Basic Generic Win98SE Setup Instructions

Disable ACPI.
Set the BIOS option for "Plug n Play OS" to "NO" unless you have a PCI sound card. If you have a PCI sound card, set the BIOS option for "Plug 'n' Play OS" to "YES".

If you were able to disable ACPI in your BIOS, install Win98SE without ACPI by running this command:
setup.exe /p i

If you were unable to disable ACPI in your BIOS, or you are unsure about it, install Win98SE normally by running this command:
setup.exe

Install Win98

Install Motherboard Drivers
If your motherboard is Intel 440BX, i810, or i815, install the Intel INF v3.20.1008 chipset drivers \DRIVERS\INTELBX)
If your motherboard is VIA, install the 4in1 v4.43 chipset drivers (\DRIVERS\4in1443v)
If your motherboard is VIA, and has USB install the VIA USB Filter Patch v1.10 (\DRIVERS\VIAUSBF)

OPTIONAL: Install Freewheel if you have a scroll mouse: \OPTIONAL\FREEWL

OPTIONAL: Copy everything from "\OPTIONAL\TOOLS\OLDMSDOS" to "C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND". Don't overwrite anything.
OPTIONAL: Copy everything from "\OPTIONAL\TOOLS\RESKIT\HELP" to "C:\WINDOWS\HELP". Don't overwrite anything.
OPTIONAL: Copy "\OPTIONAL\VBRUN300.DLL" to "c:\windows\system"

Win98SE includes DX6 preinstalled.
If you have a DX8 video card, then install DX 8.1B (\OPTIONAL\DX81eng.exe).
The final version of DirectX 9.0c for Win98SE is dated 08 Dec 2006 (\OPTIONAL\dx90c.exe).

Install Video card drivers

Install Ethernet drivers, if necessary.
Make sure TCP/IP is installed and working.
Set Primary Network Logon to "Windows Logon" to avoid password prompts

Install Sound drivers, if necessary.
OPTIONAL: You may consider updating the built-in drivers with \DRIVERS\sbw9xup provided by Creative Labs.

OPTIONAL: Install PS2Rate v0.4 (\OPTIONAL\PS2RATE)

OPTIONAL: Install Microsoft Plus!98 with the following options:
Deluxe CD Player
Desktop Themes
Disk CleanUp Add-Ons
Maintenance Wizard
Organic Art ScreenSaver

OPTIONAL: Install Microsoft Internet Explorer v5.5 SP2 (\OPTIONAL\MSIE5SP2.EXE)

OPTIONAL: Install either the updates from MS Windows Security Update CD February 2004 (\OPTIONAL\SUCD) or Unofficial Windows 98SE SP 2.1a (\OPTIONAL\sesp21a.exe)

If Unofficial Windows 98SE SP 2.1a use these options:

Main Updates
Command Prompt Here
New Animated Boot and Shut Down Logos
Performance Tweaks

OPTIONAL: USB Mass Storage Drivers (OPTIONAL\nusb33e.exe)

Maximus Decim Native USB ver.3.3
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*Native (without installation of additional drivers for each type) support USB flash drives, digital photo
and videocameras and other similar devices.
*Universal Stack USB 2.0 (without installation of additional drivers for each chipsets) with uninstall.
1.Remove ALL drivers USB flash drives.
2.Remove ALL drivers USB 2.0 controllers.
3.Remove ALL unknown devices.
4.Install NUSB 3.3 and reboot.
5.After detection new USB 2.0 controllers (if it will occur) too it is necessary to be reboot.
Remember! You install it at own risk!
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OPTIONAL: Configure Caches (\OPTIONAL\CACHEMAN)

OPTIONAL: Disable the Task Scheduler
System Tools -> Scheduled Tasks -> Advanced -> Stop Using Task Scheduler

OPTIONAL: Increase cdrom cache:
Right-click My Computer and then select:
Properties • Performance • File System • CD-ROM
Set Supplemental Cache Size slider to maximum
In "Optimize access pattern for", select "Quad-speed or higher", unless your optical drive really is slower than that.

OPTIONAL: Read ahead buffering:
Right-click My Computer and then select:
Properties • Performance • File System
Put the Read-ahead optimization to Full

OPTIONAL: Verify that DMA is enabled for the Hard Drive and Optical Drives.

OPTIONAL: Install Dot Net Framework v1.1 (\OPTIONAL\dotnetfx.exe)

OPTIONAL: Install Dot Net Framework v1.1 SP1 Update (\OPTIONAL\KB867460.exe)

Other potentially useful apps are avaiable in \OPTIONAL