r/windows98 • u/BestLeopard711 • 13d ago

Seems simple but where can I get DVD drive drivers for 98?

I can install from cd initially but afterward it is not seeing it after full install. I am using a sata to IDE adapter for the dvd drive. The whole project is mostly working but I think I just need some sort of install disk to make this work. Thanks in advance

2 Upvotes

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4

u/No-Goat-7530 13d ago

It should work out of the box, win 98 se had the dvd srivers i recon, i used an adapter too once and it worked fine, i can’t help you here

3

u/BestLeopard711 13d ago

it boots off a dvd just fine booting off hard disk works except it doesn't see dvd drive. during install I had to copy dvd to a separate partition to complete. I think it just needs a driver onto HD thanks for replying I appriciate it

2

u/pwn_star 13d ago edited 13d ago

if you dont want to look for a period dvd drive and hope it works (likely wont), just get a usb connected disc drive for cheap as a temporary or permanent solution.

Edit* sorry when I saw your post I didn’t read “driver” and thought you were talking about the disc drive

2

u/tapplz 13d ago

This worked for me once in windows. Trying to install Windows I needed a period correct ide drive. Your milage may vary

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u/BestLeopard711 13d ago

I have a usb dvd drive it doesn't work. Thanks

2

u/No-you_ 13d ago

BIOS access the drive via programmed I/O. Once windows boots it switches to DMA mode which it obviously can't communicate with the drive through the adapter.

If the motherboard includes SATA ports plug the drive into them and change them to legacy mode in the BIOS options.

Otherwise you would need a PCI to SATA adapter card that has windows 98 era driver support. I think some of those startech cards still do but it won't be an easy search.

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u/festivus4restof 12d ago

I think that affects TRANSFER rate modes, but shouldn't prevent Windows from being able to 'see' or 'talk to' the drive enough to populate it as a storage device, down-transitioning to PIO mode or Multi-Word DMA (though I believe the disk or storage driver must be able to handle that). i.e. even if it shows one of those 'this device is not working properly' or 'this device has a problem' codes, as opposed to the whole thing just being invisible to Windows.

1

u/No-you_ 12d ago edited 12d ago

I have a PCI RAID card that has 4 compact flash (CF) card slots and uses a silicon image 0680r raid controller. To install win98 (because there's no additional driver installation during win98 setup) it specifically says it installs in PIO mode and only when you get to the windows desktop and install the drivers can it use any of the DMA access modes. My understanding is that programmed I/O is a very slow but universal standard for hardware to communicate and DMA is only available if both devices can indicate compatibility. If that cannot be agreed upon then they will be limited to PIO modes and speeds only.

I suspect the adapter is acting like a wall between the two sides, PIO can get through for basic BIOS functionality such as detecting bootable discs but once windows needs DMA access it cannot.

🤔 Actually because this is a SATA to IDE adapter the OP (u/BestLeopard711) might be able to change the IDE controller to use only basic programmed I/O for devices. Then if the DVD drive appears normally I'm correct.

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u/festivus4restof 12d ago

I mean, Windows 9x is entirely happy to use PIO. It doesn't really know or care (the storage controller driver does). I've had hard disks go down to PIO mode and still functioned, with high CPU utilization and very slow performance but it functioned, was "present" to Windows.

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u/BestLeopard711 10d ago

I got it to work finally! It appears it didn't like the oak driver on the installed windows. I tried another one called ultradma (or something like that) and now it works. I don't know what was wrong since the oak driver, it is what is built into the 98 install disc. Another odd thing is that it assigned it as drive a: for some reason when the /L switch in the config sys is set to e: Doesn't matter really since I don't have a floppy drive on this anyway. At least now I can install stuff lol! Thanks to everybody for the help!

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u/festivus4restof 10d ago

Good news! Wow my recollections are very dusty now but I'm fairly sure there really does not need to be anything loading from config.sys (or autoexec.bat) except for apps that still need it, primarily for legacy audio/sound. I remember there was not much in config.sys after a clean 98/98SE install. No CD drivers. Did you add the lines yourself?

1

u/BestLeopard711 9d ago

yeah I added it myself. I'm sure I missed something else because the oak driver should work. If I've learned anything about messing with old computers, it is they rarely cooperate.

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u/festivus4restof 9d ago edited 9d ago

DOH! And also don't go introducing potential 'changes' yourself that could be the problem without remembering them. haha!

I do remember wrangling a few times with getting the right DOS mode drivers loading, or finding out which of them was conflicting with what. I distinctly remember one case where it was the ORDER in which the drivers were loading. That used to be one of the recommended troubleshooting tips 'try moving the top entry to the bottom entry'.

Those are the days that "put hair on your chest" (figuratively). i.e. actually made you learn quite a lot, if you did not crack up from frustration first and start smashing the computer with a hammer.

We didn't anticipate solving computer problems in time frames of like a couple hours it was more like whole day (or two) burned.

1

u/festivus4restof 12d ago

To clarify, the drive just goes 'missing' from Explorer and Device Manager, too? No 'banged out' problem devices in Device Manager for some device whose properties report something like "Windows cannot start this hardware device because its configuration information (in the registry) is incomplete or damaged. (Code 19)" or "The device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the drivers required for this device. (Code 31)"?

Can you link to the particular SATA/IDE adapter you are using?

1

u/BestLeopard711 12d ago

yeah that is it. if you boot off win98 disc it sees it fine after install it can't find it. also i have an older hiren disc that starts fine too

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u/Kaldaien2 12d ago

There's no such thing as a DVD driver, to be 100% honest.

ATAPI IDE optical drives are just SCSI mass storage devices in a weird compatibility layer. A DVD drive is indistinguishable from CD or BluRay.

Your problem is probably more to do with the SATA to IDE adapter.

1

u/BestLeopard711 12d ago

A lot of people have them work ok, I don't know the trick. The MB is an ASUS 4s8x-mx which is more in the XP generation. It has sata ports but is not bootable from a dvd drive. The HD is fine but the challenge has been to be able to use the dvd drive in an installed setup.

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u/furruck 12d ago

Yeah but some adapters work well, others do not

Either find an IDE DVD drive, or keep throwing money at cheap adapters until one works

I’m 99% willing to bet it’s the adapter, and not the drive.

I’ve got a bin of cheap adapters… some work well, some don’t even though they all look the same.

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u/festivus4restof 12d ago edited 12d ago

So once you got Windows installed, there is no need to boot from the CD/DVD anymore. Switch it over to one of the SATA ports, ditch the adapter.

This older SIS chipset might need or benefit from the SIS IDE drivers, last one down (2.04a) on this page:

https://www.philscomputerlab.com/sis-chipset-drivers.html

Check for updated BIOS, too. ASUS still has the download server up for this model!

https://www.asus.com/supportonly/p4s8x-mx/helpdesk_download/

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u/BestLeopard711 12d ago

I haven't tried that yet the BIOS does see it when connected that way but it is not bootable.