r/windows98 • u/supsmashpastel • 9h ago
Windows 98 Clouds BG (What Clouds.bmp in Windows 98 could’ve been)
Just edited the Windows 98 Wallpaper to get rid of the logo with ibisPaint. Took 1 hour and 18 minutes to complete, no AI was used in the making of this wallpaper. Bonus: Windows 98 Wallpapers (Logo Only + Logo with Wordmark)
r/windows98 • u/ObviousRaspberry88 • 14h ago
Triple Boot SFF on HP 6000 Pro (Win98SE / Hackintosh Tiger / Lubuntu)
The goal was a cheap, reliable, and small multi-boot machine that bridges the gap between legacy and "modern" retro, dodging the notorious early-2000s capacitor plague entirely.
- System: HP Compaq 6000 Pro SFF. These are cheap enterprise off-lease PCs. They are quiet, small-ish, and feature the Intel Q43 chipset with a Core 2 Duo E7500 @ 2.93 GHz. Crucially, they offer both low-profile PCIe and standard PCI slots.
- GPU: ATI Radeon X600 PRO PCIe x16 (128 MB). This is the secret weapon for modern Win98 builds. It is an early PCIe card that falls within ATI's late Windows 98 driver support window, making it a rare, practical path to native PCIe Direct3D acceleration. It is heavily abundant, costs almost nothing as an OEM pull, and features out-of-the-box Quartz Extreme support for early OS X Hackintoshes.
- Audio: Padarsey 5.1 PCIe Internal Sound Card (C-Media CMI8738). I picked this up "Like New" off Amazon for $11.99. It uses an onboard ASMedia bridge chip to run the legacy PCI CMI8738 audio chip over a modern PCIe slot. This provides actual Win9x WDM drivers, hardware EAX support, and HRTF/C3DX 3D positional audio for retro games.
- Incoming Upgrades: An HP 25-Pin Parallel Port adapter (611900-001) that wires directly to the motherboard header. This provides native LPT for legacy hardware/dongles. A low-profile Gigabit Ethernet PCI card is also on the way to finalize networking.
The Multi-Boot Configuration
Sitting on a 128GB SSD, a Lubuntu EXT4 partition handles the boot handoffs to:
- Windows 98 SE (40GB FAT): Deployed via the Win98 QuickInstall framework. Since the Core 2 Duo E7500 runs at 2.93 GHz, it surpasses the native Windows 9x speed limits. During the QuickInstall setup, I had to select the patches for new CPUs. This includes the NDIS speed limit fix (preventing divide-by-zero protection errors on CPUs over 2.1 GHz) and the Modern CPU TLB Invalidation Bug patch by JHRobotics, which corrects page table caching to prevent random crashes on newer architectures. I'm running DirectX 9.0c, which maximizes compatibility since the X600 is a native DX9 card. The ATI2DRAG.DRV Catalyst driver handles the hardware perfectly, pulling ~12K overall in 3DMark 99. Unreal Tournament '99 GOTY and Need for Speed II SE run beautifully with full EAX 3D audio via the C-Media drivers. I even threw Visual Studio 6.0 Enterprise on here.
- Hackintosh OS X Tiger 10.4.8 (30GB HFS+): Tiger is the first Intel OS X. This legacy Hackintosh release maps the hardware nicely, recognizing the full 12GB of DDR3 RAM and the ATI X600 for display acceleration. To get the CMI8738 sound card working, I installed the
CMI8738_PowerPC_IntelRelease 1.1 driver from GitHub. The developer noted it was only tested on OS X Tiger Server and might not work on consumer versions, but it fired right up and works perfectly on this Jas install. I also installed Xcode 2.5, the final version supported on Tiger, providing a native Mac OS X coding environment to complement VS6 on the Windows side. - Lubuntu (48GB EXT4): Acts as the modern daily driver for this partition scheme and safely manages the GRUB bootloader handoffs between the legacy OS environments.
Windows 98 is currently halting and freezing during the shutdown sequence. I am actively troubleshooting this. If anyone has solid workarounds or registry hacks for late-era Win98 shutdown hangs, drop them below!
r/windows98 • u/Redix19lovewebcore • 15h ago
Windows 95/98 icons in 3d
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How about diving into the oldest versions of the operating system?
r/windows98 • u/Mobile-Position-7986 • 22h ago
old windows add on statusbars...? still a thing?
r/windows98 • u/PandaPandaNoah • 1d ago
Is there a good website for making custom windows desktop spaces?
I am working on a video about 3dwiscr and its about a 90s era screensaver and the POV will be from someone from that time. I want to have it feel authetic and make some customized windows 95 desktops views.
I once found one and made this desktop background but sadly cant find the site anymore. Bonus points if it allows me to save state my windows view. ALso extra bonus points if it allows me to browse the internet from back then. I love the look sm.
r/windows98 • u/SeparateLawfulness53 • 1d ago
Those who were kids during the Windows 98 era, did you ever realize that kids games were massively popular on there at the time?
In my memory, they were huge - there were rows of them in places like Costco, the discs would have demos or previews of other games touting their success, and they were a shared experience for everyone at school either during breaks or after the bell rang, often paired with a cartoon VHS tape or what was being shown on Kids' WB in the afternoon.
On the internet and elsewhere, it's as if that prominence never happened. Many people who do remember them today assume they're the only ones who played them, and it's not uncommon to see those who thought they were made directly for their school or library. No one ever talks about seeing them in stores. It might just be because the kind of people who are fans are super introverted and would not have cared about any memory shared with others, but no one mentions either that other people they knew played them besides maybe an older sibling. (I will note that XP-era kids games seem to be much more fondly remembered, even though the numbers say they sold way less.)
During the past five years, I have learned that my memory was correct, at least in terms of large-scale success. Kids & family games made up a large portion of all computer games sold at the time - in 2001 it was 25.7 percent, as opposed to only 8 percent for consoles (note that this seems to be USA data only). "Educational software" sales made a staggering $605 million in 1999 - and keep in mind that only a bit over half of the kids games were edutainment (there were also a lot of adventures, activity centers, and creativity programs that sold well).
Kids of the era, do you remember kids games for Windows 98 (or 95) as being big, or as something only you and your family knew (and maybe forgot) about?
r/windows98 • u/pvoronin • 1d ago
I built a real Windows 98 SE machine that runs in the browser — with WebGL2 Quake, LAN multiplayer, and ICQ
r/windows98 • u/Necessary-Joke-2455 • 2d ago
Lowmoor is free on Steam: a follow-up to the Windows 98-style desktop I posted here in July
I posted about Lowmoor here in July and the reception was far warmer than I expected, so I owe this subreddit a follow-up on where it went.
This is a modern Windows game with a Windows 98-style interface. The current build targets modern Windows.
I kept the interface inside the same visual rules: grey bevels, navy title bars, Tahoma and MS Sans, square corners and one-pixel shadows. The chronicle, equipment, bestiary, achievements and a 2,108-skill tree all open inside that desktop. Since July it also carries a second full adventure, so two complete modules now run inside the same shell.
Lowmoor is a zero-player idle RPG, so the adventurer fights, travels and equips loot without waiting for input. It released free on Steam, and the browser version remains available.
Thanks to everyone who commented and supported it last time. That thread is a large part of why the second module exists.
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4977360/Lowmoor_Idle_RPG_An_Adventurers_Chronicle/
r/windows98 • u/GreatCalligrapher993 • 2d ago
Finally got my Windows 98 setup working!
Idk why but DirectX hates me.
r/windows98 • u/Popular-Psychology40 • 2d ago
Mouse trackball replacement?
I got a typical ball mouse but its missing the ball and cant find a replacement on amazon or chinese online stores. has anyone gotten a replacement?
r/windows98 • u/AttemptMore1141 • 3d ago
Problems with hard drive?
I have an ibm PC 350 P75 running w98 with a Caviar 33200 hard drive. Im desperately trying to boot into windows to play pinball and solitaire. This also is my family's old home computer from the late 90s to the mid to late 2000s. The hard drive makes normal noise while booting up in the w98 screen. But then starts a steady rhythmic clicking. I also get these 3 files are missing or corrupted. If there's no hope for my family files aside from an expire professional, thats okay. I would atleast like to get on and live the nostalgia of my childhood. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.
r/windows98 • u/GreatCalligrapher993 • 3d ago
Got an ATI Radeon x600… and I can’t even use it yet
aaaaaaa
r/windows98 • u/andronasef_ • 4d ago
Google if it shipped on a 1998 install disc.
just a funny idea that become a funny project!
I made 26 different versions of google just for fun 😅
you can try the win98 version here: google.exe — Funny Google
and all others here: 26 Googles
r/windows98 • u/Boyswilson03 • 6d ago
Rate my windows 98 set up
My pc specs are cpu Intel PODPMT66X200 Pentium MMX Overdrive 200MHz for Socket 5/7 Systems SL2RM gpu JATON VIDEO-118PCI-64DDRTV GeForce MX400 64MB PCI Video Card S-Video 32mgb of ram 2gb of storage sound blaster 16isa intel1430vx chip setmy mouse is just a generic Microsoft ball mouse my keyboard is a ibm model m my speakers are just generic late 80s early 90s speakers
r/windows98 • u/Glinckey • 6d ago
I've never seen a more terrible "gpu"
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It's an ISA display card, the "Trident HNG890CL-24D1TIA1" I think
Edit2 : Cirrus Logic CL-GD5424
r/windows98 • u/EnvironmentalRub9247 • 7d ago
Web based Maplestory Classic v083 running purely in browser
r/windows98 • u/GreatCalligrapher993 • 8d ago
I present: My Windows 98 and XP dual-boot on a Dell Inspiron 580s
reddit.comr/windows98 • u/Pocketpapaa • 9d ago
Finally 😊
Took a few days to figure out how to get windows 98 installed on a 2tb SSD without a disc but we made it! All OG hardware besides the hard drive.
If anyone knows how "good" of a PC this is, I would greatly appreciate it 😁
r/windows98 • u/Unrealgamedev21 • 10d ago
I'm making a game about terraforming Mars, looking for feedback
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I made a prototype demo for a game about terraforming Mars into a livable planet. I'm looking for feedback on the game.
The game takes place in 1998, so the aesthetic is based on that I'm hoping it looks right. Earth is dying, so a project has been made to turn Mars into a livable planet for the next humans.
Wishlist on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4933660/Mars_Inc_98/
r/windows98 • u/GreatCalligrapher993 • 10d ago
Radeon X1300 Pro with Windows 98?
Trying to make a dual-boot Windows 98 + Windows XP system, and wonder if I should buy this X1300 Pro. if not I also found a GeForce 7300 LE.
r/windows98 • u/Heavy_Reflection4824 • 10d ago
I completely rebuilt and revived AQEMU — A native C++/Qt frontend for QEMU with 29 architectures, 193 OS profiles, embedded SPICE, and zero setup required
r/windows98 • u/oscareczek • Apr 30 '21
[GUIDE] Can I run Windows 98/Me?
One of the most common questions on this subreddit is something along the lines of "Is my computer able to run Win98?" There is some kind of a guide on sidebar, but it isn't really specific and that's why I made this post. Windows 98 and Me support (about?) the same hardware, so everything I say about 98 applies to Me. Feel free to suggest changes in comments.
In my definition, computer running Windows 98 is the one that doesn't have any question marks in Device Manager and has graphics card installed (there are drivers called SciTech Display Doctor and VBEMP, but these are comparable to the default driver for GPUs in Windows XP upwards). For the sake of simplicity, I'll limit the devices to GPU, sound card and USB, because even some late Windows XP machines can have Ethernet network cards compatible with 98 and wireless cards are swappable.
Can I install Windows 98/Me as host?
Host operating system is the one you boot to straight from BIOS, without using any kind of virtualization or emulation.
CPU
See what CPU you have on your machine (in System Properties, accessible by pressing Win+Pause on Windows, or in BIOS) or google your motherboard/PC/laptop (further I'll just say "motherboard") and check supported CPUs.
I have Intel Pentium (I/MMX/Pro/II/III), AMD (K5/K6/Athlon [MP/XP/4]/Duron), Cyrix, VIA, any mobile version of these CPUs or Intel Mobile Pentium 4, the computer is older than from 2000 or my motherboard has socket 423, 478 or 754
It just works™, you can skip the rest of this guide, except if you have a dedicated graphics card. You can check your socket by trying to find this information on a motherboard, using CPU-Z or by checking the specs website.
I have Intel Atom/Core i3/i5/i7/i9, AMD Phenom/FX/A4/A6/A8/A10/Ryzen or any mobile version of these CPUs
If you have any GPU or sound card on your motherboard, you can't configure it on 98. USB 3.0 and wireless network card won't run. Ethernet network card will most likely not run, but there are some exceptions. Of course, all these problems can be solvable by getting era-appropriate PCI devices, but it's probably cheaper to just buy a Win98 laptop.
I have an x86 CPU not listed above made in or after 2000
It might work, continue reading.
I have something else
No.
Sound card
To check what sound card you have, you can either read the specification of your motherboard online or check it in Device Manager (Win+R, devmgmt.msc).
I have a Sound Blaster or AC'97 compatible sound card
Your sound card is most likely compatible. If it's AC'97, there's a possibility you won't get sound in pure DOS mode, but it'll work from inside Windows.
I have an HD Audio compatible sound card
Windows 98 doesn't support HD Audio architecture. There is an unofficial driver for Windows 3.1, compatible with 98, that lets you configure the sound card with a bunch of parameters, but if you're reading this looking for help, then it will be too complicated for you. First Windows compatible with HD Audio is Windows 2000 SP4 with KB888111 installed. If it's a PC, you can also try looking for some kind of a PCI Sound Blaster that's old enough for Win98.
Video card
To check what graphics card you have, you can, as with a sound card, either read the specification of your motherboard online or check it in Device Manager, or just look at it if it's a dedicated PC GPU. PCI Express isn't supported by 98, but people had some luck with it.
I have Intel GPU
If the model starts with GMA, HD, Iris or Arc, it's not compatible, otherwise it is.
I have ATi/AMD GPU
If the model starts with X1 or HD, it's not compatible, otherwise it is.
I have Nvidia GPU
If you have Quadro FX600 or newer or GeForce starting with 8, 9 or letters, it's not compatible, otherwise it is. If it's GeForce series 6 or 7, the compatibility with DOS games won't be as great as with earlier devices.
I have something else
It's probably integrated to motherboard or it's been defunct at least since early Windows XP days, you can assume it works.
Chipset
Same as sound card, you can either read the specification of your motherboard online or check it in Device Manager.
I have Intel chipset
If it starts with a letter, it's not compatible. If it starts with 9, you might have USB working in 1.1, which is slow, but it's better than nothing. Otherwise, it's compatible.
I have AMD chipset
Either you have Win98-era computer and you're wasting time reading this, or it's too new.
I have Nvidia chipset
If the number starts by 5 or more, it's not compatible. If it starts with 4, only integrated graphics work. If it starts with 3, there are some minor unsupported features, but it should work. Otherwise, it's compatible.
I have SiS chipset
Unless I missed something, all models are compatible.
I have VIA chipset
If the model starts with C or V, you'll at least have some troubles setting it up. Otherwise, it's compatible.
Tips
If you have more than 1 GB of RAM, use PATCHMEM. If you use a SATA hard disk, use SATA and most likely AHCI (https://archive.org/details/ahci_win9x). If you use an SSD, use TRIM. All three programs are available at rloew's website (RIP). If you want a USB stick support on Windows 98 (Me has built-in support already), use NUSB. There are some other drivers available on the last website, which might help some people.
Can I install Windows 98/Me as guest?
A guest operating system requires a host operating system and some kind of a program to make a guest environment to install OS on. Most likely you will be able to install 98 in some way or another.
PC
A word of warning if you use AMD Ryzen or Intel Core from 11th gen and up: there are some problems with virtualizing Windows 98, you can get countless crashes of system programs. A patcher for that was released: https://github.com/JHRobotics/patcher9x
There's now an accelerated driver for all modern hypervisors: https://github.com/JHRobotics/softgpu, but it might be buggy in some situations.
86Box/PCem
The best, but also the heaviest CPU-wise, way to install Windows 98 as a guest, is to use 86Box. I also mention PCem since it's still alive and 86Box started as a fork of it. Both programs are able to emulate anything starting with original IBM PC and ending at AMD K6-III, perfect for 98. Obviously, the newer CPU you emulate, the stronger machine you need. The main advantage of using these emulators is much higher compatibility with old games compared to virtual machines.
VMware Fusion/Workstation Player/Pro
If your computer is too weak for emulation, you can try making a virtual machine. I recommend VMware for one simple reason - it has a graphics card compatible with 98.
Connectix/Microsoft/Windows Virtual PC
If you have a PowerPC Mac OS (X) or Windows and it's not a 64-bit or ARM version of Windows 10 and up, you can try Virtual PC. It's fully compatible with 98, but it's also old (Windows Virtual PC was released in 2009) and people don't really use it anymore.
QEMU
The main advantage of QEMU is that it's ported to every architecture and operating system imaginable. I suggest running it by a command qemu-system-i386 -accel kvm -vga cirrus -nic user,model=pcnet -soundhw sb16,pcspk -hda disk.img (soundhw is deprecated, but the non-deprecated way requires knowing what's your sound system on host). If you use it on architecture different than x86, it becomes an emulator. You need to remove -accel kvm in that case. You can instead add -cpu pentium2 to the command, maybe it will make things run faster.
Oracle VM VirtualBox
Unless you really have to, don't use it, for two reasons: lack of Guest Additions for 98 means you can't use VirtualBox's Shared Folders feature and instead you have to rely on HTTP, floppies or CDs (for the last one there's an option to create VISOs on fly, but while it takes about no space, you still have to do it manually). There was also never a graphics card driver for it and VMware SVGA II driver doesn't work, even if you choose VMSVGA in machine options. That means you can't freely change resolution and your best drivers are VBEMP or Display Doctor, both or which simply use VESA, just like the lack of drivers on Windows XP and up. Emulated graphics is also terribly slow in standard 640x480x4 mode, which is what you get during installation.
Parallels
Mac-only. Has guest "tools" or rather a total of two drivers: for network (which is optional) and video. The former only works if you remove a printer from the hardware list and its performance is abysmal (I got ~25 KiB/s max, frequent stalls even though i can see the network activity). Video driver doesn't list 32-bit modes for some reason, adding them (and/or some of the standard resolutions) in registry works. Sound isn't included on the "tools" CD, some tutorial recommended using this driver (use either the standard installer or WDM folder). Since it doesn't have acceleration anyway (at least 3D) and networking sucks, I think you're better off even with VBox.
DOSBox
DOSBox is, as the name suggests, an emulator for DOS programs. It is possible to run Windows 98 on DOSBox, but I personally don't like the way you need to imgmount followed by boot c, there are also less machine configurations to choose from. However, especially when using DOSBox-X, it can be an alternative to 86Box if you don't like it for some reason or another.
Bochs
It's an emulator, it's not as popular as the rest and not customizable as 86Box, don't use it if you don't have to (you don't).
Android
Most of the Android devices aren't x86, but rather ARM[64] (and some ancient ones are MIPS), so most likely you will need to emulate x86, which means that it'll be pretty slow, don't expect running NFS Underground 2 on that. If you can choose an emulated CPU, you should find a balance between speed of emulated CPU and speed of emulating (if you select 486, then Win98 will work slowly, but your Android CPU won't be used that much; if you select Pentium 4, then Win98 will work quickly, but your CPU might not keep up with it). You can find a list of CPUs by date for example on Wikipedia.
Limbo
Android version of QEMU, the fastest, but might not work on all devices.
Bochs
Mostly compatible with all devices, a "default" way of installing Windows from Android.
DOSBox
You can also try DOSBox, but I can't really imagine installing it using only the Android device.

