Troubleshooting Boot Issues on Windows 98 SE After Hardware Upgrade

[markwayne]

Hi everyone,

I recently upgraded my hardware components; including the CPU and RAM; on my Windows 98 SE machine. Since the upgrade; I?ve been facing boot issues where the system hangs on the startup screen, & I occasionally receive a ?Windows protection error.? I?ve tried booting in Safe Mode but still face the same issues. I have checked https://www.sharkyforums.com/forumdi...ating-Systems-splunk guide but the issue remains unresolved .

Has anyone faced similar problems after hardware upgrades on Windows 9x systems? Any suggestions on how to resolve this or steps I should take to troubleshoot the issue further?



Your help would be greatly appreciated!




Thank you!
ross splunk

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[mikeysg]

Eh, what're you doing with a Win98 machine? Does it have any kind of support at all? Sorry, I'm curious as the only machines that I've come across in '24 are those with WinXP, and even these are not supported any more I believe.

[ego shredder!]

This YouTuber has done plenty of installs of Windows 98SE, and his latest video is about how to use a Windows XP update with 98SE, to give it modern upgrades. He encounters similar problems and shows how to overcome them. Not saying this will fix your issues but it might help.

[mike4345]

Hey there!

The issues you're experiencing are pretty common with hardware upgrades on Windows 98 SE systems, especially if you?ve significantly changed the CPU or RAM. Windows 9x is notoriously finicky when it comes to hardware changes. Here are a few things you can try:

Check your RAM configuration:
Windows 98 SE has trouble with more than 512MB of RAM, and anything over 1GB can cause serious issues, including the ?Windows protection error? you mentioned. If your new RAM exceeds these limits, try limiting it to 512MB or lower to see if that resolves the issue.

Reinstall drivers:
After a hardware upgrade, especially a CPU, Windows may struggle with the drivers for the old hardware still being present. Boot into Safe Mode (if possible) and uninstall any old drivers. Then, try installing the correct drivers for your new components.

Check CPU compatibility:
Some newer CPUs may not be fully compatible with Windows 98 SE. Make sure the motherboard BIOS is updated to its latest version, as this can sometimes resolve compatibility issues.

Reinstall Windows:
If the above doesn?t work, a clean install of Windows 98 SE might be necessary to fully adapt to the new hardware. Keep in mind that this will wipe your system, so back up any important data first.

Disable advanced features in BIOS:
Try disabling features like ACPI, caching, or shadowing in the BIOS. Windows 98 SE isn?t designed for modern power-saving or advanced BIOS features, and these can sometimes cause boot issues.

Hardware conflicts:
Make sure there aren?t any IRQ or DMA conflicts. You can check this in Device Manager if you?re able to boot into Safe Mode.

If none of these work, you might want to consider running a more modern OS alongside Windows 98 SE in a dual-boot configuration to keep your retro system functional without too much hassle.

mike