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How to get a computer with Windows 98 for gaming?

M

MonkeyCage

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Joined
Nov 4, 2012
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5
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Michigan
Ok, so I'm new to this forum and I know very little about computers vintage or otherwise. Anyway, recently I've been wanting to play some old PC games that require Windows 98 to run. I don't have a computer with Windows 98 on it and I've been looking for a way to get one. I have a few options and I'm hoping someone can help me pick the best one!

Option 1: I have access to a Sony Vaio from around 2001-2002, that currently has Windows XP installed. I was thinking of taking XP off and installing 98. Is this possible? I've been researching online and it seems like it might be tricky and/or not possible to have 98 run properly on a newer machine, but I don't know how new is too new.

Option 2: I could buy an old laptop with Windows 98 already installed. This worries me because I wouldn't want to buy a computer that doesn't work or is on its last legs and, as I said, I know very little about computers so I wouldn't know what is a good deal or how to fix it should anything go wrong. Does anyone know of a reliable place to buy such a computer?

Option 3: My last resort is to try and build a computer that would be capable of running 98. This would most likely end in disaster... How difficult and costly would it be?

Any help on which is my best option or how to succeed with any of the options would be greatly appreciated!
 
Windows 98 support was still fairly general in 2001-2002, but you can get a better idea by looking up the drivers page for the particular model and seeing how much of the hardware has a 95/98 driver.

An easy way to get a working 98 box is to go out to your local recycle center and find one. Anything from a Pentium to a Pentium M will do, depending on what you want to run on it, but P4 and Pentium M hardware might require a little more investigation on the driver front - anything P3-era should be good, though. If you're worried about getting a dud, ask them to let you plug it in and test; if it doesn't work, you've got a whole building full of spare parts. They might want more for a known-good system, but you should still be able to get one pretty cheap.
 
I'm sure WIN 98 will run on what you've got. There's lots of ways to do this.

1) You can set up your current computer to dual boot. Then you can install WIN 98 as the second boot option.

2) You can run WIN 98 as a virtual machine under your current Windows. (It would also help if you told us what you have now in the way of hardware and OS.)

3) You can run just about anything that runs under DOS from your current setup with DOSBox.
 
The Sony is an old family computer and I won't actually have it for a little while so I'm not sure about hardware, but it uses Windows XP. I know that's not very helpful, but I'm working with limited knowledge, ha. If it's possible, I'd like to completely get rid of XP and just use 98. I have no idea how feasible that is... I have other, newer computers that I use on a regular basis so I wouldn't need the Sony for anything other than games.

I'll also check for a recycle center in the area and see what they have. I like the idea of being able to see it and plug it in before I buy it as opposed to getting it online, even if it costs a bit more.

Thanks!
 
You can take XP off the computer and install Windows 98 fairly easily. The hard drive will need to be formatted so that 98 can be installed. I believe when you boot from the Windows 98 install CD, the installer formats the hard drive for you.
 
One thing I've noticed with every Sony computer I've ever had is that they only provide driver support for the OS that shipped with the system. That does not mean that you can't find the drivers for another OS, but it generally makes it a little more difficult.

Good luck! I hope you are able to get it working the way you want.

Heather
 
If you're not into and don't want to get into collecting computers, you just want a system to run Windows 98 games, then I would suggest going the virtual machine route.

What's a virtual machine? It's a program that runs on your current system that emulates a whole other computer, allowing you to install an OS (in this case, Win98) and other software for use, all from within your current computer setup.

Many of us here run them as well as having our vintage machines. They're usually free to download and use - VMware Player, Oracle VirtualBox, etc.

I personally prefer Virtual Box's interface a little more, as it will allow you to pick and choose your CPU speed, RAM, hard drive size, etc from an easy menu (VMware wants you to purchase the full version of their VM for that). Most VM's offer built-in sound-blaster support, USB, and share the host computer's drives and interfaces, so if you have a USB floppy drive and a CD-ROM installed, you should be good to go.

That said, if you're looking for a real system... the examples above are good ones. No matter which method you choose, you'll need to be comfortable installing and configuring Win98.
 
I would not recommend a virtual machine for this purpose. Configuration for gaming on earlier Windows/DOS systems can be pretty fiddly, and there's also the matter of hardware - I have yet to encounter, for example, an OPL emulator that sounds more than basically correct. MT-32, too - Munt is good, but not there yet. There's no comparison to the real thing.
 
Try Craigslist, and look for a Pentium II or III that's in working condition. Should be $25 to $50. Then sell the Sony with XP to get your money back. :) Which Windows 98 games do you want to play? A lot have been re-released for XP and up. If you get one online, shipping will be more than the PC is worth.
 
I wouldn't try using a laptop for gaming. Laptops are always a compromise between performance and power consumption so that battery life is maximized and and heat output is minimized. The Sony's are usually good but even so the sound system is often less than optimum, the display chip set slowed down to save power, and on older machines the CD drivers are abysmal. In addition for gaming on 98 I would have thought you would want one (or more) traditional joystick ports which the Sony probably does not have.

That leaves a desktop system/tower system. As other have said re-cycling centres, thrift shops, craigs list, e-bay and FREECYCLE are all good sources of machine. Your local Ham Radio groups, or goverment surplus sales may also be a source of kit.

Also note that even if you see a computer running try to get it left switched on for a while. Often older machines don't fail until they are thoroughly warmed through...
 
My recommendation for the VM's use was with the usual caveat that sound might not be quite right (since that's the standard deal with emulated systems in general)

OP, one other place to check... if you don't mind paying a miniscule amount for them, that is, is GoG.com - right now, for instance, they're having a sale on games from Interplay at $2.95 per (want to say that there were 30 games to choose from?). I'm sorely tempted to purchase the Wing Commander IV version from them. Except that I already own the WC4 special edition DVD. And the hardware to make it run. But still, at $2.95, it's a steal.

GoG also has literally dozens of other games available... and the advantage of them is that they've already been made to run perfectly on modern systems and just require a quick and easy install... No fussing with drivers, no fussing to make the sound work correctly - it all just works.

If you're wanting to play more than a handful of games, however... it might be more useful to pick up a real machine on the curb, as has already been suggested :)
 
Ok, it seems like using the old Sony might not be that easy and the general consensus is that I should just get an old machine. I've been checking on craigslist and poking around at work for an old one that is still in good condition. I haven't found anything yet, but I'm being picky so I don't have to do much fixing it. I'll keep looking and let you guys know what I find so I can get your opinions.

If anyone comes up with anything else while I'm looking I'd be glad to hear it!
Thanks for all the help!
 
Check with your local recyclers (or at the local dumps). Put an ad out on Freecycle and Craigslist. Keep checking Freecycle and Craigslist. Put a post in our Wanted forum, even... you might find someone here that's relatively local to you that would only be too happy to help you out.

The machines are out there in abundance... although you may need to be "fix" them a little, so far as perhaps installing a new hard drive, formatting it, installing Windows, and configuring it.
 
Since you're being picky, you should look for a PIII with a 440BX chipset. Easily one of the best chipsets ever made. Avoid i8xx chipsets.
 
I have not had that much luck going the VM route for gaming. For general use they are great but I usually run into problems with the video settings in the VM. Granted, its been a while since I played with VM's for gaming.
 
Dosbox will boot 98SE, but I doubt it will run well enough to play something like System Shock 2. As great as Dosbox is, it's still emulation, and the real thing is still better. Games that run fast with smooth scrolling on real hardware aren't as smooth on dosbox. How much this matters to you is a question of personal preference, but I think the difference is pretty big for some games. But then the difference is almost non-existant for others.
 
I mainly use it for my pinball games, Epic, Silverball and Tristan. It works fine for those games and also Wolfenstein, maybe even better than the original hardware worked back then.

I use it with Vista. Why would you run it with 98SE?
 
I think he's talking about using DOSBox to load 98SE and then run Windows 98 games on that. I've done that with Windows 3.1, but not 98. I do like ScummVM though. It lets me run Myst on my phone. :) It just depends on what games the OP actually wants to play.
 
Ok, I got a computer with 98SE on it! I don't know much about it, but it seems to be in pretty good shape. The only problem now is a monitor... Should I go the same route as the computer and buy a used original one, or do new monitors work well with older computers? I've been reading about needing drivers for new ones, but I'd like something I can just plug in and go. The same thing goes for a keyboard and a mouse. Any suggestions new or old will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks again for all the help with picking a computer!
 
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