Win98 & USB 2.0 ?

[frogesque]

OK, I would like to use a USB 2.0 Compact Flash mem read/write device on my PC for digi camera use (about £4 or $6) but I don't have a USB port. Seems I can get a 4+1 port USB 2.0 card to fit a vacant bay slot in the PC without too much problem (about £7 or $12) but I've read that Win98 (original version with all latest gismos and patches) won't support USB 2.0.

I've also read that it's possible to download a driver to overcome the problem but details were sketchy (read, download at your own risk!)

Anyone know what the real position is?

I do know I should upgrade my pc and do something interesting with this heap o' junk (like use it as a trebuchet misile) but for the moment I can just about afford the camera but not a new pc as well (or a newer version of winderz).

Any constructive comments would be much appreciated. Humour will also be accepted with benign resignation

[zebo-the-fat]

Win 98 does not automaticaly support USB, but some pen drives come with driver disks for win98. I suggest you check before you buy. The disc that came with mine was a small (80 mm) disk whick was supposed to contain drivers, but was all in japanese and I couldn't get the files to open. In my case it wasn't a problem, XP just detected the drive and sorted itself out. So I would advise geting a known brand drive so you have a chance of reliable drivers (check the companies web site to see if drivers are downloadable). I hope this helps.

<Edit to add> I'm not sure what the situation is regarding add on USB boards and Win 98

[Lance]

Windows 98 did support USB natively. Remember that video of Bill Gates demonstrating Windows 98 and the USB locking up on him? Priceless...

But I don't think that is the question you need to ask, frogesque. What you really need to know is if Windows 98 will support the USB Add-In card you want to install. And that will be up to the add-in card itself. If the card says it will work with Windows 98 then you're good to go.

[frogesque]

Thanks Zebo and Lance

This may also be relevent, I looked at my
AMIBIOS SETUP - ADVANCED CHIPSET SETUP

OnChip USB...................Disabled
USB Function for DOS.....Disabled

Presumably if I can get a plug in USB card that will work with Win98 I'll have to set both these items to 'Enabled' ??? Or will the card itself do the job?

I don't want to start altering settings before I know what I'm doing or at least have a 'get out of jail' card

[zebo-the-fat]

Thanks Zebo and Lance

This may also be relevent, I looked at my
AMIBIOS SETUP - ADVANCED CHIPSET SETUP

OnChip USB...................Disabled
USB Function for DOS.....Disabled

Presumably if I can get a plug in USB card that will work with Win98 I'll have to set both these items to 'Enabled' ??? Or will the card itself do the job?

I don't want to start altering settings before I know what I'm doing or at least have a 'get out of jail' card

Does your motherboard have on board USB?

[frogesque]

zebo-the-fat wrote:

Does your motherboard have on board USB?

I don't know if the chipset has the capability but I can't find a USB socket on the M/b.

Edit:
System

Microsoft Windows 98
4:10:1998

Computer

Cyrix Instead
6x86MX(tm)
111.0MB RAM

[Van Rijn]

zebo-the-fat wrote:

Does your motherboard have on board USB?

I don't know if the chipset has the capability but I can't find a USB socket on the M/b.

It may have pins for plugin sockets, and it may be worth checking the mobo or PC manual, but it probably isn't worth bothering with. If you do have USB, depending on the age of the mobo, there is a good chance it would be USB 1.1.

My recollection was that Win 98SE had true USB 1.1 support, Win 98 had very limited support, if any. Neither had USB 2.0 support. You will need drivers for USB 2.0, and for the device to be connected to the USB port. It is possible to have USB support and still not be able to use a particular USB device. Or it may work, but slowly, or it may have glitches. Before spending much money, see what you can find on the packages about compatibility, then do a web search to see what other people are saying about it. A search in "Google Groups" is also a good idea - there's a good chance you'll find someone else who has tried to do the same thing with similar OS and hardware versions.

[Van Rijn]

Cyrix Instead
6x86MX(tm)

Uhm, have you done much upgrading on this motherboard? I'm not that familiar with the cyrix cpus, but a Via mobo and Cyrix cpu may make compatibility problems more likely.

[frogesque]

Cyrix Instead
6x86MX(tm)

Uhm, have you done much upgrading on this motherboard? I'm not that familiar with the cyrix cpus, but a Via mobo and Cyrix cpu may make compatibility problems more likely.

I put in a new hard drive when the original crashed and I also run a small secondary hard drive which I could take out and install an internal card reader instead, if it would work, (the auxilliary drive only has a set of drivers for the pc on it) The only other upgrade, apart from extra RAM, was to add a NIC for my cable web connection.

[Metricyard]

Windows 98 did support USB natively. Remember that video of Bill Gates demonstrating Windows 98 and the USB locking up on him? Priceless...

But I don't think that is the question you need to ask, frogesque. What you really need to know is if Windows 98 will support the USB Add-In card you want to install. And that will be up to the add-in card itself. If the card says it will work with Windows 98 then you're good to go.

I would look and see what the system requirements are also. Sounds like you have a fairly old Mobo. Make sure the usb device can even run on your machine, let alone a usb card. I haven't seen a Cyrix chipset in years.

Sounds like it's time for an upgrade.

[frogesque]

Metricyard wrote:

I would look and see what the system requirements are also. Sounds like you have a fairly old Mobo. Make sure the usb device can even run on your machine, let alone a usb card. I haven't seen a Cyrix chipset in years.

Sounds like it's time for an upgrade.

Well, it's 7 years on and we've kind of gotten used to eachother!

I don't actually need USB 2.0 for what I'm thinking about, seems I could get away with USB 1.1 but it's difficult to find cards these days. I've seen a used 4+2 2.0 card fairly cheap so I may take a chance on that and see what happens when I plug it in.

The Cyrix chip was much maligned but I've always found it to be pretty robust (it got hot enough to cook eggs on when the fan packed up once). I've mentioned it elsewhere but I'm not a gamer and the cable conection for the web gave the pc a whole new life. Digi photography would push it to the limit but as long as I can download the pics it'll take it. (Says he, waving the heavy metal impactor!)

BTW the camera I'm drooling over is a Canon EOS D60 Digital SLR

[frogesque]

Update:

I've checked my Win98 handbook and it looks as if USB is supported. I've also found refereces to cards that can supposedly run 2.0 on Win98. More rummaging about on the web and it apears most ALi chipset cards will be OK providing I use the installer disc that comes with it. It'll be a few days before I can try a card and I accept that it's a bit of a gamble but I'll let you all know what happens. I'm still a bit concerned about the BIOS settings but I'll cross that one when I come to it.

Thanks for all the help and advice offered.

[Madcat]

Congrats on nursing a box through seven years of life! (I made do with a 386 until the summer of 1997, but in fairness that was my first computer, a gift from an uncle.) Oh and oh yeah, it had a math co-processor, so it was sorta like a 486, but I digress. It could run Doom in this tiny little screen...

[Lance]

I'm still a bit concerned about the BIOS settings but I'll cross that one when I come to it.

The BIOS settings would only be for any USB ports that are provided directly by the motherboard and have nothing to do with the addition of an external interface card. Leave the BIOS settings disabled. Enabling them will only waste resources (IRQ, etc) that you are not using.

[frogesque]

I'm still a bit concerned about the BIOS settings but I'll cross that one when I come to it.

The BIOS settings would only be for any USB ports that are provided directly by the motherboard and have nothing to do with the addition of an external interface card. Leave the BIOS settings disabled. Enabling them will only waste resources (IRQ, etc) that you are not using.

Thanks for that Lance, I'll do as you suggest and leave well enough alone.