NVIDIA drivers don't do anything to DOS.... The drivers will only affect the GUI environment. Are you running DOS games within Windows (a DOS box) or are you rebooting into DOS? You should really just setup up a DOS boot menu and skip Windows altogether for DOS games IMO.

You could have a hardware conflict or instability of some sort. I'd simplify the config.sys and autoexec.bat to the basics and add things from there to see if you can narrow down what the problem is (if it's software-related).

autoexec.bat
@echo off
mscdex
C:\Mouse\Mouse.com

config.sys
device=C:\windows\himem.sys
DOS=High
cd-rom drivers

You don't have any sound TSRs? No PNP junk?

I had the same freeze on some of my win98SE pc's... quitting from win98SE to DOS usually just freeze the computer like in your case F2bnp. I found that removing the cd-rom drivers from autoexec/config solved that issue 101%. Remember that windows does not need any cdrom drivers at all. Just make a DOS startup menu with various configs and you are all set 😁

My soundcard is not Plug and play , I have to run CTCM.exe in order to get AWE32 midi to work, it does work fine in SoundBlaster 16 Mode though. Keropi, I don't quite get what you mean. I need CD-ROM drivers for DOS Mode in Windows 98SE, otherwise I don't have any CD-ROM support. I don't use DOS a lot in this PC, but I really want it to work properly so that I can play some games that won't work in Windows 98 GUI and need you to restart in DOS-Mode.

Here's my full Autoexec and Config settings:

for autoexec.bat

@echo off
LH C:\Mouse\Mouse.com
LH MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD0HP /M:12
mode con codepage prepare=((737) C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\ega2.cpi)
mode con codepage select=737

and for config.sys

DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE RAM
DOS=HIGH,UMB
FILES=30
BUFFERS=20
STACKS=64,512
DEVICEHIGH=C:\DEV\FDATACD.SYS /D:MSCD0HP
device=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\display.sys con=(ega,,1)
Country=030,737,C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\country.sys

F2bnp wrote:

I really want it to work properly so that I can play some games that won't work in Windows 98 GUI and need you to restart in DOS-Mode.

tried DOSBox?

No offense, I love DOSBox but I just want to play some things on the original hardware.

Ok I got it working now, but I only get 557KB of conventional ram.
MSCDEX eats up 40K and mouse eats 17K despite the fact that I use LoadHigh.
Am I missing something? Is there any other alternative to mscdex that eats less conventional ram?

Use SHSUCDX instead of MSCDEX.

Use qcdrom.sys or vide-cdd.sys instead of your cdrom driver.

Use ctmouse.exe (CuteMouse driver) instead of mouse.com.

Use UMBPCI.exe instead of EMM386.exe. (If expanded memory is not needed.)

And remark-out the STACKS= statement. (rem STACKS=64,512)

You can find the required drivers and programs here : http://www.hiren.info/downloads/dos-files

and here : http://www.opus.co.tt/dave/utils.htm

Bloody hell. It refuses to load once again. I changed them significantly using your recommendations, here check it out:

SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 P330 E620 T6
@echo off
LH C:\Mouse\ctmouse.exe
LH C:\AWE64\Ctcm.exe
LH C:\shcdx33e.EXE /D:qcdrom.sys,/D:12
mode con codepage prepare=((737) C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\ega2.cpi)
mode con codepage select=737

DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE RAM
DOS=HIGH,UMB
FILES=30
BUFFERS=20
REM STACKS=64,512
DEVICEHIGH=C:\qcdrom.sys
device=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\display.sys con=(ega,,1)
Country=030,737,C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\country.sys

I get the black screen. Any ideas?

just make a DOS multiple boot configuration, have 2 items:
a. windows without CDROM drivers
b. DOS with cdrom drivers

http://www.knowplace.org/pages/morgue/dos_mul … oting_howto.php

Ok I might try that out thanks.

Try copying the current configurations (autoexec.bat & config.sys) to a formatted dos-bootable floppy disk and try booting from it. See if it works...

Also, try remarking out emm386.

If you can see the booting process, try F8 for step by step boot procedure checking.

And finally remove the network card and the voodoo cards for the time being.