, I was paying more attention to how to
control the multipule accounts I'd setup (Admin and myself, kids and wife,
guests) that it was a couple of days before some friends were by and I
pulled out my two ff wheels (along with two joysticks, all installed
smoothly) for some racing. Then I noticed how DirectX (had upgraded to
DX9.0b and as well had done all the critical etc. updates) was acting like
it was stuttering but so smooth a stutter it visually appared similar to
approx 15fps film. I also start paying more attention to the fact that
every time there's a screen mode change, it appears as if Windows is
re-examining all my hardware. In particular, the two floppies disk drives do
a seek one after the other ... read serious pausing!
Attempts at re-installs, rollback drivers etc. etc. just (as usual once DX
goes south I've found) made matters worse.
Out came the 98SE startup disk, boot, do the sys c: thing, go back into 98SE
and start deleting.
Round 2 :
Install goes smoothly. Video card driver (second is not in pc till all else
gets working properly) installs properly, DX9.0b seems to have no grief and
as I now have all the extra drivers on hand I install most of them in one
shot, e.g. cam, keyboard, tablet. I then go to install my joysticks and
wheels. Trouble, detection doesn't see them all as Logitech (MOMO Force,
MOMO Racing and 2 Rumblepads). Not sure if I put them in too fast one after
the other or what but now no matter what, Windows "sees" the MOMO Racing as
a "regular" two axis joystick with 10 buttons.
I ignore the joystick problem and continue on with getting NetBuei
installed. That now seemed also screwed. There seems to be no way to say to
Windows to actually "use this". The properties button stays dimmed even
though it's "checked". The network hardware itself is obvious ok as I can
ping the other pc's and all's fine here under 98SE. The "WORKGROUP"'s name
is the same etc. etc. yet it not "seen" on the network nor do I "see" the
other pc's on the network.
I'm back in 98SE, having done the boot with floppy and sys c: thingie again.
I'm about to start deleting all the crap and try a third time.
Round 3 :
I'll be back ...
but have stayed with 98SE asit still works fine for me. It's on 5 pc's in my house (yes each with it's
own license), all older P100 class pc's except for this one. They all share
printers and one acts as a general file server and a proxy server to the
Internet (for all except this one which uses it's own dialup). All the pc's
share (no password, read and write) at least one folder on their "own" hard
disk(s) and a few are additional (password, only read etc.). All printers
(4) on the various pc's are also shared. I run both TCP/IP (for proxy server
and running/testing various web servers, stream audio/video etc) over the in
house ethernet and Netbuei for all the files and printer sharing. The two
modem adapters (one on this pc and one on the proxy server) only run TCP/IP
as a protocol, firewall, etc. etc.
My 98SE has become a little "flaky", I know you all know what I mean by I
feel it's getting closer to a complete re-install. In any case, as I have
the hard disk space on second pkysically separate drive, it seemed like a
good time to do the dual-boot thingie I'm now about to attempt my 3rd go
around at it.
Round 1 :
Couldn't believe how smoothly everything went. I've a lot of extras on this
pc and after some searching managed to find XP drivers for all of it, even
my older cheap "extra buttons" keyboard and my older lpt port scanner. My
Wacom tablet, Creative Webcam, Fuji camera (as both msd and cam), DVD drive,
burner, even my Dexdrive (reads/writes PS1 memory cards) all working. I even
had my video-in working off the Radeon 64DDR VIVO and retained control of
the TV-OUT dialog even after I also installed an Xpert98 for dual-display
(under 98 the Xpert's driver takes that dialog box away if Xpert's enabled).
I had the 3rd party Netbuei protocol installed and working, and both
connecting to the net thru dial-up and also proxy server (change connection
in appropriate dialog, to another pc on ethernet) working also.
In fact had progressed so smoothly, I was paying more attention to how to
control the multipule accounts I'd setup (Admin and myself, kids and wife,
guests) that it was a couple of days before some friends were by and I
pulled out my two ff wheels (along with two joysticks, all installed
smoothly) for some racing. Then I noticed how DirectX (had upgraded to
DX9.0b and as well had done all the critical etc. updates) was acting like
it was stuttering but so smooth a stutter it visually appared similar to
approx 15fps film. I also start paying more attention to the fact that
every time there's a screen mode change, it appears as if Windows is
re-examining all my hardware. In particular, the two floppies disk drives do
a seek one after the other ... read serious pausing!
Attempts at re-installs, rollback drivers etc. etc. just (as usual once DX
goes south I've found) made matters worse.
Out came the 98SE startup disk, boot, do the sys c: thing, go back into 98SE
and start deleting.
Round 2 :
Install goes smoothly. Video card driver (second is not in pc till all else
gets working properly) installs properly, DX9.0b seems to have no grief and
as I now have all the extra drivers on hand I install most of them in one
shot, e.g. cam, keyboard, tablet. I then go to install my joysticks and
wheels. Trouble, detection doesn't see them all as Logitech (MOMO Force,
MOMO Racing and 2 Rumblepads). Not sure if I put them in too fast one after
the other or what but now no matter what, Windows "sees" the MOMO Racing as
a "regular" two axis joystick with 10 buttons.
I ignore the joystick problem and continue on with getting NetBuei
installed. That now seemed also screwed. There seems to be no way to say to
Windows to actually "use this". The properties button stays dimmed even
though it's "checked". The network hardware itself is obvious ok as I can
ping the other pc's and all's fine here under 98SE. The "WORKGROUP"'s name
is the same etc. etc. yet it not "seen" on the network nor do I "see" the
other pc's on the network.
I'm back in 98SE, having done the boot with floppy and sys c: thingie again.
I'm about to start deleting all the crap and try a third time.
Round 3 :
I'll be back ...