If I don't install office xp it doesn't happen with media player 9.0 on it and if I install Internet explorer 5.5 for office xp it also happens without an update of media player on it.

Here is my bootlog.txt

he stops at Initing esdi_506.pdr

I've a similar install list although difference been IE6 SP1 and English versions of everything.

I don't think it really matters but typically install IE higher as it likes to intergrade into the OS so much, typically I go

1) Windows
2) Intel Chipset Drivers
3) Graphics Driver
3) IE

Office then WMP is towards the end of my install process (but before the games)

but my gut feeling is a bad copy of Office? is it from an actual CD? If not maybe try and find a different copy?
Also do you do the full install or only select items? Maybe one of the optional components has compatibility issues with something?
Most of the time I only install Word and Excel with all other options, even the sub options of word/Excel removed.

I thought there was a bug with edsi_506.pdr on fast computers and you needed a revised version. Or am I confused with something else?

Robbbert wrote on 2025-05-27, 10:41:

I thought there was a bug with edsi_506.pdr on fast computers and you needed a revised version. Or am I confused with something else?

I know Win95 has problems with fast computers but not aware of any in Win98SE.
Also doubt a P3 would classify as a fast computer for Win98, both are from the same era, even some S478 P4's officially support unpatched Win98 installs.
The fact your using intel chipset and drivers is also a good thing as are the least bugs then other chipsets.

You should definitely be able to do what you are trying and something is not quite right with this specific setup.

How much ram is present? Win98 will throw this error if more than 2gb of memory is present. It will also throw this error on CPUs faster than a certain speed, unless a patch is applied.

VMM patch for win98/SE, for large memory systems discussed here:
https://msfn.org/board/topic/184452-w98se-wit … her9x-patchmem/

Speed limit bugs discussed here:
Patch for Windows 95/98/98 SE/Me to run on newest CPUs

P3 is DEFFO in the realm of hitting the speed issue. I hit it with processors faster than 500mhz, which P3s can reach. Top end P3, but still a thing I have observed.

Try office 2k3 or 97.

I had similar issues with my Win98SE system. 🙁 Using UMBPCI was one of the solutions that worked. A DOS-based RAM drive also caused problems. I tried the DOS-based RAM drive because a Windows one caused compatibility problems. Try using UMBPCI or disabling EMM386. You can find UMBPCI at https://www.uwe-sieber.de/english.html.

What happens if you install Intel Application Accelerator?

If you're talking to me, IDK. I never tried it. 😀

wierd_w wrote on 2025-05-28, 03:30:

How much ram is present? Win98 will throw this error if more than 2gb of memory is present. It will also throw this error on CP […]
Show full quote

How much ram is present? Win98 will throw this error if more than 2gb of memory is present. It will also throw this error on CPUs faster than a certain speed, unless a patch is applied.

VMM patch for win98/SE, for large memory systems discussed here:
https://msfn.org/board/topic/184452-w98se-wit … her9x-patchmem/

Speed limit bugs discussed here:
Patch for Windows 95/98/98 SE/Me to run on newest CPUs

P3 is DEFFO in the realm of hitting the speed issue. I hit it with processors faster than 500mhz, which P3s can reach. Top end P3, but still a thing I have observed.

Hmm, that's interesting, are these beliefs still alive? Win98 is still stable at 4.65 GHz:

But a colleague ran it smoothly on an i7 above 5GHz.
The watershed is not at 2GHz, but above 512MB. You need Loew patchmem. Also, for a modern machine, you need Loew SATA(AHCI) + TBPlus, and then it runs, it is not sensitive to even the fastest processor.

I have installed everything without the audio driver and then it works fine. When I install the audio driver that I got on the original CD from creative with my sound blaster live! it goes wrong. I install the vdx version and not the wdm version. I would also like to have the vdx version because of dos

I have this card see picture

here is my new bootlog.txt

he stops now at

[0016E9EA] Enumerated Unknown (HTREE\RESERVED\0)

no idea what it is

DarthSun wrote on 2025-05-28, 19:29:

Hmm, that's interesting, are these beliefs still alive? Win98 is still stable at 4.65 GHz: […]
Show full quote

wierd_w wrote on 2025-05-28, 03:30:

How much ram is present? Win98 will throw this error if more than 2gb of memory is present. It will also throw this error on CP […]
Show full quote

How much ram is present? Win98 will throw this error if more than 2gb of memory is present. It will also throw this error on CPUs faster than a certain speed, unless a patch is applied.

VMM patch for win98/SE, for large memory systems discussed here:
https://msfn.org/board/topic/184452-w98se-wit … her9x-patchmem/

Speed limit bugs discussed here:
Patch for Windows 95/98/98 SE/Me to run on newest CPUs

P3 is DEFFO in the realm of hitting the speed issue. I hit it with processors faster than 500mhz, which P3s can reach. Top end P3, but still a thing I have observed.

Hmm, that's interesting, are these beliefs still alive? Win98 is still stable at 4.65 GHz:

The attachment 225621_hleombzite1rvwt9_r3800xn7900gs4650w983dm01.jpg is no longer available

But a colleague ran it smoothly on an i7 above 5GHz.
The watershed is not at 2GHz, but above 512MB. You need Loew patchmem. Also, for a modern machine, you need Loew SATA(AHCI) + TBPlus, and then it runs, it is not sensitive to even the fastest processor.

Windows 98 SE, IE, SE in particular, has a change which fixes the original "CPU speed issue" divide by zero problem, but the change is potentially unreliable and a source of other problems, at least according to the notes at https://github.com/JHRobotics/patcher9x. Probably better to patch it along with the TLB issue.

When I remove the network adapter in device manager it starts again. I think office xp an update of media player or the creative driver does something that the network card or driver does not like. the only intel driver that I could find for win98se are version 10.1 and 10.3 does anyone have other versions that also work with my card under win98se?

IRQ conflict?
Pci slots sometimes share IRQs.
Try a different slot if it exists.
The manual should tell you which are shared

With those additional symptoms, I would also guess IRQ conflict.

I just put together a similar system (see signature) and had to disable the serial and parallel ports in the BIOS to free up enough IRQs (I also had to reserve IRQ5 for the Live's SB16 emulation).

I took out the Intel pro 1000 gt network card and tried a Realtek RTL8139D and a 3COM 3C905CX-TX-M and Windows 98se boots fine with both cards. I think there is something wrong with the Intel pro 1000 gt. I prefer the Intel pro 1000 gt because it is faster at copying data to my windows 11 pc than the other 2 network cards

The strange thing is that if I do not install office xp and media player 9.
The intel card does work with the Sound Blaster Live! card. If I do not install drivers and software from the Sound Blaster Live! I can install office xp and media player 9 with the intel network card driver 10.3 or 10.1 without Windows 98SE not starting. I have the idea that office xp or media player 9 or the drivers from Sound Blaster Live! do not work well together with the intel drivers and Windows 98SE will not start anymore.

Does anyone have any newer drivers for Windows 98SE for my intel card than version 10.3?

Here is an overview of the IRQs in use.

Ok so that's with your 3com. It's very full.
Seems odd to have sb16emu and Sblive.

What's it set with the Intel nic?
Can the Intel use 7 as that does?
Generally 10 is good for nics.

I say try it again with office, without mp9

Iirc MP often bundled updated drivers
Extract it in 7zip and you will probably see some infs for sound drivers

Presumably it is overwriting without asking.
It's possible that reinstalling the Sblive drivers you like AFTER you are at windows protection error, in safe mode without network will fix it.

The problem is no IRQ both the intel network card and the sound card each get their own IRQ. The problem are the drivers and software on my cd that I got with Creative sound blaster live ct4830 card. Does anyone know where I can find newer versions of the drivers and software? I think it is mainly in the software and not in the drivers. Unfortunately creative no longer has them on its website. I only install the mixer, soundfont tool and Audio HQ ver 1.0. 185.

I install the vxb drivers and not the wdm

This is my card