If the sound is distorted or not working, it is likely an ISA/PCI IRQ conflict.
If using a Sound Blaster Live! or Audigy card, ensure the VXD drivers are installed rather than the WDM drivers. VXD drivers provide the necessary SB16 emulation layers required by older application frameworks. ghost win 98 fix full driver
This is where the strategy becomes essential. If the sound is distorted or not working,
When this image is restored to a new computer, Windows 98 will automatically search C:\Drivers\ and install the correct matches for the target hardware without prompting you for disks. 5. Troubleshooting Common Installation Errors Missing MSVDM.VXD or Standard Virtual Device Files VXD drivers provide the necessary SB16 emulation layers
Ghost Win 98 Fix Full Driver: The Ultimate Guide to Restoring Windows 98 on Modern and Legacy Hardware
Standard Windows 98 IDE drivers will corrupt data on hard drives or partitions larger than 137GB.