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First post, by Boohyaka

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I have a new one that is weird enough to try and get more opinions to try and make sense of it. Computer is a P3-933, Jetway J-933AN, Voodoo3, Vortex2, Win98SE.
I'm using Daemon Tools 3.47, with the same installer I've always used with no problems. To put that aside straightaway, I've already uninstalled it completely and reinstalled it. Configuration is pretty much default.

I am trying to install a game I own but use image of for convenience, Deus Ex GOTY. Image is MDF/MDS. On THIS computer, installing the game using Daemon Tools and the image, I get a read error on the same file every single time, with a self-defeating error message: "Critical Error - failed reading source file \Music\NYCStrees_Music.umx (The operation completed successfully)" that definitely looks like an installer error and not a daemon tools or Win98 error. As the next course of action, I tried to go on the virtual CD, ctrl-a ctrl-c and ctrl-v on a local folder: after a few files, very quickly, I get a read error, from Windows this time. Different file from the installer error, but always the same one.

Now for the funny part: on other Win98 computers, with the same daemon tools version and the same image file, absolutely no problem whatsoever, both from the installer and filesystem. Then on a working computer, I tried to copy all files out of the image file to a folder, and copied the folder to the problematic computer: installer goes perfectly fine. So it's not the files. It's really the DaemonTools+ImageFile combo.

Then I tried other image files on the problematic computer: some BIN/CUE, other MDF/MDS, ISO....absolutely no problem whatsoever.

Then I tried to copy the problematic image file on the problematic computer through USB instead of FTP to exclude a copy error...exactly same result.

Bottom line: it's THIS image, on THIS computer. When it works fine on two other PIII also running Daemon Tools 3.47 installed with the same installer, on a Win98SE setup that I use on all my machines.

What's left as an explanation? Anyone got a miracle clue? 😁

Reply 1 of 8, by feda

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Some sort of obscure bug in the 9x version of Daemon Tools? 🤷‍♂️
Try a different image format or a slightly older DT version.

Reply 2 of 8, by Boohyaka

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Yeah...but an obscure bug that only affects 9x, DT and this image on this very computer and work fine on others...still strange! To be clear making another image of my game is no problem and I already found workarounds, I'm more interested in the journey than the destination 😀
Tried other formats with no problems, trying an earlier DT version is a good idea, I'll try that.

Reply 3 of 8, by Nexxen

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Could it be a RAM issue?
Just try replacing sticks. My idea is that at a certain location it fails.
This is a guess.

PC#1 Pentium 233 MMX - 98SE
PC#2 PIII-1Ghz - 98SE/W2K

- "One hates the specialty unobtainium parts, the other laughs in greed listing them under a ridiculous price" - kotel studios
- Bare metal ist krieg.

Reply 4 of 8, by Boohyaka

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Same result with DT 3.33. Not an issue worth spending hours on...but still!
@Nexxen not a bad call even if everything else is rock solid, don't feel like replacing sticks though with my setup it's not really convenient, but I can let a few rounds of memtest run just for fun. Will do now.

My gut feeling is a weird file system caching/buffering condition that makes DT shit the bed. The fact there are 2 different 100% reproducible issues and no randomness, in one case copying files off the virtual CD, the other when running the installer, makes me believe there *should* be a way to understand what triggers it. But again, definitely not worth spending hours on it..until another image bugs me as well 😁

Reply 5 of 8, by Nexxen

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Boohyaka wrote on 2025-02-20, 18:36:

Same result with DT 3.33. Not an issue worth spending hours on...but still!
@Nexxen not a bad call even if everything else is rock solid, don't feel like replacing sticks though with my setup it's not really convenient, but I can let a few rounds of memtest run just for fun. Will do now.

My gut feeling is a weird file system caching/buffering condition that makes DT shit the bed. The fact there are 2 different 100% reproducible issues and no randomness, in one case copying files off the virtual CD, the other when running the installer, makes me believe there *should* be a way to understand what triggers it. But again, definitely not worth spending hours on it..until another image bugs me as well 😁

Absolutely not worth your time more than this.
There have been bugs here and there, chipsets, drivers, incompatibility with components...
Have fun and a good day!

PC#1 Pentium 233 MMX - 98SE
PC#2 PIII-1Ghz - 98SE/W2K

- "One hates the specialty unobtainium parts, the other laughs in greed listing them under a ridiculous price" - kotel studios
- Bare metal ist krieg.

Reply 6 of 8, by Boohyaka

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RAM looks fine 😀 well, this will stay in the mystery box unless someones comes around with some arcane knowledge 😁

Reply 8 of 8, by tauro

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It seems to be some component giving up. I recognize those symptoms.
It could be an IC on the motherboard, it could be a broken trace.