Windows 98 Retail Upgrade for ACPI Systems
The Windows 98 retail packagewhich customers purchase to upgrade their operating systemswill automatically install Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) support only for those systems that contain ACPI BIOSes which have been fully validated by the Windows 98 test team. The Windows 98 team has chosen this course in order to minimize the number of service calls from retail customers related to problems with untested ACPI BIOS implementations.
Because of the time limitations for testing upgrade components, the Windows 98 test team cannot completely test functionality of all OEM ACPI systems before the release of the Windows 98 retail package. Most OEM systems will be set up as legacy systems rather than ACPI systems when upgraded using the standard installation program provided with retail Windows 98.
A very small number of ACPI BIOS implementations have been validated. The Windows 98 test team hopes to complete testing validation for more OEM BIOSes for the final release, but Microsoft anticipates the number of ACPI BIOSes supported in the retail package will be small.
This presents three areas of concern for OEMs: how to enable ACPI for testing, how to deliver validated ACPI functionality in systems with Windows 98 preinstalled, and how to deliver ACPI functionality for upgrade customers who have ACPI hardware. Resolutions for each of these concerns are defined in this article.
Enabling ACPI for Testing and Development with Windows 98. The following instructions will allow any OEM to enable ACPI on its systems for testing with Windows 98:
| • | To enable ACPI after Windows 98 is installed, run Regedit and go to the following key in the registry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Detect Create a new DWORD value called "ACPIOption" and set it equal to 1. In Control Panel, run Add New Hardware and choose hardware detection. ACPI should be detected and installed. After the system is rebooted, all ACPI-enumerated devices will be set up again. |
Follow these instructions to enable ACPI for testing and development of the ACPI BIOS for your systems. The final hardware compatibility test (HCT) for ACPI BIOS validation has been available from WHQL since January 1998. Complete your BIOS development testing and validation with WHQL, to ensure that your implementation is 100 percent compatible with Windows 98.
Enabling ACPI with the OPK for Preinstallation with Windows 98. When your ACPI BIOS has completed validation testing with WHQL and when Windows 98 is released, you can use the Windows 98 OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK) to enable ACPI support when you preinstall Windows 98 on new systems.
Enabling ACPI for Upgrade Customers. To support customers who purchase systems with ACPI hardware before Windows 98 is available, OEMs can provide the following, depending on whether the system already contains a validated ACPI BIOS:
| • | For ACPI hardware without a validated ACPI BIOS, provide an upgrade kit that includes (1) a flashable BIOS upgrade for your WHQL-validated ACPI BIOS, (2) an INF file that makes the registry setting described earlier in this article, and (3) instructions for installing the upgrade. |
| • | For ACPI hardware that includes a validated ACPI BIOS, provide an upgrade kit that includes only the INF file with the enable registry setting, plus instructions for installing the upgrade. |
Summary:
| • | Continue testing and development for your ACPI BIOS for use with Windows 98. |
| • | Obtain the HCT for ACPI hardware and BIOS validation. For information, see the WHQL web site at http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/whql/default.mspx. |
| • | Work with WHQL to complete validation testing for your ACPI BIOS. |
| • | Prepare your upgrade kit and distribution plan to support customers who will upgrade to retail Windows 98 when it is available. |
