A very old computer

[divinewind88]

Hello.

I managed to salvage this super old laptop from my cousin and need some help in configuring it.

Its specs are as follows:

Windows 98 SE
About 4 gb of HDD! :D
32mb RAM :cool:
Intel Celeron processor

Anyway, it has one USB port and when I insert a 128mb USB into it, it prompts me to install some drivers. After that, a window shows up and there is a list of drivers for me to select. There is also a "have disc" option.

I might be wrong but I thought you can just pluck in the USB and it can be used immediately.. I need the USB port to work so that its easier for me to transfer files from my desktop to the laptop.

help plz:p

[Quark]

Install the drivers like it told you to.
Also see if you can get more memory to put into it.

[divinewind88]

the only driver i can install is the default Generic USB Hub or something like that. even so, i still cant use the USB coz in "My Computer", the icon for the USB is not there..

[Quark]

Try going to Windows Update and see if it comes up with a USB driver for you.

[mjc]

For Win98 you need specific drivers for the specific device...there are no generic drivers for it. So if you don't have a driver install disk with Win98 drivers, look at the manufacturer's website for them, not Windows Update...

[Quark]

Hi divinewind
Can you tell me the make & model number of that laptop?
That might help me find out more for you.

[mjc]

Quark, do you even bother to read what anyone else posts?

The machine doesn't matter...what matters is whether or not the specific USB device has a Win98 driver. Full Stop.

To get that...you either need to look for it on the disk that came with device or the manufacturer's website.

[Quark]

Ok
If I get the make & model number of that laptop, then go to the laptop makers web site, & look up that model, wouldnt it tell me about the USB device & who is the manufacturer of the USB device?

And yes, I always do bother to read all posts.
And please stop trolling me I am just trying to help.

[mjc]

OK...

The drivers that are need are the Win98 drivers for the specific device being attached...so unless the laptop manufacturer is also the same as the USB device being plugged in (which is very unlikely) then there is nothing to be gained with finding the details of the laptop. The better question to ask would be what is the USB device being plugged in...we know it is a 128 MB device...but who made it (brand/model/etc)?

[Quark]

Yes of coarse, the best thing to do would be to ask divinewind for the info, but since he is not here right not I though the laptop maker might have some usefull info.

Also, I have two XP PCs, windows update has provided specific drivers for specific devices for both of them on several occasions, so I thought it would be helpful for divinewind to try windows update.

Also I have gotten specific drivers for specific devices for both of my PC's from the PC manufacturers web sites, so I thought it might be helpful to have the info on divinewind's laptop.

[mjc]

If all you are doing is relying on Windows update and the PC manufacturer's sites for all your driver updates, you are not installing the latest/best versions (WU is often three or four updates behind...many PC manufacturer sites are even worse).

Doesn't it seem to be reasonable, that the best place to get a driver for a specific device is from the company that actually made that device?

And for something like a USB thumbdrive, neither is going to provide any drivers for something that barely existed before support for the OS it is trying to be used in was stopped.

Realize that before XP, most drivers did not come from the MS site (they still don't, but if that is all you check...well). Also, most items like USB devices will never be listed at MS...mainly because the supported OSs (XP and Vista) DO have native generic USB drivers...Win98 does not.

[Quark]

Yes, but not always.
Case in point:
I was having a bit of trouble with MSI NX6600 VTD256.
As it happened a new game I bought, DOOM3 would not display, so I needed a new driver.
So I asked MSI the manufacturer, if I should use their newest driver, or if I should use the newest Nvidia driver, which was newer than MSI's driver.
MSI said no, use the MSI driver because "we made the board differently".
Well, new MSI driver did not help at all, but the newest Nvidia driver worked perfectly and I could then play the game.

[Paul Komski]

Anyway, it has one USB port and when I insert a 128mb USB into it, it prompts me to install some drivers.The OP's main point has been somewhat missed right from the start by going off at a tangent and then arguing about unrelated minutiae with one of our best and longest-standing and respected moderators. This does not help these forums or the OP in this case. IMHO the signature regarding trolling is also inappropriate and unnecessary. We, as a group of moderators, know what a Troll is, and believe me they will be dealt with severely here.

Win98 has limited generic support for USB - being mainly restricted to HID USB devices such as mice and keyboards. Flash drives (which the OP almost certainly is referring to) need the drivers that ship with such pen drives. It should also be stated that Win98SE must be in place and not earlier versions of Win98. Generic drivers for such devices do exist but even then it is hard to find ones that will always do the trick. So, to recap, what is required is Win98SE and the drivers from the maker of the flash memory drive.

The OP seems also to have been under the impression that special drivers are required for the USB port and the hub that it connects to. This is nearly never the case and can be checked by looking at Device Manager rather than going for "updated drivers" for the PC or its motherboard. In any case, if the hardware was malfunctioning because of inappropriate drivers, the system would be unable to prompt for drivers for the specific inserted device.

In addition I personally would caution about ever using hardware drivers from Microsoft Update for anything without first imaging your system or having a way or restoring things. It has never been anything other than short of a disaster the couple of times I have tried it out.

[Rick]

I will assume the 128meg is a thumb drive
Win98 does NOT directly support these USB thumb drives

Here is a link to another thread that has links to a few manufactures sites for drivers
http://forums.driverguide.com/showthread.php?t=22620

It started out for the Sandisk cruzer

Note also
IF this is very old hardware/system and does not support usb 2
That may also be part of the problem..
If the device does not support usb1 then you may be Out of Luck.

[Paul Komski]

I found a link to some generic drivers (http://www.technical-assistance.co.uk/kb/usbmsd98.php). Note that Win98FE and Win98SE are different. I had forgotten that one can sometimes get drivers for Windows (and even DOS) prior to Win98SE but pre-Win98FE it gets even harder to find them unless the device maker has made specific ones.

[divinewind88]

hey guys sorry for the late reply. anyways, appreciate all your suggestions. i thank all who have contributed. glad that we have a bunch of helpful guys around!

yes the 128mb is a thumbdrive. its from this company got ivogue/jetway. i cant seem to find its drivers on the net so i gave up on it.

in any case, i tried using my external HDD coz it comes with a driver disc. I plug it into the laptop and slotted in the driver disc. the laptop detected the drivers in the disc and started to install it.. halfway thru i was prompted to insert the windows 98 SE disc which i did. but after a while, a blue screen appeared (error screen) and said something like my windows 98 is not configured properly. please go to settings and configure it.

I guess that means the external HDD cant be used as well? as of now, I am burning files onto a R/W disc on my desktop and then transferring them to the old laptop.

Paul Komski, may i know how does the generic drivers link work? after the file installed itself on my laptop, nothing appear again. not even when i plug in the external HDD and the thumbdrive.

[Paul Komski]

Do you have Win98 FE or SE?

What happens when you run the exe?

I don't have a Win98 system currently at my disposal to test it with. Commonly that will either install the drivers or it will be a self-extractor file which will extract the files somehere to where you direct the new hardware wizard when it runs.

PS
DriverGuide (http://members.driverguide.com/driver/detail.php?driverid=589700)seems to have the proper drivers. Free but you need to register first.

[123456]

I have that driver for 98SE... it works fine.

[Paul Komski]

I guess that means the external HDD cant be used as well?
Had missed this.

Each USB mass storage device will require the appropriate drivers for Win98 (usu SE). Upgrading to WinME or Win2K might be the best thing if you are going to be wanting to access a lot of different such devices including MP3 players and the like.

[divinewind88]

once i click on the exe, i just followed the steps shown and installed everything.

once the program finished installing, i closed the window.
after that, nothing happened again.
i am using Win 98 SE


can i install Windows XP on it instead?

[Paul Komski]

About 4 gb of HDD!
32mb RAM
WinME at a pinch with that RAM. Win2k possibly feasible. WinXP woaaah!

after that, nothing happened again.
Dont expect anything "to happen" when you insert the drive. After rebooting insert the drive, give it time to be recognised and then check Windows Explorer to see if it has been allocated a drive letter.