You are constantly posting the same thing and going in circles. Win98SE tower doesn't start up properly!

If you're installing 98, then do not mess with config.sys and autoexec.bat without making a boot menu first, with separate options for DOS and Windows. Keep the Windows option clean and add whatever that needs to be added to the DOS option. It needs some work but there are guides, including on vogons.

If a DOS game doesn't outright work in windows, try getting it to work by editing its exe file's DOS memory variables.

If the game still doesn't work under windows, then it's probably not meant to be. You must try to make it run in actual DOS. Boot into DOS through the previously mentioned boot menu. Do not use "Restart in MS-DOS mode" to get into DOS.

You're right: maybe I should just get rid of the drivers. I need the RAM drive, though, as a Windows-based one was having conflicts with my graphics card. I don't have a start-up menu but do have two DOS start-up disks with configs. I can use those for DOS programs but need a DOS sound driver. You're also right about my posting habits: I couldn't find the last thread. I'll try one of your suggestions now. I really want EMS in Windows mode, though, as I have some DOS programs that need it, and I eventually want it for experiments with disk compression.

I meant a boot menu, not a separate boot disk. You create the boot menu in config.sys and autoexec.bat themselves.

EDIT:

The DOS console inside windows already has EMS. Everything is set through the games' exes' variables. Do not add EMM386 to windows's boot, only real DOS.

I can, but I already have the floppies. I should've done that in the first place, but the floppies mostly reference drivers on the hard drive, and swapping disks after startup works properly, so I think they're okay. I can apply a startup menu if you want. BTW, even the DOS prompt didn't start up and still doesn't. 🙁 I can use DOSBox, and in fact, I installed it on the computer earlier today. I really don't want to, as Win98SE is supposed to handle DOS well. 🙁 BTW, will Windows console utilities still work?

I just tested two command line utilities, and neither works. 🙁 I can probably do without EMS but need UMBs. However, I can't get UMBs either. 🙁 Right now, I only have a RAM drive booting up in Windows.

Did you disabled serial ports and parallel port? Onboard USB? ACPI if motherboard supports it?
Resources conflict it seems.
I had the same issue on my test build (Socket A, ISA, Mobile Athlon).

I can disable the serial port for now but need the parallel port for a Zip100 drive and use flash drives. I can also probably find and disable ACPI in the CMOS. ACPI is a feature that allows auto shutdown, right? I will reboot and try out your suggestion now.

I believe I finally know what's causing the memory errors: I have a line in config.sys that moves the DRVSPACE driver. I think it's eating Conventional memory. I will edit MSDOS.SYS, disable DBLSPACE then reboot the system.

When I restart in DOS mode, I am getting more memory, but in Windows mode, the command prompt still registers out of memory. Let me see what happens if I enable UMBs and not EMS.

I tried it and got system crashes upon login. 🙁 I am totally disappointed that the system is way high-end yet can't do simple DOS functionality. I got it for free, so this is probably what I can expect.

Harry Potter wrote on 2024-07-28, 19:53:

will edit MSDOS.SYS

Have you installed 98 on top of DOS 6, etc? If so, Why? At this point just format the disc, install 98 only and make a proper boot menu. Why do you even have to manually load EMS into the windows environment, when windows uses it anyway for DOS applications.

EDIT: Something like this:

eddman: DOS mode is MS-DOS 7.1, the version that comes with Win98SE. I can do without EMS for now. I just want EMS in the future for experiments with file compression and my own disk compression techniques which are to use both EMS and XMS for code and data.