Win Xp to Win 98 Problem

[SpyHunter]

Hi Guys and Gals.  I loaded Win XP over my Win 98 on my MAME PC.  The problem I have is that I want to reload my Win 98, but it wont let me do it.  Can someone let me know how I change back to Win 98.  i have searched all over the net and found nothing.  Thanks in advance.

SpyHunter

[Howard_Casto]

the easiest way:  

boot via a boot disk and
format c:

xp is an irreversable upgrade, sorry

(On a personal note how someone would be able to bear 98 after using xp is beyond me.)

[u_rebelscum]

(On a personal note how someone would be able to bear 98 after using xp is beyond me.)

Because I want to play two player Marble Madness with two trackballs.  And three player Super Sprint & Offroad with spinner wheels.  And three player Rampart with three trackballs.  (Actually SSprint & Offroad, at least for the near future, will be played on three trackballs, too)

My personal note:  I will not upgrade to XP until M$ enables viewing at least two independent mice data streams (like in Win98/Me), or I hack a way myself.  At the moment, the chances of the former is about 0, and the chances for the latter is not much better.

[Howard_Casto]

Well of course, but hopefully our users have enough sense to know that this isn't possible in xp.  What I was referring to is after you've upgraded I couldn't understand wanting to downgrade back (with the exception of what you said.)  

Yeah the datastreams thing is a bit annoying.  It's actually a security measure to make sure your machine doesn't have any shoddy components connected to it.(In other words professionally built hardware with proper drivers only.)  Unfortunately in this hobby almost everything we connect is shoddy for normal computing standards as we've hacked it.  

As for the mouse issue I still think the solution is to write drivers for a mouse that makes it a windows joystick.  The only issue would be hitting the maximum analog value of the stick (spinners)  which would actually be ok if it were coded properly as joysticks can play the trackball games now farily well.  It's unfortunate that I don't have the skillz to write windows device drivers or I would have done this already.  

[StephenH]

If your hard drive is still FAT32 (or FAT16) format, you can go through the setup (I beleive) to restore 98.      

If there is no option, I suggest renaming the "Program Files" folder, and the like, booting from a floppy, and typing "Deltree WINNT" (or whatever your XP directory is called), and reinstalling 98 and your programs.  

If you converted your hard disk to NTFS, as part of the install, it is a little bit harder.     NTFS is not convertable back to FAT32.    Win 98 does not read NTFS.    So, in this case, it is best to backup all your data and reformat the drive as FAT32.

[u_rebelscum]

Yeah the datastreams thing is a bit annoying.  It's actually a security measure to make sure your machine doesn't have any shoddy components connected to it.

Yeah, I know.  But it's more for professionally built business hardware with proper drivers (the NT roots).  XP is improving at gaming  as more drivers are written, still has a little way to go before matching 98se.  Especially crashing, 98 & Me are way better at crashing.

(In other words professionally built hardware with proper drivers only.) Unfortunately in this hobby almost everything we connect is shoddy for normal computing standards as we've hacked it.  As for the mouse issue I still think the solution is to write drivers for a mouse that makes it a windows joystick.

LOL.  These sentences don't flow together very well.  
But I agree it looks like the only way, ATM.

It's unfortunate that I don't have the skillz to write windows device drivers or I would have done this already.

You and me both;  if I could, I would.  [sigh]

[Howard_Casto]

Yeah that really stinks.  If any talented programmers or technicians are listening we need one of two things from you.  
Either:

A device drivers that turn any interface device into a joystick.

or:

A usb piece of hardware that is a analog joystick from windows's perspective, but uses mice optics to get the stick's values.  

btw sorry for getting so far off topic, but that's what I'm here for.

[tom61]

If you could find 360 degree potentiometers (POTs) and turn them with a trackball or a spinner (sorta like how the old MS mice worked), then hack them to a Joystick (either an old analog one, or a Sidewinder Dual Strike).

This would probably require a special version of mame, but that shouldn't be too hard (just need to hack it to see going directly from max value to zero as a continuous movement).

[Howard_Casto]

That's a great idea.  Actually I though about that one and I was concerned about the added friction.  Optic wheels move very freely on their rollers and I don't know how well a pot would spin.  As for the mame hack, it would be a VERY simple one.  Poll the value normally, but store the last value in a variable.  If it jumps from the max value to 0 in one move then its moving right and it's moving left if the opposite occurs.  

The hardware thing might be better though, although it would definately cost more and be harder to pull off.  Instead of directly changing the values sent via pots, the value to be sent would be stored in an eprom chip.  Traditional mouse circuitry would be used to determine the direction and rate of spin.  Those values would be examined by some mystery circuit and then translated to analog values.  When the tb is rapidly spinning in one direction, the circuit would simply "hold the stick" all the way in that direction until the spinning slows down and the stick would gradually center itself.  A great deal of work I know, but it would make for a very authentic  feel.