Windows 98 freezes on startup screen and continues loading forever

[cloudgamingrage]

I used a Windows 98 Image from [Windows 98 Second Edition (OEM Full)(https://winworldpc.com/download/417d71c2-ae18-c39a-11c3-a4e284a2c3a5), I installed this image from virtualbox converted it to an image then I proceeded to launch it in the website. As I was launching it, it detected the drivers and after that it prompted me to restart. After the first restart everything was normal It showed the login screen but after I logged in, It started installing these drivers pci ide controller , intel 82371SB pci bus master ide controller , unknown device, primary ide controller(dual fifo), unknown device and secondary ide controller (dual fifo) after this was installed it prompted me to restart again. After i restarted, it wouldn't boot up to the login screen anymore it just loads forever from the splashscreen even when I tried restarting it won't get pass the loading screen.

[SuperMaxusa]

Deny all restart prompts, then save the hard drive image from the emulator page and run that image again.

[cloudgamingrage]

As in save the state or save the image? If I save the state of the machine, when I load that state again the drivers won't work so the game I'm trying to launch won't work

[SuperMaxusa]

As in save the state or save the image?

Save the image using "Get hard disk image" button. After that, press "Exit" and re-run with a new image.

[cloudgamingrage]

I installed the softgpu drivers on the Windows 98 image, I followed the exact intructions you told me to do. It works without the softgpu drivers but when I installed them and did your instructions and launched it with a new image it gets stuck on the splashscreen loading forever again

[SuperMaxusa]

Are you installing SoftGPU in VirtualBox or v86? If in VirtualBox, try installing it on QEMU or use "QEMU (software 3D only)" preset in SoftGPU installer.

[cloudgamingrage]

Already installed in QEMU, it still doesn't work. to be honest this version of Windows 98 was the only image for me that worked https://archive.org/details/windows-98-se-with-3-d-acceleration-virtual-box but, this isn't a clean image. I'm trying to find out how this can work but why my own image won't work

[cloudgamingrage]

Still trying to find a solution. So far, haven't got any good results.

[SuperMaxusa]

What game/app are you trying to install?

If it uses OpenGL, you can try using Mesa3D/mesa9x/TitaniumGL (software). If it uses DirectX 8 - 9: SwiftShader 2.0.

Anyways, have you tried the latest v0.8.2025.50-preview SoftGPU build?

[cloudgamingrage]

I'm trying to install a DirectX7 game, using this https://archive.org/details/windows-98-se-with-3-d-acceleration-virtual-box I was able to but I'm trying to recreate that on a clean image. I'll give it a try and reply if it works.

[PTz0uAH]

Hi there.. I have encountered similar problems while installing win98se "on device" directly in v86.. and failed time after time..

After concluding the real-mode is colliding with protected mode I thought lets try installing from/to 1 harddisk where all win98 files were copied to after initialising/formatting the disk from DOS.. and try.. again and again..

Now it worked sometimes but never reached the welcome screen.. probably choking on pnp issues.. bios/ide-controller related and almost gave up..

And then I had a hunch.. created TMP on C: & copied all from the A: Win98 bootdisk (with ramdisk) and after booting the harddisk without floppy/cdrom I started the setup and used the command: WIN98\SETUP /C /T:C:\TMP and after a looong time the installation completed..

Win98se installed ALL hardware in protected mode with 1 critical PNP BIOS exclamation mark.. it installed automatically the NE2000/RTL8029 and even the NON-PNP SB16 audio driver and I was treated with the infamous Welcome to Windows98 tune..

So far so good.. and then I witnessed something odd.. when checking the IDE/FLOPPY drivers.. it seemed Win98 unleashed a IRQ storm showing all memory available was filled with ALIASES pointers to Floppy and IDE which could "prove" some kind of "buggy-ness" IRQ behaviour only to experience with windows flavoured OS-es.. (in combination with v86) and thinking of GFX accelleration.. one needs a rock-steady installation of win98 to achieve some kind of GFX eyecandy yet I hope the devs can tackle those v86 problems too..

I never expected for it to work but that Welcome beat "blew me of my socks" so to speak.. so there is hope for Win98 afterall.. even after rebooting which took forever (on the M4400 with 4GB mem).. but in the end worked mostly blue-screenless IYKWIM :-)

[cloudgamingrage]

Hi there.. I have encountered similar problems while installing win98se "on device" directly in v86.. and failed time after time..

After concluding the real-mode is colliding with protected mode I thought lets try installing from/to 1 harddisk where all win98 files were copied to after initialising/formatting the disk from DOS.. and try.. again and again..

Now it worked sometimes but never reached the welcome screen.. probably choking on pnp issues.. bios/ide-controller related and almost gave up..

And then I had a hunch.. created TMP on C: & copied all from the A: Win98 bootdisk (with ramdisk) and after booting the harddisk without floppy/cdrom I started the setup and used the command: WIN98\SETUP /C /T:C:\TMP and after a looong time the installation completed..

Win98se installed ALL hardware in protected mode with 1 critical PNP BIOS exclamation mark.. it installed automatically the NE2000/RTL8029 and even the NON-PNP SB16 audio driver and I was treated with the infamous Welcome to Windows98 tune..

So far so good.. and then I witnessed something odd.. when checking the IDE/FLOPPY drivers.. it seemed Win98 unleashed a IRQ storm showing all memory available was filled with ALIASES pointers to Floppy and IDE which could "prove" some kind of "buggy-ness" IRQ behaviour only to experience with windows flavoured OS-es.. (in combination with v86) and thinking of GFX accelleration.. one needs a rock-steady installation of win98 to achieve some kind of GFX eyecandy yet I hope the devs can tackle those v86 problems too..

I never expected for it to work but that Welcome beat "blew me of my socks" so to speak.. so there is hope for Win98 afterall.. even after rebooting which took forever (on the M4400 with 4GB mem).. but in the end worked mostly blue-screenless IYKWIM :-)

<img alt="Image" width="640" height="480" src="https://private-user-images.githubusercontent.com/87427309/466052604-6bb38a0a-4816-4f57-a161-907439cabcdf.png?jwt=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpc3MiOiJnaXRodWIuY29tIiwiYXVkIjoicmF3LmdpdGh1YnVzZXJjb250ZW50LmNvbSIsImtleSI6ImtleTUiLCJleHAiOjE3NTMxMDM1NTIsIm5iZiI6MTc1MzEwMzI1MiwicGF0aCI6Ii84NzQyNzMwOS80NjYwNTI2MDQtNmJiMzhhMGEtNDgxNi00ZjU3LWExNjEtOTA3NDM5Y2FiY2RmLnBuZz9YLUFtei1BbGdvcml0aG09QVdTNC1ITUFDLVNIQTI1NiZYLUFtei1DcmVkZW50aWFsPUFLSUFWQ09EWUxTQTUzUFFLNFpBJTJGMjAyNTA3MjElMkZ1cy1lYXN0LTElMkZzMyUyRmF3czRfcmVxdWVzdCZYLUFtei1EYXRlPTIwMjUwNzIxVDEzMDczMlomWC1BbXotRXhwaXJlcz0zMDAmWC1BbXotU2lnbmF0dXJlPTE1YWJiMWY5NmUzYzQ1NzJlMjRlOTNiYzc3ZWJlMTJjOGZkYzVhMGIxNTZkNzc5YTVhODYwYTYyMjdmMmNkNzImWC1BbXotU2lnbmVkSGVhZGVycz1ob3N0In0.ooA05NfDCMPhXH0131HzK99IUe0PRo_1GyUoIAdYf

Hi @PTz0uAH , your suggestion was working until the "updating system settings part" when it loads after one quarter it hits me with a blue screen then after that the splashscreen loop starts again, do you have any suggestions on how to fix this?

[PTz0uAH]

@cloudgamingrage there is no such thing as an easy fix because simply said.. v86 hardware is not Ms Windows 98 certified..

Yet with some perseverance one could get the "on-device-install" to work.. the previous method was only getting the old ISA configuration to work.. slow mouse slow anything.. no network not really usable.. so I took another mandatory step to get Win98se fully installed.. (in the end after 2 days juggling) in less than one hour :-)

Now it even reboots in half a minute without troubles so that is exactly what we want.. one remark though.. I used the "most capable machine" available (i7 32gbmem) and a fresh Chrome install since the i3 16gb Firefox/Chrome complained regularly about out-of-memory errors..

The one PNP-Bios exclamation mark in Device-manager after the first phase formed the key to a full install..

Scaling down was part of the workaround.. so this is what I did..

We also need the right Win98seBootDisk to FDISK and Format C: (and later skip the creation of a bootdisk.. to speed up installation)

v86_win98se_boot.zip

Settings Method 2: Version: 6c5fe0f4 (Jul 2, 2025 16:07)

• CDRom Win98se OEM
• BootFloppy Win98se
• HDD 1, create new 512MB
• Memory 256MB
• VGA 16MB
• Boot-sequence Floppy/HardDrive/CDRom

1. Boot from A: Setup with CDRom support ( FDISK.. make active without large disk support, reboot and format C: )
2. Enter D: from DOS to goto the CDRom location if the bootfloppy generated a temporary ramdrive in C (which we do not need)
3. Type win98\setup /C /ie /iv and press Enter

Now the caches are turned off so the IDE controller operates at lowest most reliable speed.. which prevents the hanging which occurs often during "normal" install..

Just follow the Setup instructions and be patient..

FYI.. I used the Laptop install..

Some tips..

If you encounter at some point a "recoverable" BSOD just try continue.. otherwise reset..

If windows loads with sound.. then the first part is done..

for convenience DE-INSTALL the NE2000 from Devicemanager.. do not reboot yet (Windows installs later the better RT8029AS drivers)

for the final part you need to update the driver for the PNP-BIOS with exclamation mark.. and select from list the hidden PCI-BUS option..

now after reboot Windows is installing all the correct drivers.. yet might hang at some point.. ( once during my install)

don't worry.. just perform a hard reset.. and after NOT selecting SAFEBOOT just choose 1 - NORMAL BOOT..

Windows continues the installation and with some luck you should get a fully installed windows with working sound, network and only 1 last hurdle to take..

In devicemanager we see 2 VGA devices, VGA Standard (current) and a PCI VGA with exclamation mark..

Seems the VGA Standard card (16col 640x480) has reserved the same IRQ addresses the PCI VGA card needs..

I disabled the PCI-CARD (unknown virtio 9p probably)..

Then I did remove the VGA Standard from current config (NO auto-reboot), Exit windows to DOS and after another Exit windows restarted with the 1 VGA PCI card correctly installed..

Now after reboot anything worked yet still only 16cols at 640x480..

I upgraded drivers to use SuperVGA rebooted and after a visit to the safe-mode I got it stable..

I know it is not a full instruction for your situation but might help to get you going..

Now I have a stable harddisk image after trial and error so I tested with 512MB MEM and 128MB VGA and the stable image boots without any BSOD and Devicemanager shows the "full stack" except for that one virtio-9p PCI-CARD which is disabled..

ergo.. Method 2 with some perseverance and luck did the trick.. (do not forget to shutdown properly before saving the harddisk image !)

For me this is what I can work with, super stable, boot after boot and reproduceable..

The Floppy drive is going to be fixed soon so then we can also perform better..

So.. what's up next?

Hope someone can also get it to work with large drives.. I guess.. and a lot more..

Since lots of folks need HW-accelleration and Direct-X and OpenGL that is for someone else to dive into.. IYKWIM..

Find a way to enable 256 cols without crashing (The SuperVGA hack is a non supported mode yet speeds up the 32bit boot process signifficantly)..

Get OpenGL and Direct-X.. I doubt that would be possible.. but then again.. at first I thought that installing Win98 "on-device" would not be possible too.. but I was gladly proven wrong.. in this case.. :-)

A final comment on this Win98 endeavor.. if you migrate the hdd.img to another machine (need machine name change) or even try to get it working after closing and restarting the browser.. and use different RAMMem/VGAMem then F8 (at boot) is your friend.. one safeboot and restart could prevent a lot of possible BSOD frustrations.. a word of advice for non-die-hards.. one can always use Win2K3 which seems way more suitable for ootb install and even has 16bit capability if needed..

update: 20250726
One PCI SVGA driver I found seems more-or-less stable and gives 256 colors.. https://github.com/phkelley/boxv9x so maybe it
that one will solve the lousy gfx on Win98SE.. we'll see.. needs some more testing.. but the screenshot looks cool !

update: 20250729
Well what about that.. Direct-X 9c on Win98SE.. had to try.. but I guess I need way more power (i7-4gen+) to enjoy its basic usage..

So now we learn GFX 3D capability or any serious GFX HW-acceleration is not available in v86-Win98SE so try to focus on what does work..

This works but I wonder how it runs on a more capable modern machine.. even the i7(4thgen)-32gb-chrome-win10 (16cols) struggles to perform glitch-free.. so this was a lucky capture I guess..

v86_win98se_directx_test.mp4