I'd like to see Win95 explorer.exe running with Win98 shell32.dll
After all the updates on this forum Win98 is no longer fast. It's beginning to crawl like a Windows XP.
Sorry guys, 98SE2ME is about upgrading Win98 SE to WinME level, not downgrading to Win95B/95C OSR2.x level. ;(
And besides, in order to add Win95B/95C explorer.exe to 98SE2ME, you will need a Win95B/95C OSR2.x setup CD or CABs [which you have to provide at the time of installation], a.k.a. a legitimate license to own such a CD or CABs.
And as you might have guessed, this unfortunately is beyond the scope of 98SE2ME.
But if you wish to do this at home, Marius '95 has graceously provided the guide [excerpt from READ1ST.TXT, the "KNOWN BUGS + FIXES" section]:
BUG:
One of 98lite:
http://www.litepc.com/options replaces Windows 98 SE EXPLORER.EXE with older Windows 95 version.
In such case 98SE2ME options 1, 2 + 3 fail to install.
FIX:
MUST perform all steps below in this exact order:
1. Backup to a safe location [%windir% = usually C:\WINDOWS]:
%windir%\EXPLORER.EXE
%windir%\SYSTEM\COMDLG32.DLL
%windir%\SYSTEM\SHELL32.DLL
BEFORE installing 98lite or 98SE2ME.
2. Install 98lite and switch to Windows 95 EXPLORER.EXE.
3. Create a new directory called %windir%\EXPLOR95 [example] and then copy
%windir%\EXPLORER.EXE + %windir%\SYSTEM\SHELL32.DLL into %windir%\EXPLOR95 .
4. Run 98lite and switch to Windows 98 SE EXPLORER.EXE.
5. Install 98SE2ME.
6. Copy %windir%\SYSTEM\COMDLG32.DLL into %windir%\EXPLOR95 and then open
%windir%\EXPLOR95\COMDLG32.DLL into a hex editor [for example XVI32]:
http://www.mdgx.com/toy.htm#HEXand replace all SHELL32.DLL strings with SHELL31.DLL (2 instances).
7. Reboot into native/true/real/pure MS-DOS mode:
A. by holding down Shift + F5 at the same time during BIOS boot POST (Power On
Self Test) sequence.
B. OR by scrolling down using the down arrow to the "Command prompt only"
option and then pressing Enter from the Windows 98 Startup Menu:
http://www.mdgx.com/msdos.htm#MENC. OR from a Windows 98 SE Emergency/Bootup/Startup floppy/CD/DVD/USB/external
disc/stick/tape.
8. Run these commands from the C:\ prompt:
ATTRIB -H -R -S %winbootdir%\EXPLOR95\*.*
ATTRIB -H -R -S %winbootdir%\EXPLORER.EXE
ATTRIB -H -R -S %winbootdir%\SYSTEM\COMDLG32.DLL
ATTRIB -H -R -S %winbootdir%\SYSTEM\SHELL32.DLL
REN %winbootdir%\SYSTEM\SHELL32.DLL SHELL31.DLL
COPY/Y/Z %winbootdir%\EXPLOR95\EXPLORER.EXE %winbootdir%
COPY/Y/Z %winbootdir%\EXPLOR95\COMDLG32.DLL %winbootdir%\SYSTEM
COPY/Y/Z %winbootdir%\EXPLOR95\SHELL32.DLL %winbootdir%\SYSTEM
9. Reboot normal back to Windows.
CAUTION:
Some programs will NOT run with older SHELL32.DLL from Windows 95!
Thank you Marius '95.