95,98,98SE and ME can do entire machine changes usually without problems unless the hardware is too new or hits some known limitation (i.e too much RAM). CPU change isn't going to be a problem.

Okay, that's good. I would say that answers it. 😀

I'm guessing because these OSes are "dumb", in the sense that they just use what they are given without question, correct?

Tiido wrote:

95,98,98SE and ME can do entire machine changes usually without problems unless the hardware is too new or hits some known limitation (i.e too much RAM). CPU change isn't going to be a problem.

Unless you have some propietary motherboard drivers installed and try to change to another brand (i.e.: changing from a VIA to a nForce motherboard). In this case, you may expect funny things to happen.

Hah hah, yeah, I don't plan on doing that. 😀

nah even that works, i once did it back in 2001, my best bud was given a newer computer than his HP Pentium 1 166 system, it was an IBM Aptivia with an Athlon 700 Slot A, we moved his hard drive over from his HP to the IBM and just let it do its thing. it started asking for drivers 🤣

Win9x can handle that, but it's generally better to uninstall the chipset and IDE drivers before the move. With NT-based OSs that's required or else it just hangs with a BSOD. But that's all motherboard, not CPU.

TS, you're thinking back-to-front. It's advanced OSs that have problems with hardware changes, not simple ones. A DOS install can be moved from an 8088 with ST-506 HDD to a P4 with SCSI or SATA (as long as legacy mode is enabled) with no changes other than speed.

the_ultra_code wrote:

Hello VOGONS members! […]
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Hello VOGONS members!

I have a simple question. I was thinking about upgrading the CPU in my first retro gaming build (which you can find here) to a faster Pentium III. This got me wondering: I know that Windows XP and up take kindly to CPU upgrades, but what about Win98 SE?

So, thus, my question is this: Can I upgrade the CPU in my system and still have a functioning Windows 98 installation?

Thanks!

The only time I've seen problems is when the BIOS didn't like the new CPU.
Nothing to do with the OS.
.
Make sure your BIOS rev supports the new CPU and it should go smoothly.
.

Update your BIOS before changing the processor. Otherwise you should be all set. Might as well use this opportunity to clean the inside a bit as well as the heatsink + fan(s)

dionb wrote:

Win9x can handle that, but it's generally better to uninstall the chipset and IDE drivers before the move. With NT-based OSs that's required or else it just hangs with a BSOD. But that's all motherboard, not CPU.

TS, you're thinking back-to-front. It's advanced OSs that have problems with hardware changes, not simple ones. A DOS install can be moved from an 8088 with ST-506 HDD to a P4 with SCSI or SATA (as long as legacy mode is enabled) with no changes other than speed.

not anymore, Windows 10 thankfully works the same as old 9x did, it detects a hardware change, deactivates and dumps its driver list and goes about part of the setup agian, but thats only with 10.

That's nice. 😀

candle_86 wrote:

dionb wrote:

Win9x can handle that, but it's generally better to uninstall the chipset and IDE drivers before the move. With NT-based OSs that's required or else it just hangs with a BSOD. But that's all motherboard, not CPU.

TS, you're thinking back-to-front. It's advanced OSs that have problems with hardware changes, not simple ones. A DOS install can be moved from an 8088 with ST-506 HDD to a P4 with SCSI or SATA (as long as legacy mode is enabled) with no changes other than speed.

not anymore, Windows 10 thankfully works the same as old 9x did, it detects a hardware change, deactivates and dumps its driver list and goes about part of the setup agian, but thats only with 10.

You just have to make sure that the HDD access mode (ATA, AHCI/RAID) and the boot mode (UEFI or legacy) is kept the same . Otherwise you will not be able to boot at all.

cyclone3d wrote:

candle_86 wrote:

dionb wrote:

Win9x can handle that, but it's generally better to uninstall the chipset and IDE drivers before the move. With NT-based OSs that's required or else it just hangs with a BSOD. But that's all motherboard, not CPU.

TS, you're thinking back-to-front. It's advanced OSs that have problems with hardware changes, not simple ones. A DOS install can be moved from an 8088 with ST-506 HDD to a P4 with SCSI or SATA (as long as legacy mode is enabled) with no changes other than speed.

not anymore, Windows 10 thankfully works the same as old 9x did, it detects a hardware change, deactivates and dumps its driver list and goes about part of the setup agian, but thats only with 10.

You just have to make sure that the HDD access mode (ATA, AHCI/RAID) and the boot mode (UEFI or legacy) is kept the same . Otherwise you will not be able to boot at all.

ATA/AHCI/Raid yes and no, windows can always boot to ATA Legacy mode, as for UEFI or MBR your right.

I don't think OB SATA or UEFI are a concern with the OP's 440BX board.
For newer boards - yes.
.

candle_86 wrote:

ATA/AHCI/Raid yes and no, windows can always boot to ATA Legacy mode, as for UEFI or MBR your right.

Just tried switching a Windows 10 laptop from AHCI/RAID mode to ATA mode. It reboots twice, then tries automatic repair, reboots again and then says the PC did not boot properly and then repeats the same exact cycle if I restart again.

Unless something has changed, switching from ATA to AHCI on a system that was installed with ATA selected, is going to cause a BSOD or the same reboot and automatic repair cycle with it never being able to boot.

I've done CPU upgrades on 9x machines before and they worked just fine.

As far as CPU speed limitations go: Only Windows 95 (on AMD CPUs >350 MHz and Intel CPUs >1 GHz) and 98FE (on CPUs >2.1 GHz) have issues with faster CPUs, but they can be patched. Windows 98SE and ME have no known CPU speed limits.

I did this recently on my slot 1 machine, swapped out to a Coppermine 800/256/100, no issues at all with Win9x or XP (dual boot setup)

cyclone3d wrote:

candle_86 wrote:

ATA/AHCI/Raid yes and no, windows can always boot to ATA Legacy mode, as for UEFI or MBR your right.

Just tried switching a Windows 10 laptop from AHCI/RAID mode to ATA mode. It reboots twice, then tries automatic repair, reboots again and then says the PC did not boot properly and then repeats the same exact cycle if I restart again.

Unless something has changed, switching from ATA to AHCI on a system that was installed with ATA selected, is going to cause a BSOD or the same reboot and automatic repair cycle with it never being able to boot.

Ok now here is the secret, boot into safemode, i kid you not tell it to boot into safemode

Try this https://www.neowin.net/news/neowin-guide-how- … talling-windows

has worked for me in the past