Announcement:

After releasing 98 SE SP 2.0 final, I hope I will work on Windows ME Service Pack.

win ME needs more then a service pack
u should replace files with xp 1s lol

but enough of me .. look forward 2 seein it when final

That's nice gape. I'll look forward to it.
Just see that all the WinME haters here don't latch on to you!

gape at one was making a win me service pack
looks like he will finaly start on it
i agree
win me need xp or 2000 files for it to work right and you can't install ie 6 on it unless you visit windowsupdate
i at one time had me on n i got it pretty good
there is an app called system restore remover,maybe add that to it,shouldn't be too hard to find

System Restore Remover Pro is a nice little tool.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download516.html

I used it to remove System Restore (since I use GoBack) and PCHealth (which is junk anyways).

any progress?maybe it might be a good idea to include ie 6 and it's updates since the only way to get ie for win me is from windows update,the rest don't need it or make it an option to install ie 6

WinME still on the planet?

I thought there had been an international ban on such software... lol


The only time I installed ME (on a laptop), the desktop icons would change every time I would boot.... The My Computer icon switched to Recycle Bin, some MS-Dos icon, a tree,....

Thank gawd future versions of windows did NOT do that!


Good luck with the service pack!


@Gape: BTW, what version on windows are the files in your "i need" list from??

You have/had a damaged cache file. I know Microangelo has a way to fix the cache, but I am unsure how to do it otherwise...

tweakui powertoy....

hopefully this will stablize this operating system's explorer interface. I cant remember how i did it exactly, but i did manage to achieve this on a clean install of windows ME. Im pretty sure i used a combination of IE radicator and 98lite 4.5/4.6 to achieve this. Im thinking i used IE radicator to remove IE 5.5 and then i installed IE6 and used 98lite to re-integrate it into the desktop. but last time i tried this with IE6 SP1 i ran into problems. i got an error wen i tried to install IE6 SP1

you gotta goto windowsupdate to get ie 6
i tried same thing it said incorrect version or something similar,after going to windows update it installed ie 6 but you need ie to get to windows update

not true. there are command line switches which can allow you to download the FULL installation files for IE...you just gotta download ie6setup.exe. this is also possible with IE5.5 SP2 for windows ME but im not sure about 2000 or NT.

download the ie6setup.exe file and alter the following line in the run box as u would need 2...(use quotes as provided).

"C:\Downloads\ie6setup.exe" /c:"ie6wzd.exe /d /s:""#E"

This will allow you to burn this to CD and use it later. This does not have to be done on the destination computer, it can be done on other computer. usually you will find the full installation of these files on Internet Starter CD's.

I will see if i can re-construct the movements as described in my last post and i will report back later letting you all know how i went. if IE6 SP1 fails yet again, i will use IE6 as i originally did.

so if i follow that i will dl the full?what if some1 doesen't have internet access to dl it thats what i was getting at

yes, downloads all setup files. if some1 doesnt have internet access then they can obtain IE6 of a computer magazine cd or internet starter kit cd. or if that specific computer doesnt have access to the net and u can access it from somewhere else then u can follow the above steps n burn the files on a cd and take back to the computer u want to install it on.

I occassionally install ME with 98lite and want to upgrade to Ie60SP1. With 98lite you can have all things IE pre-removed. However, unlike 98/SE, you CANNOT install IE60SP1 over "nothing". [I assume the same would apply if using Shane's IEradicator.]

When you run IE6setup.exe, it makes some kind of net-oriented complaint and never installs. [I am on permanently with cable modem at the time and things like PING and TRACERT and WINIPCFG all work fine; I can even install Netscape and it will work fine, etc.]

The only way I can get it to work is to put back/never take out in the first place the IE50, THEN remove it [again]. At that point, IE60SP1 amazingly does install!

Any clues?

cjl

i actually successfully installed IE6 SP1 on win me a few hours ago even after uninstalling IE 5.5. However i was unable to successfully replicate what i had done in the past.

When I use 98lite 4.7 to install MElite, I have to first install IE55, then remove it, then it will install IE60SP1. Trying it first it gets an error because it [erroneously; I have all the files!] believes it has to contact an MS file server and it can't do it, etc.

Also, the Help stuff that comes up [forcefully!] in safe mode is now fixed in MElite; however, it requires the WBEM option be set [MElite will prompt you warning you to NOT delete it, etc.] but the WMI interface is still optional.

Additionally, I reported [just under the wire for the release of 4.7!] various other ME-isms that were broken in MElite SLEEK [V1] such as the OSK, etc.

Improved in 4.7 but not totally fixed: MSCONFIG with SLEEK [V1] will apply correctly when you exit, but will create a minor crash and will not actually reboot. Manual reboot will work OK, etc.

Anyway, try 4.7; most of the effort was placed on fixing ME past 4.6, etc. [SLEEK [V2] still on hold .]

cjl

I'm looking forward to a new release of Windows ME service pack

I used to use Linux for OS studying and Windows XP for backup OS on my laptop.

However, I recently installed bundled Windows ME with recorver CD.
It's just because installing Windows with recover CD is the fastest way to get windows OS on my VAIO laptop and I'm kinda bored with the XP interface.

I know ME is the most unstable OS ever from Microsoft and I have hated it.
but some bundled function accomplished by Sony is great (ie: Active Desktop with function to change wallpaper according to current season.) .
So,, I'm currently playing with Active Desktop in Windows ME and studying JAVA Script.

Anyway, I always look for new things and different things, and unofficial Windows ME /98 servicepack is my current head topic.

Thank you for your all effort on Service packs and bringing us a new and good things.

i hav had 4.7 for a whilte, just at the time of doing this i had 4.5/6.

Hmm, WinME an unstable OS, huh?

If you install the right updates for ME, adjust a few settings
and preventing some stuff from loading such as 'Pchschd.exe -s'
WinME will run a little faster and be a little more stable. The
Pchschd thingy is barely worthless and can easily be disabled
from the Msconfig tool.

Note that Windows ME patches work a little differently than
Windows 95 & 98 patches. Read MS article 295413 on
how Windows ME updates work:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/295413

It'll be a little harder to make a service pack for WinME because
you can't just install updated files. Note that WinME's system file
protection [SFP] feature will reject files that are older than the
ones included in ME AND ones that are not approved by the WinME OS
such as updated system files greater than ME but do not come with
a digital signature file [a .cat file] that tells SFP to accept the updated
files. Only .CAT files are made by MS.

Gape et all,

what about not a SP for ME, but instead an "Enhancement Pack" to 98SE ? It would include IE6 with SP1 and hotfixes; WMP 9 plus codecs; .NET Framework; MSN 6.2 (maybe 7) and DirectX 9.0c... all installable in a single click !

Just a suggestion, since there's not too many users of ME as of 98SE...

Oh, please don't forget to write the guide to localize 98SE SP 2.0 after its release !

--ThundernetBR

there is a program called system restore remover that can remove the system file protection,if he makes one there should be a requierment before installing the sp that you need it and will not install it without using that app
i've had win me stable but i had to format it within a few days

go here for system restore remover 1.5

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=516
Enjoy

great idea. perhaps with WMP 8 codecs included as well, and WMP9 (preferable the extracted version from winxp sp2??). server space for this could become reasonably big for a single update, but perhaps some DIY instructions? (ive read the WMP for sp2 tutorial)

there may not be as many users of ME as there are for 98se, but i still believe it would be worth creating one for ME as there are people who do still use it. hey, my systems with 98 would be running it if it would run stable on their hardware...

this is not just a matter of software tweaks to get it running stable. ME is picky with its hardware. i would say forget using ISA hardware with it, even if you do use a third party driver.

me hates crappy hardware
98 will accept crappy hardware
me is more picky than xp is

I used ME for a full 2 years before moving to XP Pro.

Those were bright days. The only frustration at stablility became of own occassional doing!

But, at the end of the day, it was a quick OS, and looked more modern, based partly on the Windows 2000 interface. The feature set was much improved too.

I far, far prefer it to 98SE! I am afraid (not being scathing) 98SE was horrid, from the slow start up times, to the heavy DOS components to that nasty murky green background colour to the random unreliablility.

98SE has "outdated" written all over it, and whilst creating service packs will extend its use, its only fair that ME has the same star treatment, when it is actually better.



Not true in my opinion
ME has far better support for hardware. Especially USB devices such as flash drives and zip drives. ME just gets on and installs them, 98 needs 10 million driver files to even detect them half the time.

As long as I can remember, I used ME for about 18 months without any problem at all, running stable on a Asus A7V + Duron 800 MHz.

But at that time I noticed something that must explain this. I customized my whole installation from the very beggining, and some friends of mine *never* became happy using ME, maybe because they installed it with the default settings.

Of course it's just a hint, can't assure if this was the difference - or not - for a stable ME to a "average erratic" ME...

--ThundernetBR

well me is picky,you just happened to have hardware that me liked,once you add the sp to 98 it isin't really outdated and is a bit more modern,98 performs best on older hardware and can be good on new,me is better on newer

I agree with thundernetbr on customizing installation of WinME. It ran better
that way than with the default install options. Also Windows ME is best suited
for HOME usage, not for business usage. ME was built for the consumer & home
user while NT/2000 was built for small & large businesses.

I even installed some old hardware such as this Star NX2460c dot matrix color
printer from the mid-90s and used it on my HP computer with pre-installed
WinME and it ran fine. So SOME old hardware can work with ME, but not all of
them; you just need to install the LATEST drivers for the old hardware.

If you want to use hardware from the Win3.x days, use Win98 first or second
edition instead of ME. 98 is also best suited for home/consumer users.

Note that removing system file protection will prevent WinME users from
uninstalling IE from Add/Remove programs as the uninstaller will fail if SFP
is not running or disabled.

FAT chance of an "Enhancement Pack" being made.

do you have a guide about customizing me?

More accurately, Win98 can run ok on older/slower computers such as
those ancient Pentium 1 PCs [133 Mhz or slower] with 32 megs of memory.
WinME works best on faster PCs such as Pentium 2 [233 Mhz or faster] with
64 megs of memory or more.

Win98 SE (2nd edition) can run just fine on newer PCs as long as the
appropriate patches are installed. It can have the same benefits as running
WinME on newer PCs. Win98 FE (1st edition) may have problems running
on newer/faster PCs made in the 21st century.

win 98 1st edition has more bugs than 2nd edition

Not exactly... Just unmark and check some features here and there when requested by ME's own installation procedure and after that installing the most recent (at that time) versions of DirectX, IE6 and WMP. I cannot remember which ones, but probably DirectX 8.1, IE6 (not SP1 yet) and WMP 8.

Worked like a charm for some time before migrating to W2K Pro.

By the way, Merry Christmas for all !

--ThundernetBR

98lite version 4.7 works with me so yea it is possible but me may not like you and crash on you till you put ie back

i tried using 98lite micro
on startup it gave me explorer.exe errors n stuff=format
use ie iradicator instead to save yourself a format

That was already posted a while back here.

why the quote?there was no need for it

MDGx has an older version of System Restore Remover Pro which is version 1.1
posted here:
http://ftp.mdgx.com/files/SRP11.ZIP
This one removes the WMI and WBEM features of ME which v1.5 can't do.

Ah, dump 98lite micro. Who needs it if you have a superfast PC with lots
of RAM installed & using a large hard drive? That old classic Win95-style
Explorer interface is pitiful and inefficient. Win95 is already obsolete and
can't handle the hardware made in the 21st century.

correct,i tried installing it on a new mobo n it gave errors when trying to start,plus 98micro gave problems so you don't need it,98chubby will do just fine,well me got 512 ram,will go to 1 gig soon,win98 will work with 1 gig

i thought windows 98 can only recognise 512mb of ram?

at first it can only support up to 512 but the sp resolves that,if not there are other workarounds to allow up to 1.5 gig from what i know,it's a bit of work but it's worth it
sides the original windows 98 is too buggy,se is not buggy

Hey, erpman:

Who needs 98lite micro? I do, but not for my main system:

I make machines with LS-120 instead of a floppy. 98lite micro fits entirely on the LS-120 and boots up with no regard for the hard disk whatsoever. From that vantage point I can diagnose various problems, run anti-virus/anti-spam, ME defrag that rearranges all files with no reservations, etc. on all of the now-looked-upon-merely-as-data hard disk partitions, etc.

I posted awhile back all of the differences between 98lite CHUBBY and 98lite SLEEK [V1]. There are people who prefer SLEEK over CHUBBY who have a free choice. If SLEEK [V2] ever gets fixed, it might even tilt the scales a little bit more for SLEEK, since from a user's standpoint, SLEEK V2 works identically but has less "growing pains" due to ill-behaved apps, etc.

One particular point is that regardless of what you are running 98se on, SLEEK beats the hell out of CHUBBY with regard to emptying the recycle bin, running more like XP on steroids than the standard lame sloth of all other forms of 98SE 98lite or not, etc. and has no problems with copying lots of/large file manipulations
that seems to plague others [Have we resolved the BROWSEUI.DLL and BROWSELC.DLL problem? Can I safely revert to the IE501SP2 versions if I have all of the IE60SP1 and hotfixes installed? In SLEEK I don't care; it doesn't use them].

Believe it or not, there are users who don't care about win2K themes, ME icons, bloated screen windows that put up options on the top they never use, toolbars that waste taskbar space, active desktops, etc. For them, SLEEK is just fine.

Also, the SHELL has nothing whatsoever to do with what the O/S does or does not support in terms of hardware. I agree that win95 is dead, that's why I don't use it for a variety of reasons such as lack of FAT32 support [except in 95B/C], lack of large disk support [no bigger than 32 GB] and lots of drivers and apps that won't load there, but are fine with 98SE, and a general lack of hotfixes for problems it shares with other 9x that didn't get fixed there, etc. However, the SHELL is not related to any of that, since using the 95 shell on top of 98SE changes the hardware situation not at all!

I have yet to find a machine that cannot install 98lite regardless of shell choice, unless I also cannot get plain 98SE to install either [and there are lots of cases like that unless you are prepared to do a lot of driver research in some instances, and perhaps install some stuff in safe mode, etc. In one case, I had to do the pass one of the install up to the first boot, on another board entirely, then use GHOST to transplant the rest of the install on the problem board, which then worked fine! This was NOT related to 98lite whatsoever, etc.] [On some boards, you have to install hotfixes before you install drivers or it crashes. In some instances, such as on fairly recent TYAN boards, the driver installs on the provided support CD are actually installing hotfixes automagically while they install the drivers to make it even work, etc. Installing Gape's SP can work wonders here BEFORE you install the drivers!]

So, yes, by all means install/use what you want, but please no misdirected rants here.

cjl

why don't you tell that to soldier1st, CLASYS?

I agree with him on not needing 98micro. Changing the shell
of win98se can actually break certain programs like Wordpad
which requires the shell32.dll file of Win98se.

thats a risk you take with installing the sp
in the next sp it will give you the option of installing the win me icons or not so the risk will be lower

i thought the SP only LIMITS win98 to reading 512mb of ram?..u no, through msconfig?

ay first windows 98 doesen't allow more than 512 ram,if you want to use more than 512 you must limit the ammount of memory that vcache sees or do though msconfig/advanced and limit memory to 999(thats the highest value it will allow)

Windows 9x and Windows ME only supports maximum 1 GB RAM internally. For example, if you have 2 GB RAM, you can only use 1 GB of it. There are also two situations about this limit:

1- VCache problem on 512 MB or more RAM. (It can be solved by adding line into SYSTEM.INI).
2- More than 1 GB RAM problem. (It can be solved by adding line into SYSTEM.INI or with MSCONFIG).

SP fixes both of problems by adding these lines.

Well, if your system can handle 98lite micro and doesn't cause problems with
other 3rd party software installed, go ahead and use it. I DON'T CARE!
As long as your system is stable, keep it.

Like with xplite, not ALL Win98 users need 98lite micro. I don't install it because
I am using programs that conflict with it.