Windows 98 NDIS Error

SYMPTOMS

When you are installing Windows 95 or Windows 98 on a computer that has a CPU that runs at 2.2 gigahertz (GHz) or faster, you may receive the following error message: While initializing device NDIS: Windows protection error

CAUSE

The timing calibration code in the Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) driver causes a divide by zero if the CPU runs at 2.2 GHz or faster. This problem does not occur with CPUs that run at 2.1 GHz or slower.

SOLUTION

Install Linux. Two well known distributions can be found at:

http://www.slackware.com/

http://www.ubuntu.com/

If your CPU runs at 2.2 gigahertz (GHz) or faster, it will run Linux. Moreover, it will run Linux much better than it will run 98. On my last upgrade to a P4, 98 would not boot even with the NDIS fix installed. Even if it does work, the OS is vulnerable to a lot of things which MS is never going to patch.

OTHER OPTIONS

XP - This is a dying OS. MS is killing it off phasing it out

Vista - Many, many problems especially for older hardware. In short, Vista is a chrome plated turd.

Buy a new PC - You just upgraded your mother board. Keep your existing hardware. It's cheaper and great for the environment. Linux is great about keeping older hardware useful. Our outgoing mail and primary DNS server at quake.stpeters.net is an 100 MHz pentium (Intel Pentium 75 - 200 stepping 06) made sometime around 1996. It runs the latest version of Slackware and has plenty of capacity. I bought it used about 5 years ago for $25.