Windows 98 setup hangs during plug and play hardware detection

[jimboy]

During install of legit copy of windows 98 on a Dell 3000, I get as far as "plug and play hardware detection" and the system hangs.  Microsoft knowledge base tells me to restart while holding down ctrl key and then click on start and go into system tools to perform a procedure. The restart doesn't take me to a screen with "start" - rather it takes me back to the "plug and play hardware detection" screen and then hangs again. 

[DaveLembke]

I had this problem a long time ago with Win 98 SE and I was able to resolve this by removing all additional ISA and PCI cards that were not necessary during build. So I removed my ISA 28.8k modem, soundblaster 16 sound card, and special ISA 8-bit card that was required for the large flatbed scanner leaving just the video card and motherboard as the bare necessities of Plug & Play guts. I was then able to install Win 98 SE and then add the cards 1 at a time with system shut down and fire it up for it to be detected by the system or have to manually configure it, always introducing 1 card at a time per shutdown and reboot, so that there were no conflicts.