Is there a universal mass storage driver for Win98SE?

I have various brands of USB mass storage devices like small flash memory
drives, external hard drives, etc., each different make evidently requiring
its own driver(s) when used with Win98SE.

Since WinME and later versions recognize at least most of these mass storage
devices regardless of make, I should think it would be possible to make one
driver which would do the same for Win98SE. Does any such universal driver
exist?

"Old Geezer" wrote in message
...

I have various brands of USB mass storage devices like small flash memory
drives, external hard drives, etc., each different make evidently
requiring
its own driver(s) when used with Win98SE.

Since WinME and later versions recognize at least most of these mass
storage
devices regardless of make, I should think it would be possible to make
one
driver which would do the same for Win98SE. Does any such universal driver
exist?

You may have misunderstood the relationship between
hardware and software, and how industrial standards
(usually work). It is impractical to issue a standard
for uniform hardware. Instead, there is a standard way
of connecting devices to the OS, i.e. the USB =
Universal Serial Bus, now in version 2. Manufacturers
can build and market anything they like, but they
have a real incentive to offer connection via USB.
This is a practical solution, because the connection
offers the standard, and the hardware can be whatever
the manufacturers prefer or find cheapest, so long
as it connects via standard USB.

Secondly, manufacturers spend money on software
only when they expect to recoup it in sales. You
may find hardware manufacturers do not see Win98
as a viable market market nowadays.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

"Old Geezer" wrote:

I have various brands of USB mass storage devices like small flash memory
drives, external hard drives, etc., each different make evidently requiring
its own driver(s) when used with Win98SE.

Since WinME and later versions recognize at least most of these mass storage
devices regardless of make, I should think it would be possible to make one
driver which would do the same for Win98SE. Does any such universal driver
exist?

This is claimed to be a generic USB mass storage driver for W98 (by
LexarMedia):
http://www-user.tu-chemnitz.de/~heha...%20Storage.zip

I haven't used it myself, so I can't say anything about how well it
works.

--
Tim Slattery
MS MVP(DTS)

"Tim Slattery" wrote in message
...

This is claimed to be a generic USB mass storage driver for W98 (by
LexarMedia):
http://www-user.tu-chemnitz.de/~heha...%20Storage.zip

I haven't used it myself, so I can't say anything about how well it
works.

--
Tim Slattery
MS MVP(DTS)


Thanks very much, Tim! I'll give it a try.

Don Phillipson wrote:

You may find hardware manufacturers do not see Win98
as a viable market market nowadays.

That argument doesn't explain why Windows XP (which is 4 years old) is
able to recognize many new USB devices (such as memory sticks) with
it's existing old driver system, and without the memory stick
manufacturer needing to supply a driver for XP.

If I don't have to supply XP with a driver for a brand-new memory
stick, why does 98 need a new driver?

On Tue, 27 Jun 2006 10:45:57 -0400, "Old Geezer" put
finger to keyboard and composed:

I have various brands of USB mass storage devices like small flash memory
drives, external hard drives, etc., each different make evidently requiring
its own driver(s) when used with Win98SE.

Since WinME and later versions recognize at least most of these mass storage
devices regardless of make, I should think it would be possible to make one
driver which would do the same for Win98SE. Does any such universal driver
exist?

Here's an earlier post on this subject:
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...e=source&hl=en

- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

some problems remain; namely, finding a safe way to transfer all my data (a
whopping 3 Gb...LOL) to another storage device -- my BusLink HD is not
working well on the USB side (dual interface) for the purposes of installing
a driver (or for any purpose, for that matter). What's more, there's no
firewire dealie on a 98 machine that I could marry the FW port on the mass
storage device to. Thus, my sys currently can't see the external Buslink
storage device...attempts to refresh/upgrade the driver in DevMgr have proven
fruitless. Anyone have any suggestions for "off-loading" my data to another
temporary source while I gut the current sys with a clean install?

Also, I have two 98 installation disks, one for SE as well as the older 98
CD. I don't think a puny processor (PIII--233 Mhz.) like mine supports XP if
I wanted to do an upgrade, but I'm tempted to do a clean install using the SE
prog disk. Any opinions?

Thirdly, I'd like the b-a-s-i-c setup of my networking capability in Control
Panel, the one involving Client for M$ Networks, etc. It's so messed up now
that no wonder I can't connect to anything!

THANKS in advance!

Goob
--
ALL ABOUT ME/goobmeister


"Franc Zabkar" wrote:

On Tue, 27 Jun 2006 10:45:57 -0400, "Old Geezer" put
finger to keyboard and composed:

I have various brands of USB mass storage devices like small flash memory
drives, external hard drives, etc., each different make evidently requiring
its own driver(s) when used with Win98SE.

Since WinME and later versions recognize at least most of these mass storage
devices regardless of make, I should think it would be possible to make one
driver which would do the same for Win98SE. Does any such universal driver
exist?

Here's an earlier post on this subject:
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...e=source&hl=en

- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

"Don Phillipson" wrote in message
...
"Old Geezer" wrote in message
...

I have various brands of USB mass storage devices like small flash memory
drives, external hard drives, etc., each different make evidently
requiring
its own driver(s) when used with Win98SE.

Since WinME and later versions recognize at least most of these mass
storage
devices regardless of make, I should think it would be possible to make
one
driver which would do the same for Win98SE. Does any such universal
driver
exist?

You may have misunderstood the relationship between
hardware and software, and how industrial standards
(usually work). It is impractical to issue a standard
for uniform hardware. Instead, there is a standard way
of connecting devices to the OS, i.e. the USB =
Universal Serial Bus, now in version 2.

If there is "a standard way" of doing this, then why are the drivers for
mass storage devices brand-specific?


Manufacturers
can build and market anything they like, but they
have a real incentive to offer connection via USB.
This is a practical solution, because the connection
offers the standard, and the hardware can be whatever
the manufacturers prefer or find cheapest, so long
as it connects via standard USB.

Secondly, manufacturers spend money on software
only when they expect to recoup it in sales. You
may find hardware manufacturers do not see Win98
as a viable market market nowadays.

But the manufacturer of every mass storage device I've bought *does* see
Win98SE as enough of "a viable market" that they offer drivers for them. The
problem is that those drivers only work with that brand of device (with some
exceptions like Lexar JumpDrives sold under the Viking brand). It doesn't
seem to me there should be a big problem making a universal driver for
Win98SE, like the one built into WinME.

"Franc Zabkar" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 27 Jun 2006 10:45:57 -0400, "Old Geezer" put
finger to keyboard and composed:

I have various brands of USB mass storage devices like small flash memory
drives, external hard drives, etc., each different make evidently
requiring
its own driver(s) when used with Win98SE.

Since WinME and later versions recognize at least most of these mass
storage
devices regardless of make, I should think it would be possible to make
one
driver which would do the same for Win98SE. Does any such universal driver
exist?

Here's an earlier post on this subject:
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...e=source&hl=en

- Franc Zabkar

Thanks, Frank, I'll try that.

"... et al." wrote in message
...
[]
Nor have i, so nor can i, but i can say that that link is dead.
Al Klein (active in alt.comp.freeware) has the (10670 Bytes) file at:
http://www.webdingers.com/USB%20Mass%20Storage.zip
[]
That one's dead too ... )-: