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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsYes—but not by booting Windows 98 directly from an IDE drive. In Dave Luna’s documented build, DOS starts from the IA-2’s original 16 MB DiskOnChip flash module, then mounts a Windows 98 disk image on a ZuluIDE configured to emulate an ATAPI Zip drive. The result is a retrocomputing experiment that works around the appliance’s observed boot limitations, not a supported Windows 98 installation.
What the iPAQ IA-2 was built to do
Launched in 2000, the Compaq iPAQ IA-2 was an MSN internet appliance for email and web access, running a Windows CE-based stock environment. Dave Luna’s project report identifies its processor as a 266 MHz National Semiconductor Geode GX1, with one 32 MB PC100 DIMM and a 16 MB M-Systems DiskOnChip 2000 flash module installed in a motherboard socket. The board also has a 40-pin IDE header, but that connector alone does not provide a usable boot path.
The appliance has a built-in 15-inch CRT with a reported maximum supported resolution of 800×600, and no built-in CD-ROM or other media drive. Those constraints shape both how the Windows files get onto the machine and which display mode is usable. Dave Luna’s project report was published February 22, 2026, and updated March 20, 2026.
Why a regular IDE installation did not boot
Luna tried bootable IDE storage including a hard drive, SSD, CompactFlash-to-IDE adapter, and SD-to-IDE adapter. In his tests, the IA-2 stopped with “INCORRECT BOOT DEVICE !!!” He also could not find a BIOS setup method to change boot order or enable the IDE bus. This describes the behavior of the tested appliance; it is not a published Compaq firmware specification.
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The practical workaround was to retain the original low-capacity DiskOnChip as the first stage. Luna’s report says he used a second internet appliance with a compatible DiskOnChip socket and M-Systems utilities to back up the original module, format it, and transfer DOS system files. In his module tests, the IA-2 accepted older, low-capacity NFTL modules and rejected the higher-capacity INFTL modules he tried. That is a project finding, not a guarantee for every IA-2 or flash module.
How the DOS-to-Zip boot chain worked
The important distinction is that DOS boots first from flash; Windows 98 does not boot directly from the IDE device. After DOS starts, software mounts the emulated Zip drive, which provides access to the Windows 98 disk image.
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- Start with DOS on the DiskOnChip. The original 16 MB module supplies the boot stage the tested IA-2 could use.
- Connect the ZuluIDE to the 40-pin IDE header. Luna configured the ZuluIDE IDE-to-SD device to emulate a 250 MB Iomega Zip drive, with an SD card holding the disk image. The BIOS ignored the emulated device during startup.
- Mount the image after DOS loads. Luna ran the Iomega Guest DOS program so DOS could access the emulated Zip drive.
- Address the VFAT startup error. The report says adding
IFSHLP.SYSandDBLBUFF.SYSto the DOS boot configuration resolved a “VFAT Device Initialization Failed” error while preparing Windows 98.
Hackaday’s March 18, 2026 summary also describes the DOS-on-flash and ATAPI workaround; the detailed steps and test observations here are Luna’s.
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Set the CRT to a supported resolution
Luna reports that the built-in CRT supports up to 800×600. For diagnosis and display setup, he built a VGA lead from the motherboard connector and used an external monitor. After installing the third-party VBEMP video driver, he set Windows 98 to 800×600 and returned the signal to the IA-2’s CRT. The project also reports installing USB mass-storage and MediaGX drivers.
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- HP (Hewlett-Packard) iPAQ hx2790 Pocket PC Intel PXA270 624MHz - 64MB RAM/ - 320MB ROM - 3.5" - MPN: FA677B
Plan for limited audio and graphics
The integrated sound driver did not load successfully in Luna’s build, so he used a USB audio device. Doom 95 ran in a window at 256 colors on the IA-2 display. ZDoom LE 2.8.3a started fullscreen at 800×600, but gameplay was choppy with the available video drivers. These are the project author’s outcomes, not independent performance tests or a promise that every unit and driver combination will behave the same way. Luna’s report includes the display, driver, and application details.
Quick Recap
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- World Wide Input Voltage 100-240VAC 50/60Hz
- OVP, OCP, SCP Protection (OVP: Over Voltage output Protection. OCP: Over Current output Protection. SCP: Short Circuit output Protection)
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- Integrated WLAN 802.11b, Bluetooth IrDA and USB
- Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition software
- Samsung S3C 2440 processor
- Built-in 1.3 MP camera, 1280 x 960 resolution, 4x digital zoom, video record and playback
- 152 MB user available memory
What the project establishes—and what it does not
- Windows 98 can be made to run on an IA-2 using a DOS boot from the original 16 MB DiskOnChip and a DOS-mounted ATAPI Zip image.
- In Luna’s tests, direct boot from the IDE storage devices he tried failed; his report does not establish that every possible IDE configuration behaves identically.
- The built-in CRT’s reported ceiling is 800×600, and a third-party video driver plus an external monitor were used to configure that mode.
- The results show an experimental conversion, not a supported Compaq configuration or a fully capable Windows 98 desktop. Sound required USB audio in this build, and ZDoom gameplay was choppy.
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