PC running Win98SE fails to sucessfully boot after installation of a Linksys WMP55AG PCI card. The drivers for the wireless card were sucessfully installed first before installing the card (per instructions), but upon power-up after installing the card the PC hangs on the Win98 splash screen. A re-boot caused the computer to enter safe mode. After a restart from safe mode, I am able to login in to windows and new hardware is detected, but new hardware detection s/w cannot find WMP55AG.CAT (nor can I).
Also the video is 640×480, 16 colors and windows conplains that not all video drivers are installed. I am able to change the resolution to 1024×768, 256 colors but when I change to 16 bit color the screen goes blank and the PC hangs.
There are no conflicts shown on Device Manager tab of the My Computer property sheet. The video adapter is an ATI PCI adapter but I also have had the same problems with a Matrox PCI adapter. I have the latest BIOS and motherboard sys drivers installed and the same vireless card successfully installs in another computer with a AGP adapter. However I have had problems install the card in that computer when a PCI adapter is installed.
Removal of the wireless adapter corrects all problems and restores the video to 1024×768, 32-bit color.
I have contacted Linksys support (now there is an oximoron) but they are still in denial. Their suggestion was throw away the computer or install the network card without a video card installed (I’m still working on that last one).
I have also tried installing the cards in different PCI slots.
Has anyone run into this problem and what was the resolution?