Hey wox did you ever get the CD rom working on the Asus?
I had a problem like that a while back on an Asus p4…trying to remember what it was that caused it and how I rectified it…
I would start by checking all the obvious things, which were probably already mentioned in thread, like making sure the ide cable it correctly plugged in and aligned.
(the line going down the same side the power source is plugged into) along with it being and it jumpered as master) unless of course you have other CD roms installed.
I would go through the system and trouble shoot it, try a different ide cable, take the CD rom out and try it in a different system to see if it is working properly.
If it is determined that the ide cable and CD rom is working (on another system with no other CD rom on it)than you do have it assigned properly (as master) and all things are functional which points towards a board/hardware/software problem within the Asus.
I have racked my brain out over a DVD drive in the past spending much time downloading drivers, and Bios configurations, ddl files only to find out later it was a simple thing like not having the cord plugged in properly and assigned as either slave or master (in my case it was slave) those pesky little pins. 
Anywho, if all else fails and you do know the cable and drive are working and assigned properly for the system you could install a PCI slot IDE controller card.
That might get the drive up and running, until whatever else is wrong with the system is discovered and rectified. 
I do hope you where able to get out and enjoy some air!
Computers where supposed to make our lives better and improve them by taking on very large task in very short time that would take us a very long time to do, but somehow it seems they have done the opposite in your situation taking a very small task and making it last a very long time.
There comes a point when you have to place a value on your time, and form what it sounds like this PC is not worth what you have already spent.
That being said the best thing to do is a trade off, use another CD rom or other method as prescribed above to get one working on it and move on … 
Not all mysteries are needed to be solved, as long as the end result is a working system ones curiosity can be given a roofy and put to rest.
keep shinin’
jerm 
Hi jerm:
Thanks for your reply…
I’m still working away on this rock pile. So far I am no farther ahead than I was when I was ready to install '98SE on the drive I have formatted and ready to load the operating.
I took a break and loaded v6 b2325 on the P-111 and as well I’ve loaded b2325 on the XP Desk of the dual boot P-4… I working with the XP boot of the P-4 as I write this reply…
I thought I was gonna be “smart” and load '98SE unto the formatted drive VIA the XP desk… NO GO… The pop up screen says the only way to install '98SE on the selected drive is VIA DOS… So There… I’ve got 7 CD/DVD drives around here… I get the same report from this ASUS M/B and setup… In '98SE DOS the drives are not recognized… I’ve tried 40-pin and 80-pin wires… Still NO-GO…
The DOS floppy says there is no CD/DVD ROM hardware installed… SO, NO CD Rom drivers are installed by the Start-up disk…
The BIOS sees all the Hardware just fine… When I go to the Windows Help File it talks about some ROM Drives that are not recognized by the windows Start up Disks… BUT… all of these drives I have around here loaded '98SE in the past… so, I see that as not-an-issue…
My next move is gonna be for me, to wire up the CD ROM to one of the RAID IDE ports and see if that fixes the issue… That’s the only thing I haven’t tried yet…
The v6 b2325 installed on the P-4 XP drive with no error issues… It works as much as I see… perfectly… Well…
I’m playing an Eagles Cover from the CD/ Common Thread… ripped file on one of the Hard drives…
Bill…
My other suggestion would be to uninstall XP off the other partition and start from scratch on the entire system.
I have heard although rare of conflicts which arise when two different OS are installed on the same system effecting the CDroms.
Of course on these systems the CD roms were already working before the other OS was installed on the separate partition.
As long as you have and XP disk you can always reinstall XP once you get the 98SE loaded.
There is a process once you have 98SE loaded and the CD rom working to add the NEW OS (XP) onto the other partition without causing the CDrom to malfunction (but that is another issue which can be dealt with down the line)
One should remember these Operating systems were developed in sequence, so Windows98 naturally would have been on a drive with a working CD ROM in most cases before XP is loaded.
Likewise it is easy to load XP on a newly formatted drive (provided it is not an upgrade version).
But what it sounds like to me is that your are trying to get the process to work in reverse, starting with XP on one partition and then trying to load windows98SE on another, something that would not have occured in the 80’s-90’s with normal progression of Operating systems and drives.
Does any of that make sense? 
keep shinin’
jerm
Hi jerm:
I hear you loud-and-clear…
Originally the '98SE Operating system was installed and then in sequence the XP Operating system in that order.
AND…
Each systems are on their own hard drives…
They are still each on their own hard drives…
I have the '98SE drive as the primary/master and the XP drive as the slave on the primary IDE port… Originally each system would boot with the other drive unplugged…
Something happened to the '98SE drive/operating system…
Who knows?
Anyway, I’m trying to create a Clean install of '98SE on another drive…
No-Go
NO-GO…
The original '98SE drive will only boot in Safe Mode now… That means NO CD Support on that drive, in SAFE Mode…
So…
I’m stuck in the middle with both '98SE drives…
I think…
System File corruption is more than likely the root of the problem…
I don’t know how to diagnose the reason for the failure…
If I knew that I’d fix the issues and That-Would-Be-That…
I think if some whipper-snapper could see it,
he’d have it up-and-running in five minutes.
Unless I can figure out how to boot the old drive into Normal Windows with CD ROM Support,
I’m done…
Bill…
Ok so it sounds like you have eliminated quiet a few variables,
You are positive by the process of elimination that both the IDE cord and the CD rom are functioning and that the IDE cable is configured properly with the right pins covered and plugged in to run as master, with the red strip facing the power input (sometimes eliminating the obvious prevents one from having to do unnecessary things trying to fix something that is not even broken)
You are sure you allowed the windows start up diskette(floppy) to show the most common CD rom drivers and that the Config.sys file loaded the appropriate CD-ROM driver you selected for the drive.
Now using the Windows98 Start up diskette may push your drive letter for the CD ROM back on assignment, if it was E: it may now be F: something to take note of if your going to be typing in “E:\setup” to initiate the CD ROM to begin loading Windows98.
You’d now have to use “F:\setup” or G, depending on how many hard drives or other drives like zip drives etc etc. are installed.
bay steps Bill, baby steps…
It does sound like you have more going on that just problems loading Windows98 on a new drive and getting the CD rom to work if the other drive is only booting up in safe mode.
Safe MODE is a good starting point for this system, since you can run diagnostics and try and find out what the root of the problem is.
I am not sure if you can run a virus program off a floppy like AVG on the other drive (maybe if it was a zip file) while in safe mode but I would try to recover that drive and discover whatever it is that is wrong with it. (a missing .dll file perhaps, viruses are famous for wiping them out)
There is an old saying that may apply here, where there is life there is hope, and on that other drive although in safe mode there is life.
keep shinin
jerm
Hi Gents:
I found a FIX for this issue…
I ran into a Computer Geek at the store…
We talked…
and he said…
Find a copy of Windows ME Start up files and load that into your boot and it’ll load the CD ROM drivers that’s missing at DOS Start up Time…
However, I did a Microsoft page search and didn’t come up with the file to download…
Entering the correct search words might help…
Anyway, can someone post a link for me to download an ME Start up set to load on a floppy disk. ?
It would be so nice to get this behind me …
and…
Move on-ward…
Bill…
Hi Diogenes:
Thanks for that link…
I’ll get on that when I can muster up some motivation and energy and all …
I’m looking at some time line issues with this latest build…
I’m not so sure if it’s a “BUG”
or it’s always been there…
If Flavio is monitoring the Board…
I’m sure he’s busy…
Bill…
p.s.
If too many topics get opened up on v6 issues it tends spread the topic of issues very thin…
Suggest the THREAD to add this issue to…
?
Here’s a self-extracting boot image
for WinME, might contain the
dirver files you referred to.
win ME
What a bear!!
Merci Buck-Tooth:
I hoped all day that you would post a link to that file…
I have it ready to copy to a floppy…
Maybe, tonight when I get tired of playing with V6
I’ll see if I can break away from this P-111 and n-Track…
I wish I could get past this Tracker’s Block and manufacture some new tracks…
to play with…
Doc. J…
:
Are you saying that v6 has a new utility that replaces Drum tracks from tracks on the Time line
?
?
With Samples of your choosing?
OR…
is this something that earlier builds of n-Track already had…
?
Bill…
Are you saying that v6 has a new utility that replaces Drum tracks from tracks on the Time line
? ? With Samples of your choosing? OR.. is this something that earlier builds of n-Track already had.. ?
Nothing new Bill. Doc is just saying "grab a sample and drop it over the original drum hit." It works but takes FOREVVVEEERRRR. Specially if it's your son's Magnum Opus with the hyper-active, double-kick drum demon child on the kit. Believe me. Been there, done that. Never again. It takes too long. There are several better ways to do it almost completely automagically. n-Track doesn't have the native tools to do it but a few good plugin tools might make it happen.
D
i have just KILLED off V5 forever, now SIX is the only number to use - and yes you can d it in 5 but samples can get STUCK to the back of tracks as BRING TO FRONT may not be available in 5 (as thankfully been re-added in 6 left click in sample for popup) -
try it Bill in 5 (and why are you still using 5) SIX should BREEZE it on 98se right up to VISTA as no .met is required -
Dr J
I’m gonna add right here-and-now, before I forget…
If I’m not on the correct thread …
too bad…
I’ll forget it before I find it…
I FORGOT WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY…
lol…
No…
I DIDN’T…
No… I mean Yes…
OR is IT…
YES…
I Mean
No…
ANYWAY, the first build of v6
2323…
I downloaded and launched the install EXE…
It looked at my setup and decided that it needed to uninstall a previous version…
Who was it for me to question that…
Build 2323 installed with no issues of any kind, that I could see…
Anyway, it was the next day that I looked for v5 and 2313…
It was not to be opened … Not on this P-111…
I opened up the Program folder and sure enough…
The v5 folder only had a few files-and-folders there…
(The Blade Folder and a couple of other files…
Version 4 and it’s files were there-and-complete…
the desktop shortcut worked-and-all…
V6 shortcut was there and complete…
The next build install was 2325…
When the install executed, I got a series of Pop-Up Screens saying that it was unable to unable to register some of the .dll files…
I think there was 7-8 ,dll’s that couldn’t be registered…
I don’t know how serious all this is…
But, I haven’t had any pop-up screens with the b2326 install…
BUT…
as a result I had to re-install v5 b3213…
AND…
so far all seems fine with all three versions of n-Track, on this P-111…
They all seem to launch-and-operate just fine…
It’s a different story on the Studio P-4 Dual-boot Machine…
I really got to spend some time on that machine and how n-Track behaves…
on the P-4…
I’ve got a few time line issues to show-post-and-discuss…
I’m sorry that I get Off Topic on my topics…
It’s all one big Story Board…
anyway…
It’s the n-Track Board…
Bill…
I’m working away on this Rock Pile…
I can now load the CD ROM Drivers from the '8SE Start up disk…
I got to the point where I was loading the "98SE Disk on the intended W/D 40 gig. drive…
“C” Drive…
And The installation Shut down…
Locked…
A POP UP Screen appeared
“VIRUS ON BOOT SECTOR” and asked “Continue Installation ?”…
Y or N
Cursoring to Y or N
did nothing…
The install locked up…
SO…
Where’s the VIRUS.
?
On the DRIVE…
On the Files that are loaded on the Hard Drive…
OR …
On the Floppies?
Or…
And…
How should I proceed with the install?
Bill…
When you load the boot disk it makes a temporary RAM drive. (which is what pushes back the CD rom assignments some times.)
It is possible that the boot disk transfered the virus into the temporary drive (or partition).
You did say you downloaded the boot file and put it on the disk back there right?
IF so that might be how it got into the file and onto the NEW and newly formatted 40g drive.
You are better off using another system that you have Windows98 on to create a boot disk.
Take the floppy out, when you restart the computer the temporary RAM drive will automatically be deleted.
Take the new boot disk you create from another system and put it in the slot, start up the computer and try again.
I am not aware of any virus removal programs that will work on a hardrive that has no OS, but that does not mean they do not exist, only that if they do I am ignorant of their existence.
keep shinin’
jerm
Back Again:
I’m reformatting the drive again… There was a directory full of Sys files In DOS… One file had !“The Name”!.. I’ve never noticed a file like that before… I forget what the file was called… Anyway, I’m ready for another attempt at loading '98SE on the disk…
I scanned all the floppies that I’ve used to date on the project… They appear clean… so Panda says… We;ll see… again…
Gotta Go…
Bill…
The POP-UP Screen Says…
VIRUS BOOT SECTOR WRITE !!
Continue ? Y/N
The INSTALL Hangs…
In DOS when I go to the “C” Drive and open it’s directory there is a folder in there that is written to the drive from the … It’s either the Virtual RAM that is created OR… From the Floppy itself… Who knows. ?
Anyway, the folder is called WINBOOT ~!~ There are 9 files in there… I don’t know how to OPEN the folder in DOS… However, The folder was created on 07-07-08 and the time was 10:13 OR when I created the command to write to the “C” Drive…
Did you try what I said? creating a boot up disk from an up and running Windows98 Computer?
Some of these conversations in internet forums are two way, when one person ask a question another answers it, it seems be a more productive means of conversing a topic that way.
keep shinin’
jerm
Ya’ll have done gave me a headache. What I do in these situations is tell my wife I’m getting a new computer - after days of seeing me act like a jerk over one giving me problems she’s usually very open to agreement. All it usually takes is “NO I CAN’T PRINT OUT YOUR PICTURES YET!” No need to kick the dog or nuthin’ like that - just express your frustration every 15 minutes or so. If you usually yell and scream - use the silent sulk. If you normally sulk, start a manic rage for a good half hour, every few hours.
Pretending you are talking about it in your sleep works well too, as long as you thrash enough to insure she wakes to hear it.
It’s all in my book, "How To Get A New Computer."
I have never had anything on a disk worth saving, or needed more storage enough to go through all this. Like I said, my head hurts and it’s not even my problem.
My first question when I see folks going through this is usually, “Just why are you putting yourself through all this?”