Hello everyone:

Has anyone run across a problem that after you install/update Win 98SE with
Unofficial Win98 SE Service Pack and then 98SE2ME, you are not able to run sysedit.exe?

I try to run sysedit and the program does not open/run.

Does Win 98 still process the entries in Autoexec.bat and Config.sys after these
updates have been applied?

Any thoughts, ideas welcome.


Thanks

WatcherSea

BTW: These updates are unbelievable. Very impressive and very impressed with the work that these two gentlemen have done. Well done and Thank You very much.

Welcome to MSFN forums, WatcherSea.

Please accept my sincere thanks for your kind appreciation regarding 98SE2ME.
I'm glad you found it useful.

About your problem, this is what u can do:
Restore [extract] sysedit.exe from 98SE setup CD back into %windir%\SYSTEM , in case it was damaged. More info:
http://www.mdgx.com/me1.htm#RESE

If that doesn't work, scan [run scandskw] for errors + fix all your HDs/partitions.

If that doesn't work, scan your computer for viruses.
More info on how a virus can disable programs in Windows:
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcen...siral.b@mm.html

If that doesn't work, see this security restrictions guide and make sure registry values which disable programs are not turned on:
http://www.mdgx.com/newtip9.htm#RESTRICT

If that doesn't work, search your entire registry for any sysedit.exe restrictions:
run regedit -> Edit -> Find -> type sysedit -> view all keys/values (if any) containing sysedit.exe and sysedit, and if u think they disable it, delete them.
Make a full backup of your registry [i.e. save it as REG file] prior to modifying it. More info:
http://www.mdgx.com/newtip12.htm#REGBAK

If that doesn't work, make sure if running Norton SystemWorks or similar tool that system files protection is not turned on. You may need to turn protection completely off.

If that doesn't work, use the alternative sysedit tool [31 KB, free] linked at URL above:
http://www.mdgx.com/me1.htm#RESE

Hope this helps.

Hello MDGx:

Your welcome for the kind works which are well deserved!!!

I know that sysedit worked before I applied the updates.

I'll restore " sysedit.exe " from the Win 98 CD using SFC.exe and see what happens.

I have tried the Sysedit.exe replacement which does work and may be the answer if I am unable to get sysedit working.

Thanks again.

Talk soon.

WatcherSea

An update:

Have searched the registry for any entries for restrictions " Sysedit.exe " None found.

Extracted " Sysedit.exe " form windows 98SE CD, same result.

Alternative sysedit tool works without error.

link: http://www.mdgx.com/me1.htm#RESE

Side note: Saw a post in regards to control panel, Windows components uninstall not working. Tried and had same problem. Install Registry entries, problem fixed.

Link: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=49545

Any troubleshooting technique I may use to find out why " Sysedit.exe " will not open/run?

Talk soon

WatcherSea

If u are using this computer in a multiuser environment, and u don't have admin or owner privileges, there is not much u can do, unless u email the sysadmin to allow u to use sysedit, and he/she is nice enuff to let u do that.
If u are using some sort of software that is protecting your boot and/or system INI files from being modified, u may need to disable it.

Also, see if u have a progman.ini file in your %windir% folder [usually C:\WINDOWS]. If u do, open it in Notepad and look for a line that stars like this:

[Restrictions]
EditLevel=x

where x can be from 1 to 4 .
If u do find such line, place a semicolon [ ; ] in front of it and save the file.
More info @ MSKB:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=75337

You may need to change PROGMAN.INI attributes if it is hidden, system or read-only:

ATTRIB -H -R -S %windir%\PROGMAN.INI

This primitive protection function is reminiscent from Win3x days.

That Control Panel issue should not affect the use of sysedit.

Sysedit.exe is a very old Win3x 16-bit executable, like a stripped-down text editor, that can edit only 4 small ASCII files. Preventing only it from running is not that simple, because by doing so, u may also disable from running other similar executables.
So it is more likely that something that is already loaded and running, is preventing your boot files from being modded.
I know firewalls that protect local system files from being deleted/moved/edited/etc.

I can't think of anything else for the moment.

Hope this helps.

Hello MDGx:

Thank you for your reply.

When I updated my Win 98 installation, I did not update IE to V6. You may ask why I did not? The reason is because I have never found IE V6 to work well with Win 98.

On the off chance that this could be the cause of this fault, I imaged my Win 98 partition and proceeded to install IE V6. After the install and the latest IE V6 security update [ SP1 ], " Sysedit.exe" started to work?

If you look at " Process Explorer " DLL list, you can see that " Sysedit.exe " references DLL that have been updated with 98SE2ME.

Here is the list:

Process: sysedit.exe Pid: FFFB4023

Name Description Company Name Version
ADVAPI32.DLL Win32 ADVAPI32 core component Microsoft Corporation 4.90.0000.3000
cabinet.dll Microsoft® Cabinet File API Microsoft Corporation 5.00.2147.0001
CFGMGR32.DLL Configuration Manager Win32 Interface Microsoft Corporation 4.90.0000.3000
COMCTL32.DLL Common Controls Library Microsoft Corporation 5.81.4916.0400
COMDLG32.DLL Common Dialogs DLL Microsoft Corporation 4.72.3510.2300
CRYPT32.DLL Crypto API32 Microsoft Corporation 5.131.1880.0014
GDI32.DLL Win32 GDI core component Microsoft Corporation 4.90.0000.3000
ICM32.DLL Color Management Module (CMM) Microsoft Corporation 5.00.0000.0000
IMAGEHLP.DLL Windows NT Image Helper Microsoft Corporation 5.00.2178.0001
KERNEL32.DLL Win32 Kernel core component Microsoft Corporation 4.10.0000.2225
LZ32.DLL Win32 LZ32 core component Microsoft Corporation 4.90.0000.3000
MPR.DLL WIN32 Network Interface DLL Microsoft Corporation 4.90.0000.3000
MSASN1.DLL ASN.1 Runtime APIs Microsoft Corporation 5.00.2195.6905
MSCMS.DLL Microsoft Color Matching System DLL Microsoft Corporation 5.00.1977.0001
MSVCRT.DLL Microsoft ® C Runtime Library Microsoft Corporation 6.01.9359.0000
NTDLL.DLL Win32 NTDLL core component Microsoft Corporation 4.90.0000.3000
OLE32.DLL Microsoft OLE for Windows and Windows NT Microsoft Corporation 4.71.3328.0000
RPCRT4.DLL Remote Procedure Call DLL Microsoft Corporation 4.71.3336.0000
SETUPAPI.DLL Windows Setup API Microsoft Corporation 5.00.2195.1526
SHELL32.DLL Windows Shell Common Dll Microsoft Corporation 4.72.3812.0600
SHLWAPI.DLL Shell Light-weight Utility Library Microsoft Corporation 6.00.2800.1106
USER32.DLL Win32 USER32 core component Microsoft Corporation 4.90.0000.3001
VERSION.DLL Win32 VERSION core component Microsoft Corporation 4.90.0000.3000
WINSPOOL.DRV Win32 WINSPOOL core component Microsoft Corporation 4.90.0000.3000
WINTRUST.DLL Microsoft Trust Verification APIs Microsoft Corporation 5.131.1880.0014
wondppet.dll Wonderful Icon's Puppeteer - does some of the dirty work for The Wonderful Icon Eric Heimburg 1.00.0000.0001

Yes, you can see I use Wonderful Icon - Used it for many years, works well

url: http://www.thewonderfulicon.com/

This list, of course, can only be generated once the program is running which of course it was not until I updated IE to V6.

I would like to thank you for you help. I will keep the above correspondence for future reference.

Just a thought: You may want to consider putting a sticky for the control panel, uninstall issue that I happen to come across since this seems to be a reocurring asked question.

Thanks again.

I will now go play with my new improved Win 98.

Talk soon.

WatcherSea

P.S. May I ask what is your computer background [ education, training ... ]? Just curios to know what inspired you to know so much about Win 98.

Hi WatcherSea,

Just to let you know I am using Win98SE's Sysedit on Win ME IE5.5 SP2 (+ Q867282 Security Update) without problem.

As well, on my system, Sysedit loads only the following Microsoft modules :

ADVAPI32.DLL 4.90.3000
GDI32.DLL 4.90.3000
KERNEL32.DLL 4.90.3000
OLE32.DLL 4.71.3328
OLEAUT32.DLL 2.40.4275
USER32.DLL 4.90.3001
VERSION.DLL 4.90.3000

Well. So much for my theory. I was running IE5.5 SP2 as well and yet it would not start.

Interesting that your list is longer then mine. I'll have to try with only sysedit running and see if my list is the same?

Thanks for the info.


WatcherSea

After fresh restart, same amount of dll's opened with Sysedit.exe

Just noticed on your list that KERNEL32.DLL has been updated to V 4.90.3000 while mine has a version of 4.10.0000.2225?

I guess I will extract this 4.90.3000 from the Win ME CD. This could have been the cause all along.

I'll have to try some time but not today, but I will let you know.

Later

Watcher

P.S. Is there a list of all files that are changed out? Wonder if any others got missed? Wonder why this one file got missed?

It has been updated to nothing as I am using Win ME as I have written. I think that if you replace Kernel32.dll, your system most probably won't work at all anymore.

What tool are you using to list the modules loaded by Sysedit.exe ? Your list looks more like what is loaded by Explorer.exe.

Opps , missed that you were running Win ME.

To get the list, download " Process Explorer " from Sysinternals:

http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/ProcessExplorer.html

Couldn't find that version of Kernel32.dll on the Win ME CD any ways.

You'll find Process Explorer very handy.

Later

WatcherSea

I have used this very tool (as well as others such as Taskinfo, PrcView and Current Process to confirm what I was reading with Process Explorer) to post the list of modules loaded by sysedit.exe on my system.

What I cannot understand is why our two lists are so broadly different.

Maybe one of us does not use the the Process Explorer tool properly...

Don't know what to tell you. Maybe it's because you are running ME.

To get the list all you have to highlight " Sysedit.exe " in the upper pane. The shortcut for the lower pane to show the DLL view is Ctrl + D.

Make sure the lower pane is showing.

To save the list, Ctrl + A and save the file. Open the saved file to see the list thats in the lower pane.

WatcherSea.

Yes, there is little way to do a mistake of that sort reading with Process Explorer. I find this very weird as the two systems aren't supposed to be broadly different so that I assume the dlls loaded by sysedit should be the same (not the same version) on the two systems. All the MS dlls you list (except for MSCMS.DLL and ICM32.DLL) are loaded on my system but not by Sysedit. Additionally I imagine my system my system is quite close from a Win 98SE one as I have removed all ME specific components from it (apart from new DOS mode). Mystery.

Guys,

I've tried all versions of sysedit.exe: Win 3.10, WfWG 3.11, Win95 FE, Win95 OSR2.5, Win98FE, Win98SE + WinXP setup CD [yes, XP has the same 16-bit sysedit ] on all these OSes, with and w/o MS IE 5/6: 98FE, 98SE + ME.
They all worked [as they should] regardless if 98SE2ME, Gape's SP, Petr's SP, Tihiy's RP or IE 5/6 were installed or not.
The only ones that don't work with 9x OSes [are not supposed to] are sysedit.exe from NT4, 2000 + 2003.
More mystery.

BTW:
Kernel32.dll from ME cannot be used with 98FE or 98SE, nor the other way around.

Don't know guys? I never did start from scratch. I Applied the updates to an existing Win 98 computer.

Who knows, could be some install form days gone by.

In any case. it now works.

Something to keep in the back of our minds if someone else runs across the same mystery.

Thanks for the input and help.

Talk soon.

WatcherSea

So what are the modules loaded by Sysedit.exe now that you have a freshly installed and presumably clean system ? I would be interested to know.

I never did a clean install. I am still using the same Win 98 installation with SP2 and Win 982ME.

I have no plans at this time to do a fresh install. I could back up and do it. It would be for interest sake rather then anything else since Win 98 is working correctly.

Talk soon.

WatcherSea.

So MDGx, you 've tried all versions of Sysedit on all 9x systems in all possible IE and Packs configuration. Can you confirm that the version of Sysedit that comes bundled with 98SE loads a broadly different set of modules when it is used on Win ME ? Or not ?

About all the differences between your 2 Process Explorer reports:
- WatcherSea listed all processes loaded by Windows + all programs/TSRs/DLLs/etc
- eidenk listed only the processes loaded by sysedit

Sysedit.exe is a 16-bit executable, not a PE 32-bit executable, so it only shows in Process Explorer or Dependency Walker [the ones I used] as single process.
Looking inside the 98SE version of sysedit.exe with eXeScope [shareware 16-bit + 32-bit PE editor]:
http://www.mdgx.com/toy.htm#HEX
I see the list of calls made to Windows APIs under the Import section:

KERNEL
USER
GDI

That's it.
All functions + API calls are listed under the Header section [with 2 subsections: Exe Header + Win Header].
Because sysedit.exe performs only a single task, it doesn't load any other processes/APIs besides the 3 above, no matter which OS it is used under.

Hope this helps.

Well Watcher Sea took some pain to explain he was highligting sysedit in Process Explorer to then retrieve in the lower pane the list of modules loaded by it. He explained it in details after I did suggest he was maybe not using Process Explorer properly. When you do this only modules loaded by sysedit are displayed, not the list he gives. So, as you confirm sysedit loads the list of MS modules I post in all cases I can only conclude that, for whatever reason, Watcher See deliberately and repeatedly lied as you cannot do a mistake there. When you highlight sysedit it's not a list all processes loaded by Windows + all programs/TSRs/DLLs/etc that shows up.

Additionally, the list of all processes loaded by Windows + all programs/TSRs/DLLs/etc is way bigger than what he posts and is not something you can quickly grab like that in one single list with Process Explorer. You cannot ignore that MDGx.

eidenk:

Just an FYI: My Win 98 partition is over 5 years old!!! I have no idea what all I have installed and removed in all that time:

Here is a list of the installation date from SIW (System Info) 1.50 (Build 580):

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4387.html

Operating System
Windows 98 Second Edition
OEM non upgrade version
OEM Version
Kernel Version: 4.10.2222.2225
Security: 128 bits
Updates: W98.SE Windows 98 Second Edition Q273991 Update Windows 98 Second Edition Q259728 Update Windows 98 Second Edition Q256015 Update Windows 98 Q249863 Update Windows 98 Second Edition Q260067 Update Windows 98 Second Edition Q273017 Update Windows 98 Second
Win98.SE Windows 98 Q249973 Update Windows 98 Second Edition Q238453 Update Windows 98 VTCP.386 Update Windows 98 Second Edition Q239887 Update
W98 Windows 98 Q245729 Update Windows 98 Q314147 Update Windows 98 Q323255 Update Windows 98 Q323172 Update Windows 98 Q329115 Update Windows 98 Q811630 Update
W98.TELNET Windows 98 TELNET Update
Serial Number: Operating System
Windows 98 Second Edition
OEM non upgrade version
OEM Version
Kernel Version: 4.10.2222.2225
Security: 128 bits
Updates: W98.SE Windows 98 Second Edition Q273991 Update Windows 98 Second Edition Q259728 Update Windows 98 Second Edition Q256015 Update Windows 98 Q249863 Update Windows 98 Second Edition Q260067 Update Windows 98 Second Edition Q273017 Update Windows 98 Second
Win98.SE Windows 98 Q249973 Update Windows 98 Second Edition Q238453 Update Windows 98 VTCP.386 Update Windows 98 Second Edition Q239887 Update
W98 Windows 98 Q245729 Update Windows 98 Q314147 Update Windows 98 Q323255 Update Windows 98 Q323172 Update Windows 98 Q329115 Update Windows 98 Q811630 Update
W98.TELNET Windows 98 TELNET Update
Serial Number: removed
Product Key: removed
Product Name: Microsoft Windows 98


Owner: removed
Organization: removed
Plus! Version: IE 5 6.0.2800.1106

User Name: removed
ComputerName: removed
Language: English (United States)
Installation Time: 03/06/2001 15:17:02.000
Running Time: 12 minutes


Active Desktop: Installed
removed
Product Key: removed
Product Name: Microsoft Windows 98


Owner: removed
Organization: removed
Plus! Version: IE 5 6.0.2800.1106

User Name: removed
ComputerName: removed
Language: English (United States)
Installation Time: 03/06/2001 15:17:02.000
Running Time: 12 minutes


Active Desktop: Installed


I haved " removed " any private info.


If it's that important eidenk, I will do a fresh install to satisfy your curiosity? This however will not answer why my list is so large when I run " sysedit.exe " but does it really matter???

Let me know.


WatcherSea

And I thought I was the only one who never reformats or installs anew.
My original Win95 [gradually upgraded 1 OS at a time all the way up to ME and then "downgraded" back to 98SE] partition will be 10 years old this August [happy birthday!].
That is because [if any of you know or recall] Windows 95 retail first edition was released August 15 1995, and I was in line at the store when it opened that AM.

Hello MDGx:

You know as well as I do that one reason that we do not reinstall is because we can keep the original Windows install up and running.

There are a lot of reinstalls performed by people just because a problem could not be solved and a reformat and reinstall seems to be the easiest answer.

If people would learn to back up the Windows partition before trying out new software, it word be a much happier world.

This applies to every operating system out there and if any wisdom can be shared to everyone who looks after a computer would be " Save before you try any new program, hardware or just making adjustments to an operating system " and of course make regular data backups as well [ Please verify that the backups are complete and are actually usable ]

Wisdom button now off.

Later

WatcherSea

Amen, brother

Ite Missa Est

I thought Windows 95 was released to the public in retail boxes on August 24, 1995 as noted in some of my old PC Computing magazines I've been keeping over the years.

i hardly had to do any re-install of Windows whether it's Win95, 98 or ME since I usually run Scandisk & Defrag to fix/optimize my machines. Also when performing backups of any kind be sure to backup your important computer files to reliable backup media like Iomega Jaz disks or even cd-rewritable discs (CDRWs) if anyone uses a cd burner.

Erasing free disk space from time to time is a must as well I have noticed.

You're probably right, I remembered the wrong day.

and Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2 [OSR2] was released exactly a year after the original version of Windows 95 was released. no wonder why the Win95 OSR2 system files have a date of 8-24-1996.