Ok, time for release. I'm going offline for some time now.

Tihiy's Windows 98 Revolutions Pack PRE-BETA1
Here(1,3MB)
plus
Updated DLL (v2): fixes overlay (shortcut) drawing, not drawn/bad shadow icons (50KB) - copy it to \windows\system dir under DOS.
Features Present:
- Support for 32-bit icons
- Some XP/Longhorn stylish icons

Features Absent:
- Preffering 32-bit icon versions

Also in "-":
- Some 16-color icons are crapped
- Perfomance? (haven't tested on real machine)
- Stability? (...)

Please remember that it doesn't offers "+" and "-" of RELEASE version.

Installation:
- Please make sure that you have IE5.5(+)
- Good if you install it AFTER SP/98SE2ME/IE/updates and such
- UNINSTALL previous (alpha) version if you used!!! (replace user.exe,user32.dll with normal versions!)
- Also do not foget to use True Color in Display Settings and following registry change:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics]
"Shell Icon BPP"="32"

Screenshot:


Waiting for your feedback.

Did you do something in this pack to help performance?

I thought it was all vanity related (I am definitely looking for performance enahncements too!).


Thanks!

?!!!
This version is pre-beta and has a lot of ways to improve its perfomance.
Main goal is graphic enhancement, but i'll look some security/stability problems too.

sorry....the word vanity meant graphical.....

thx!!

Great work Tihiy, all your hard work is certainly appreciated here.

Me Stupid
Also do not foget to use True Color in Display Settings and following registry change:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics]
"Shell Icon BPP"="32"

Also i've fixed shortcut icons:
^^ SEE TOP POST

Tihi,

Aren't you afraid that your enhancement affect the way specific video card are working?
For example I have an ASUS8200-deluxe (with video in), with an NVidia chipset.
It comes with lots of features and setting, especialy for overlay, games and such...

Won't you recommand your pack only for basic "factory" video devices?

That's why it's called beta. I want people to test it. I think it will work with most videocards.

just a thought: 'Revolutionary' instead of 'Revolutions'??????????

The idea is similar to The Matrix trilogy. Someone already did Reloaded version, so i decided to make Revolutions.

why is IE5.5(+) needed for this ?

Because current version installs ME shell.

works well still a few bugs my emoticons wont show up in msn 6.2 and in this forum etc small errors like that but 4 a beta its pretty solid ill wait for revolutions update thxz tihny

Hm. Please correct: its NOT shown or shown CRAPPED?

not shown

one more thing when trying view things as thumbnails its blank hmmm.

Ok, i've fixed problems i've seen. Not sure about Messenger, but thumbnails/IE work well. If you still expirience thumbnail problems, try to run regsvr32 thumbvw.dll.

Download UPDATED version of DLL.DLL form the first post.

looking good nice work !!! looking forward to next update u rock...

Tihiy, I installed your exe and the new dll.dll to \windows\system, and I changed the registry value you mentioned to 32, but I'm getting black icon shadows (see attached picture) and missing shortcut icons.

1) Do not forget to turn 32-bit color mode in display settings
2) Try to turn off webview
3) Clear icon cache
4) What... - shortcut icons ARE in your picture, they're just changed.

1) Do not forget to turn 32-bit color mode in display settings

I always use 1280x1024x32 bit.

2) Try to turn off webview

You mean Active Desktop? I don't use that.

3) Clear icon cache

Done. I also set my icons to use 16.7 million colors in FreshUI, I guess that affects a different registry setting than the one you mentioned. Still no improvement.

4) What... - shortcut icons ARE in your picture, they're just changed.

Um, I guess you are right, but I expected an arrow or something. Not just a white square

Done. I also set my icons to use 16.7 million colors in FreshUI, I guess that affects a different registry setting than the one you mentioned. Still no improvement.

16.7=24 bit!!!! Set Registry value manually, disable loading any tweakers, and reboot!

OK, some good news..again. I've finished the most important feature-preffering 32-bit icon versions. This update is almost useless without it!
There are some work left, but the most hard work I already did.

Release version should be soon. Sorry if pre-beta version didn't worked as it has to.

Setting 'Shell Icon BPP' to 32 will display a lot of colors IF AND ONLY IF you set your video card to 32-bit Real Color in the Color Depth setting. It won't work with 16-bit High Color mode.

If you are using an older video card that does not allow 32-bit real color mode and only supports 16-bit or 24-bit color modes, then set 'Shell Icon BBB' to 16 and reboot to make the setting take effect.

I set the registry key to 32, cleared icon cache, and rebooted. Still dark shadows and white square shortcuts

May be a hardware problem? I wrote small program to test your problem. Please run it

It says "32 bit true, maybe hardware problem".

I dunno if it matters but I have 98 Plus! Pack.

Also I have GeForce FX 5900 Ultra 256 MB with latest drivers (66.94 Forceware) and latest mobo AGP drivers.

May be pack installed incorrectly and COMCTL32.DLL was replaced by Windows? Check if its version is 5.81.4916.400. Then try to delete DLL.DLL. If it will be able to delete, than error in installation. Delete \sysbckup forlder and reinstall it.

i have a Geforece FX 5200 128MB+Latest Drivers and 32bit color.will try it when it's done dling.also my COMCTL32.DLL says version 5.81