Revolutions Pack Lite V for Windows 98 Second Edition
Multilingual, first release

It introduces multilingual binaries, drops patches and still requires ME CD.
Supporting English, Italian, Polish, Dutch (Standard) and Russian Windows language versions.
http://tihiy.ahanix.org/RPLite5.MLANG.exe

This is test release with most critical files translated.
You should improve it.
It has one strange bug: Windows may crash one or two times after install or language changing, but after that, it will work normally.

If you'll have strange language behavior after installing, you'll need to go to System Properties applet and change language to yours, even if it is already yours.

...Applets / install.inf:


;lot of crap now
[SysProps]
HKLM,"Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce","sysprops",,"regsvr32 /s %11%\sysprops.dll"
HKLM,"Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce","zsysprops",,"regedit.exe /s %11%\install.reg"

letter "z" (zsysprops) ???

What's up?
It is started with z only to make it reg file import after registering dll file.

Tihiy, how did you fix the multi-language SysDm.cpl file?

I tested on my system, but half of the Hardware Installation Wizard is English now. I experienced the strange bug you described. It happens after second boot. It might be some self-registering dll files that messes up the system.

Actually i haven't fixed it. It is provided for English and Polish version only.
sysdm.cpl requires enough amount of time because of it is non-editable in original way.
I'll fix it for other languages when i'll return.

Hi everyone, hi Tihiy !

I thought someone had posted for it but I see there's no french translation yet. I must have dreamed again...
Anyway I'm in for it. Just ask what you need with a PM.

Oh...and nice holidays if you're leaving.

Hi Tihiy,

thats great you released RP Lite5 Multilingual!

Unfortunately i have some problems with my polish instalation:
- on the first screen next to "Windows SE, PL" i have the "!" sign
Is it possible that it may be caused by KernelUpdateProject?

ADDED: i uninstalled it, nothing changed

- after i enter the MeCD path and the instalation begins there is an error when setup begins to unpack files (in my case it stopped on "dimm.dll" file)
Maybe its something with my MeCD, i dont know.

ADDED: i tried another Me CD, problem remains

And one more thing: i have the "!" sign next to Graphic Card. In previous setup (english) this was ok.

cheers!

Great job, now all works.
Unfortunately there are in boot logo red texts too many long that create problems in visualization.
This happens when I update system components.
It is possibile to edit these texts?

Tihiy can you make this theme to work on win98se!?
loot here -> http://www.msfn.org/win2k3/uxtheme.htm

I guess you can download the theme by yourself and mod it to fit the LameSkin Engine specifications. Downloadable example has been offered earlier in this thread by Tihiy.

Good luck!

Tihiy, can you tell me where I can get the Lame skin Stand alone, one that is not packaged with Revolutions Pack, becasue I'm still having a problem with 256 Icons plus I don't have Windows ME Cd.I want to see how the Lame Skin Handles on My system.I just ordered a new video card from ebay and I'm still waiting for it to be delivered. Thanx



Keep up the good work

hey Tihiy. tested RPLite5 under my WinME machine yesterday. installed ok though I couldn't un-install it. restore.bat does not work properly in DOS mode outside WinME (I think because pure DOS mode in ME does not understand %winbootdir%). I had to restore the backed-up WinME files manually which took a while. worked ok under WinME though the Lock the Taskbar command does not show up when right-clicking on the Taskbar.

I did try out RPLite5 under my old Win98se computer which was at my next door neighbor's house and it was great though the computer ran a little slower than usual. The Lock Taskbar option was there when I right-click on the Taskbar in 98se. The Restore.bat file worked as expected unlike in WinME.

btw - for those who are having color problems with icons check the following registry key in Regedit:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics
Change the "Shell Icon BPP" entry to either 16 or 24 if your video card does not support 32-bit real color mode. Be sure that the Shell Icon BPP value matches the Color Depth setting from the Display tab (either 16bit High Color or 24bit True Color) if using older video cards. then close registry editor and reboot.

you rock Tihiy!

I know this patch to boot in real dos mode, maybe this can to help you?
http://www.geocities.com/dos8me/

RPLite is for Win98SE, not for Win Me

09/08/06 - Fixed io.sys for italian language, update please.
http://rapidshare.de/files/28787161/IO.SYS.html

Now only this imperfection to correct:
http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?s=&...st&p=541841

Better send Win98' command.com.


Fixed; this was a known bug. Now wininit.exe is started before win.com.

Download: (with updated source)

Here my command.com taken from win 98 cd in attachment
Io.sys is winboot.sys (same file, name changed) in unofficial SE 98 2.1a italian, and it works, without "system configuration manager failed to load" or english texts in boot.
I've done a wrong thing?

Hello -

Fantastic product - your efforts show in its quality.

Question:

Boot logo gests distorted in the last few seconds before OS kicks in. Using newer NVIDIA card - related?

Thanks in advance.

P.S. Is it possible to have Revolutions (during an applications install) act like Wine when an app checks for win ver.?
Will the Taskbar be implemented in Lameskin (this was genius - thanks)?
One more - Is revolutions compatible with 98 lite after the 95 shell swap?

Sorry for all the questions - thank you again!

thx!

Dunno - never tested it on real hardware
You mean to have feature to select which Windows version will be lied? You should probably ask Kernel Update maker for such feature.

There was some progress on it during RPLite5 development but it was abadoned.
Native taskbar skinning is too complex. External Taskbar application may appear but not everybody would like it.

No. Although during ME shell setup most required registry entries will be rebuilt, if you don't have IE files and registry entries required for shell, it won't work.

Tihiy,

Just a thought...

Instead of creating an executable to display a 640x480 16mil colors logo at bootup, one can use an image tool like PictView, Ombra or ShowJPG [native DOS pic viewers] from within autoexec.bat or from within a dedicated batch file which can start Windows 3.x/9x/ME, and display a pic up to 1024x768 16mil colors jpg, tif, bmp or 256 colors gif every time before Windows loads.
This pic can also be rotated to change every time one reboots and/or every time one restarts/reloads Windows.
And this procedure works with all Windows editions from 3.0 up to ME.
Note that WinME needs one of the real mode DOS patches installed:
http://www.mdgx.com/dos.htm#ME

And if using ZIPAPER or similar tool, one can zip up [compress] all bitmaps in a single file [using for example 7-zip, PKZIP or whatever ZIP tool = archive must be in ZIP format to be recognized by ZIPAPER], for space saving and convenience.

And the beauty is that the video card type doesn't matter much, the XGA/SVGA DOS video modes [built into PictView, Ombra + ShowJPG] are usually supported by most video controllers out there.

All necessary step-by-step instructions to achieve all of the above are in this text file:
http://www.mdgx.com/files/95LOGOS.TXT
This file [modified to include rotation of Windows background wallpapers in BMP format and the DOS pic viewers listed above] is found as NEWLOGO.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE and W95-11D.ZIP:
http://www.mdgx.com/95.htm

HTH

Surely it is good enough method, but then you won't get animation.

True, that's only a static pic, but you can go up to 1024x768 in true color.

IMO:
Maybe you can use code from tools like pictview or ombra to upgrade your executable to display 1024x768 true color [if appropriate, of course].

Looks like they aren't open source?
I can't improve my loader much, because using 1024x768 true color BMP will occupy 2,25MB and implementing JPG or PNG compression will be too complex for me.

Tihiy, I like the bootscreen as it is now. No reason to change it. The only show-stopper for Revolutions Pack Lite to become stable is the nasty Windows crashing bug after installing or changing language. Meaby it has something to do with the grpconv -o command?

Keep up the great work. I'm lookin forward to see the new lame-skin functionality and everything else

I know this has probably been answered before, but I can't seem to find a straight answer.

Why does an upgrade for win98SE require a windows ME CD? and how can I install the shell update without one? Is there somewhere else i can get the required files?(I dont care about the legality of the issue).

So, you're requesting warez on your first post.
I don't recall any forum where such behavior will be liked.
And here are very strict laws about warez, so probably you'll be banned.
Find a better way to find a ME CD or files.



It is already fixed internally, but won't debut until RPLite6 because there is no RPLite5 build further planned.

I wasn't expecting you to point me to a torrent of a Me CD or anything, I can do that on my own.

I would like to know why it would require one in the first place, and if there is a legal way to get the files required, instead of having to get the whole CD. It just seems rather odd that a 3rd party upgrade for 98 would require the CD of another version of windows..., and again, I have yet to find a straight answer.
I probably should have worded my first post differently, I didn't mean to ask for warez exactly, I just wanted an explanation, and to know wheter or not there was another way of doing it.

Also, I had read that in the older versions the required files were included, so I had assumed there would be a place to download them.

Because it isnt techinacally an upgrade.. It is a merger of two OSes.. So, you really need to use to licences (two OSes) to do this..

quite frankly the reason is 2 protect his butt from microsoft.if u need a me cd im sure u can find one or use the files from rp4.

Tihiy, are there problems with io.sys and command.com?
All regular?

Hello again....

Is there an option to enable transparency on taskbar?

Thanx much..

No, do you need it much?

It would be nice, since native taskbar skinning is proving difficult to find.

Hi!!! Can you make a Spanish Version???

If you want RPLite5 localized:

Upload this somewhere...

Hi Tihiy.

Just sent you a PM with a link to the files you need for a french version.

Thanks

Just a few words:
RPLite6 will officially support 98FE and ME.

Woowwwwwwww

That's awesome news, Tihiy. Now it's really going to fit into the Win9x Power Pack.

Here's one micro fix not related to RP, but to IE:

- IE incorrectly renders 32-bit PNG files with alpha channel without translucency on gray (button color) background.
- This update does not add proper translucency support, but makes PNG files render on white (window color) background. This is useful if you're viewing png images from IE.

Test: http://tihiy.ahanix.org/fldr-trans.png

Quick question: what happens if window color is NOT white? For example, I use 0xFFFFD7. Is it possible to read said setting from the registry and use it in some sort of a dynamic patch?

[EDIT] Here is a cropped screenshot of the test picture before and after upgrade:

Thx for pointing bug, Drugwash.
(One more bug in IE6)

Here is the fixed version.
-removed see later-

Could you please also fix pngfilt.dll 6.00.2800.1506 [newest available] ?

Thanks in advance.

FYI:
pngfilt.dll 6.00.2800.1506 installs from same update as the older 6.00.2800.1505, but only if you have this value in your registry [QFE build instead of RTM build]:

-------snip-------
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer]
"QFEInstalled"=dword:00000001
-------snip-------

Done, fixed

But can someone finally point me to the truth about that GDR/QFE bul*****?
Why QFE contains newer version? Is that always?
Does QFE versions become GDR someday? Is QFE always better?

Something is here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/824994

Petr

The fixed .1506 version works just fine, Tihiy. Thank you.

RPLite 6 LameSkin engine preview 2 - feature complete
for RPLite 5 [Eng or MLang] only with Shell Update installed
http://tihiy.ahanix.org/Lame6.zip
Changes since previous preview:
- Added Combobox[ex] skinning
- Fixed a lot of bugs, including most annoying one - line being erased when you hover/click titlebar

Installation
Copy '\Resources' to '%windir%\Resources'.
Copy '\System' to '%windir%\System' under DOS.
Double-click 'themes.reg'

Using
Go to Display Properties - Appearance. You'll notice 2 new schemes: 'Royale' and 'Square'. (They're not hardcoded, names just must match folder names in %windir%\Resources.)
When you apply them, skinning will turn on. If you apply other schemes, skinning will turn off.
Feel free to edit scheme colors and other settings.

Uninstallation
Delete lameskin.dll from %windir%\system.

Note:
This is a feature complete LameSkin, although there is two caveats:
- Is does not skin all windows it can.
- It is horribly unoptimized now.

More:
RPLite6 new icons screenshot: http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/294/rp6iconsfz0.png

Hey Tihiy can I please ask nicely for a couple more screenies of lameskin??

Only one because my system goes crazy:

!: There are screenshots on previous pages.

Thank you very much! I am off to try it on my other system as soon as I get home!