for booting from cd/fdd you probably need to set that up in bios
I like how loaded out of the box that HP was. P3 on an Asus motherboard, Aureal sound card, cd writer and dvd, modem, even the graphic card is not low end Intel/S3/trident/whatever but an entry level TNT with real 3D acceleration for some light 3D gaming.
On the other hand its VIA based P2B-VT https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/asus-p2b-vt-bx-oem TNT is integrated on board? at least there is AGP for expansion.

What is the model of sound card? Can you pull it out?

rasz_pl wrote on 2023-08-26, 08:33:

for booting from cd/fdd you probably need to set that up in bios I like how loaded out of the box that HP was. P3 on an Asus mo […]
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for booting from cd/fdd you probably need to set that up in bios
I like how loaded out of the box that HP was. P3 on an Asus motherboard, Aureal sound card, cd writer and dvd, modem, even the graphic card is not low end Intel/S3/trident/whatever but an entry level TNT with real 3D acceleration for some light 3D gaming.
On the other hand its VIA based P2B-VT https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/asus-p2b-vt-bx-oem TNT is integrated on board? at least there is AGP for expansion.

What is the model of sound card? Can you pull it out?

Yeah, it did seem quite loaded and not a bad point for the early phase of Win 98 software - for the price I thought it was worth a shot, and I never had a TNT card at the time so I was quite happy to try. It is an integrated TNT, though. I might keep it that way, or put a Voodoo 3 in this one if I get it going again. I definitely want 1 glide machine, ideally 2 (I've still my my first family-owned PC, a P120 - I'd love a Voodoo 2 in that one or a PCI Voodoo 3 but that's not necessary for what I'd use that machine for).

I did try setting the boot order in the bios, experimenting with different arrangements of boot order, even with primary HDD as the last in the list I didn't get anywhere, but maybe there is a setting I'm missing.

Soundcard/modem comes out - not a board I'm familiar with

Is it possible to flash original Asus p2b-f bios to the Mobo? If it is, then the first thing I'd do is flashing Deniz Oezmen's bios from here Modified BIOSes for ASUS P3B-F, P3V4X, P3V133, CUBX, CUBX-E/L and P3C-E
It improves and fixes so many things.

Zerthimon wrote on 2023-08-26, 09:12:

Is it possible to flash original Asus p2b-f bios to the Mobo? If it is, then the first thing I'd do is flashing Deniz Oezmen's bios from here Modified BIOSes for ASUS P3B-F, P3V4X, P3V133, CUBX, CUBX-E/L and P3C-E
It improves and fixes so many things.

I wondered about that, but I'm honestly not sure at the moment. I remember reading somewhere that there are specific problems/limitations to this HP implementation that make it harder to flash to pure ASUS. I've forgotten where I read that, though, I'll need to look for the source

strange_loop wrote on 2023-08-26, 08:51:

Soundcard/modem comes out - not a board I'm familiar with

This is not a sound card, it's just a voice modem. It's mostly useless nowadays. I'd remove it to save resources, space and power. The sound card should be that small green riser behind the io shield.

Edit: or am i wrong ? Is this, indeed, a sound card and a modem? Anyway, it's not Aureal in any way. What's the green riser then? Is it just external audio ports card?

Zerthimon wrote on 2023-08-26, 09:25:

strange_loop wrote on 2023-08-26, 08:51:

Soundcard/modem comes out - not a board I'm familiar with

This is not a sound card, it's just a voice modem. It's mostly useless nowadays. I'd remove it to save resources, space and power. The sound card should be that small green riser behind the io shield.

Well, this is embarrassing. . . 😀

Thank you, though, I'll just keep the modem out then - not much chance of me using that no matter how much I miss the dialup sounds. The wires for the phone line were also just cut and the plug left in the back of the card by whoever decommissioned this.

Just edited my previous post. It may be a sound card though.

Zerthimon wrote on 2023-08-26, 09:12:

Is it possible to flash original Asus p2b-f bios

no, -VM variant is entirely different beast, VIA chipset etc

Zerthimon wrote on 2023-08-26, 09:25:

This is not a sound card, it's just a voice modem. It's mostly useless nowadays. I'd remove it to save resources, space and power. The sound card should be that small green riser behind the io shield.

Edit: or am i wrong ? Is this, indeed, a sound card and a modem? Anyway, it's not Aureal in any way. What's the green riser then? Is it just external audio ports card?

conexant riptide, sound card + modem combo. riser is just for audio ports

Even the modem is a full hardware (rockwell dsp) deal and not a softmodem. I wouldnt be so sure about lack of real A3D, Conexant very well might have had a license and that ARM logo on big chip suggests its more than just a stupid bridge.
Sound quality comparison of Sound card's FM Synths. has some tests, this thing has hardware OPL2/3 and Rockwell WaveStream synthesizer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlSwFB9Oedc Sounds pretty great.

strange_loop wrote on 2023-08-26, 08:51:

I did try setting the boot order in the bios, experimenting with different arrangements of boot order, even with primary HDD as the last in the list I didn't get anywhere, but maybe there is a setting I'm missing.

unplug HDD and try again, will make it clearer what is not working

rasz_pl wrote on 2023-08-26, 10:03:

no, -VM variant is entirely different beast, VIA chipset etc

That's an Intel southbridge on the second photo, though, isn't it? (Which wouldn't change the fact that it currently runs a Phoenix BIOS.)

Edit: And then there's probably this: https://www.overclockers.com/forums/threads/a … vt-bios.280047/

Yeah. That's why i asked..

DenizOezmen wrote on 2023-08-26, 10:29:

rasz_pl wrote on 2023-08-26, 10:03:

no, -VM variant is entirely different beast, VIA chipset etc

That's an Intel southbridge on the second photo, though, isn't it? (Which wouldn't change the fact that it currently runs a Phoenix BIOS.)

Edit: And then there's probably this: https://www.overclockers.com/forums/threads/a … vt-bios.280047/

that would explain "(BX)" in the name on https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/asus-p2b-vt-bx-oem , means theretroweb picture/info is wrong and this is indeed a BX board

strange_loop, how do you feel about removing the board from the case? 😀 or at least all the peripherals to take a good quality high res picture.

rasz_pl wrote on 2023-08-26, 13:12:

DenizOezmen wrote on 2023-08-26, 10:29:

rasz_pl wrote on 2023-08-26, 10:03:

no, -VM variant is entirely different beast, VIA chipset etc

That's an Intel southbridge on the second photo, though, isn't it? (Which wouldn't change the fact that it currently runs a Phoenix BIOS.)

Edit: And then there's probably this: https://www.overclockers.com/forums/threads/a … vt-bios.280047/

that would explain "(BX)" in the name on https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/asus-p2b-vt-bx-oem , means theretroweb picture/info is wrong and this is indeed a BX board

strange_loop, how do you feel about removing the board from the case? 😀 or at least all the peripherals to take a good quality high res picture.

I was going to take everything out the case to get some better pictures, but. . . I think I'll need to set aside much more time than I had this afternoon - these types of cases from the big brands are so fiddly. I'm not sure, yet, how to get to the screws on the other side of the HDD caddy and optical drives, and I think it all needs to come out to get the board out without risking bending it past. Did get slightly better/clearer pictures, at least, though not fantastic.

To be honest, I'm wondering if I should start my search again for something early-ish phase windows 98. Something from one of the enthusiast-oriented brands at the time like Mesh, with a more practical standard ATX case.

I tried starting without the HDD connected, and worked through the other drives, too. I'm not able to get past the bios or HP splash screens. My Windows 98 CD might not be bootable, to be honest, I'm not sure. I do have an OEM boot floppy for 98SE though and I've also been trying that.

Is there a way to force boot into dose?

Zerthimon wrote on 2023-08-26, 09:38:

Just edited my previous post. It may be a sound card though.

Yeah it's not a set-up I've seen, before - so I did question myself, too. Main board seems to be a combined modem/soundcard as in the picture, below - the little riser has video feed from the onboard TNT to feed the video-out, and the riser also has an audio-out running to the larger combined card (which also receives the audio data from the main optical drive)

strange_loop wrote on 2023-08-26, 15:41:

I was going to take everything out the case to get some better pictures, but. . . I think I'll need to set aside much more time than I had this afternoon - these types of cases from the big brands are so fiddly. I'm not sure, yet, how to get to the screws on the other side of the HDD caddy and optical drives, and I think it all needs to come out to get the board out without risking bending it past.

drive caddy usually comes out the front after taking off face plate. Sadly there doesnt seem to be even a trace of manual for Pavilion 8550 or even similar models, not to mention any pictures

strange_loop wrote on 2023-08-26, 15:41:

To be honest, I'm wondering if I should start my search again for something early-ish phase windows 98. Something from one of the enthusiast-oriented brands at the time like Mesh, with a more practical standard ATX case.

Asus 440BX motherboard is as good as it gets for 98-00 system.

strange_loop wrote on 2023-08-26, 15:41:

I tried starting without the HDD connected, and worked through the other drives, too. I'm not able to get past the bios or HP splash screens. My Windows 98 CD might not be bootable, to be honest, I'm not sure. I do have an OEM boot floppy for 98SE though and I've also been trying that.

Is there a way to force boot into dose?

post pictures of bios menus where boot option is mentioned, maybe there is some trick to it

Need to see the BIOS screens themselves to see if its possible to make it boot from the floppy or CD drives

strange_loop wrote on 2023-08-26, 08:07:

...I then tried "restart in MS DOS" and since then it hasn't booted past the bios screen...

I have the feeling that in between "restart to dos" and "The system doesnt boot anymore" some informations are missing...

Booting to dos is a feature that does not break the system by itself...

These problems normally start when you try to overwrite System files with newer or older versions...

Asus 440BX motherboard is as good as it gets for 98-00 system.

I think my worry is just that with it being an HP spin on what was otherwise a really well-received board and thus, e.g., not being able to flash the bios to stock ASUS spec, that plus the case not being the most practical thing to work with. Would be really nice to have it going, though, and not give up on it. There is a Mesh machine available with a Tyan S1854 board - seems an interesting set-up with socket and slot on the same board.

post pictures of bios menus where boot option is mentioned, maybe there is some trick to it
[/quote]

Hopefully these might shed some light on the problem to the more expert eye!

DerBaum wrote on 2023-08-26, 18:26:

I have the feeling that in between "restart to dos" and "The system doesnt boot anymore" some informations are missing... […]
Show full quote

strange_loop wrote on 2023-08-26, 08:07:

...I then tried "restart in MS DOS" and since then it hasn't booted past the bios screen...

I have the feeling that in between "restart to dos" and "The system doesnt boot anymore" some informations are missing...

Booting to dos is a feature that does not break the system by itself...

These problems normally start when you try to overwrite System files with newer or older versions...

I do agree, though I'm at a loss what happened in-between. I don't think the relationship between the restart then the fault is causal, I thought it was just coincidence that maybe some component had failed for an unrelated reason. I hadn't gotten as far as trying to install anything by that point, so I don't think it's anything I did in software, as far as I can tell

Remember, only OEM Win98 CDs were bootable.