Hackaday · Creativity & design

Windows 98 Gets USB 3.0 Support Via Custom Drivers

A developer has created custom drivers enabling modern USB 3.0 controllers to function on Windows 98 and later operating systems, bridging a decade-long technological gap.

Yeo Kheng Meng, a fan of Windows 98, faced the challenge of using his modern ThinkPad with an xHCI USB controller (required for USB 3.0) on an OS released a decade prior. Lacking existing drivers, he undertook the project of developing them himself, potentially with the aid of LLMs.

The project's code is available on GitHub. While the driver is functional, Meng acknowledges it may contain bugs and plans to address issues reported in the repository.

Meng documented his process on his blog, including embedded videos demonstrating the driver's success on a 2020 ThinkPad (also compatible with Windows 11) and a 2016 model, both lacking older USB ports.

For older laptops or desktops, alternative solutions include using PCI cards with USB 2.0 controllers or adapters, as Meng had done before this project.

This endeavor aligns with Meng's broader interest in integrating old and new technologies, such as running DOS on a modern ThinkPad X13 and Slack on Windows 3.11 on a ThinkPad T400.

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