XT983 - Win98SE installation - frezes at hardware detection

[This pc has an Athlon 1.4.]

I have tried installing Win98SE Full OEM version (which worked fine on
another PC I used to test it) several times on this HP PC and it continues
to freeze at hardware detection.

Process:

FDISKed the 40GB HDD (Primary Partition = 2GB @ FAT; Extended Partition with
2 logical drives @ FAT32).

Formatted all partitions.

Transferred System to C:

Copied needed files to E:\Boot folder (Oakcdrom.sys, Himem.sys, Mscdex.exe,
Smartdrv.exe, etc).

Added Autoexec.bat to C: (w/ Mscdex , Smartdrv, & Path= statement.).

Added Config.sys to C: (w/ Himem, Oakcdrom, & Lastdrive statement).


Rebooted to C:.

Copied the Win98 folder to the extended partition (E:\W98).

Ran Setup.exe from E:\W98

Installation goes fine until it gets to Hardware Detection, then freezes.

I shutdown PC and wait 15 minutes.

When I reboot, it goes into Safe Mode and freezes before you can see the
Start menu.

When I reboot then, I get an error in a DOS/boot/black screen that says,
" Windows was unable to initialize VWIN32. .... You need to restart
Windows"

The next error, in the plain black screen:
"An exception 0E has occurred at 0028:0000047 in VxD ---. This was
called from 0028:0000047 in VxD ---."

I reboot.

Then I get, (in plain black screen again) "While Initializing device OS:
Windows protection error. You need to Restart your computer."

Any help or advice....

Thanks!
Joe