[MioKawaii]

@MDGx
Is there a way to do the transplant without installing win98SE first? I mean replace those files on the source disc to get a win98SEME ISO.

[MDGx]

MioKawaii, on Jul 3 2005, 06:27 PM, said:

@MDGx
Is there a way to do the transplant without installing win98SE first? I mean replace those files on the source disc  to get a win98SEME ISO.

I bet there is, but unfortunately at the moment I don't have the time to come up with the scripts.
To abide by MS guidelines, this requires among other things to repack all setup CABs, and I don't have the info on how exactly each CAB depends on/links to the others.
Maybe some day I'll research this stuff...

Hope this helps.

[VWIMaster]

MDGx,

I am trying to create my own windows disc. Is there any way I can alter the batch files etc. so that they read what I want them to say. Because I want all these Win ME files built into it, and the base is win98se.

Then, how do I add altered 98 and ME files (resource hacked) into the installer?

With your permission, of course.

Just a thought.

And also, as posted on another page, I have problem with my pictures folder and some other automatic thumbnail folders after installing 98se2me. Changing the folder to classic in Customise Folder Wizard, then altering the wvleft.gif to match wvleft.bmp, this fixes problem for one specific folder, but how do I make this a global change??

This post has been edited by VWIMaster: 08 July 2005 - 12:44 PM

[MDGx]

VWIMaster, on Jul 8 2005, 12:24 PM, said:

MDGx,

I am trying to create my own windows disc. Is there any way I can alter the batch files etc. so that they read what I want them to say. Because I want all these Win ME files built into it, and the base is win98se.

Then, how do I add altered 98 and ME files (resource hacked) into the installer?

With your permission, of course.

Just a thought.

And also, as posted on another page, I have problem with my pictures folder and some other automatic thumbnail folders after installing 98se2me. Changing the folder to classic in Customise Folder Wizard, then altering the wvleft.gif to match wvleft.bmp, this fixes problem for one specific folder, but how do I make this a global change??

98SE2ME files are open source [more details in READ1ST.TXT + INNOFILE.TXT], therefore u can modify them any way u want for the purpose of using/testing stuff on your own computer(s).
If u plan on improving 98SE2ME, please post your scripts/ideas here so we can all benefit.

To include ME files into a 98SE setup CD, u need to know exactly how CABs are linked so u can properly replace files and repack the CABs. I don't have that info, but Microsoft does.
As long as u do this right, it doesn't matter if u add/replace hexed or original files, u just need to make sure checksum detection [INF code mostly] corresponds with the altered/replaced files code.
The catch is that you're talking about modding an entire OS here, so this will be tedious and lengthy work if u plan on pursuing this project.
I wish u the best of luck.
And please post here your scripts/ideas, so we can all benefit.

Edit:
Added this Q&A into READ1ST.TXT under the "FAQ" chapter:
READ1ST.TXT
________________________________________

About thumbnail folders:
I need more details, please, like: how exactly happens, which Windows Explorer folder view were u using, do u get any error dialogs, if u do please post them here, which 98SE2ME option(s) did u install right before this happened, which 98SE2ME edition were u using, are u sure it's an 98SE2ME option that caused this, which exact steps u took to fix exactly what.

PS:
thumbnail view errors have been fixed:
please d/l 98SE2ME newest edition:
http://www.msfn.org/...showtopic=46349

Hope this helps.

[sybesma]

MDGx,

I've noticed a problem with the FORMAT command in one of the latest releases that I'm using.

It doesn't provide for me to copy system files, which some programs (like Partition Magic Pro 7.0) will pull up that FORMAT window in order to make a boot disk.

I guess when the FORMAT command was substituted for the ME version, they dropped that feature out of the dialog box.

Thanks,

Steve Sybesma

[PsycoUnc]

-MDGx, I noticed you removed a lot of font updates, because "Internet Font Packs, XP SP2 + 2003 SP1 install newer builds"... ?

-the only Internet Font Pack I've seen is supposed to be only for win95... ?... and yanking the fonts out of xpsp2/2003sp1 probably isn't the easiest thing to do, for some of your less-technically-oriented fans... -do u have any personally-built font packs, or at least the scripts to do it, or maybe links, etc? Would be nice...

[sybesma]

MDGx,

I have noticed a bug for sometime which I wonder if you knew about and has been fixed already.

This happens when I want to do a Search and do a "Browse for Folder".

I always see two "My Documents" folders in the list.

Don't know why. Probably a registry thing.

Maybe one of them represents the folder from 'pure' Windows 98 SE and the
other represents the folder created by components in the 98SE2ME update.

Steve

[MDGx]

sybesma, on Jul 9 2005, 01:45 PM, said:

MDGx,

I've noticed a problem with the FORMAT command in one of the latest releases that I'm using.

It doesn't provide for me to copy system files, which some programs (like Partition Magic Pro 7.0) will pull up that FORMAT window in order to make a boot disk.

I guess when the FORMAT command was substituted for the ME version, they dropped that feature out of the dialog box.

Thanks,

Steve Sybesma

Steve,

98SE2ME does not replace FORMAT.COM.
FORMAT.COM and most other DOS mode tools from ME will not work under 98SE, unless u load SETVER.EXE from CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT to fake their version number.
Please see this page for complete list of ME files replaced by 98SE2ME:
http://www.mdgx.com/98-5.htm#FME

Hope this helps.

[MDGx]

sybesma, on Jul 10 2005, 10:59 AM, said:

MDGx,

I have noticed a bug for sometime which I wonder if you knew about and has been fixed already.

This happens when I want to do a Search and do a "Browse for Folder".

I always see two "My Documents" folders in the list.

Don't know why. Probably a registry thing.

Maybe one of them represents the folder from 'pure' Windows 98 SE and the
other represents the folder created by components in the 98SE2ME update.

Steve

Please post more details about when, how, why exactly this happens so I can reproduce all steps on my PC.
Thanks.

[MDGx]

PsycoUnc, on Jul 9 2005, 10:43 PM, said:

-MDGx, I noticed you removed a lot of font updates, because "Internet Font Packs, XP SP2 + 2003 SP1 install newer builds"... ? 

-the only Internet Font Pack I've seen is supposed to be only for win95... ?... and yanking the fonts out of xpsp2/2003sp1 probably isn't the easiest thing to do, for some of your less-technically-oriented fans... -do u have any personally-built font packs, or at least the scripts to do it, or maybe links, etc?  Would be nice...

Oooops... busted!
I actually plan on creating a font pack with all updates I can get my hands on.

Until then, u can get these:
http://www.mdgx.com/add.htm

Windows NT4 True Type Fonts (TTF) Euro Patch [2.16 MB]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/9...1b/OffTTUpd.EXE

Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP Extra Euro Enabled Fonts [2.48 MB]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/pub...N-US/PubUpd.exe

Windows 95/OSR1/OSR2/NT4 Euro Enabled Tahoma True Type Font (TTF):
http://support.micro....com/?id=188081
Direct download [306 KB]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/off...us/tahoma32.exe

Microsoft Internet Font Packs for Windows 3.1x/95/NT (free):
http://beebo.org/corefonts/

Hope this helps.

This post has been edited by MDGx: 10 July 2005 - 11:44 AM

[MDGx]

Oooops... busted! - Part 2.

Fresh out of the oven...

* Unofficial Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003 43 True Type Fonts (TTF) Pack [3.75 MB, English]:
http://www.mdgx.com/files/TTFPAK.EXE
These TTFs are part of:
- MS IE 6.0 SP1:
http://www.mdgx.com/toy.htm#IEX
- MS Euro TTF Packs + Patches:
http://www.mdgx.com/add.htm#EUR
- MS Internet TTF Packs:
http://beebo.org/corefonts/
- MS Windows 2000 SP4:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downl...rvicepacks/sp4/
- MS Windows XP SP2:
http://www.microsoft.../windowsxp/sp2/
- MS Windows 2003 SP1:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003...rvicepacks/sp1/

Posted here:
http://www.mdgx.com/add.htm#TTF
and here:
http://www.msfn.org/...showtopic=46581

Enjoy.

This post has been edited by MDGx: 11 July 2005 - 07:43 PM

[randiroo76073]

Short ? What happens if you use SFC[system file checker] w/ sp 2 & 98se2ME installed, will it messup installation & revert things back to disk files?

[VWIMaster]

MDGx,

Thanks for the support, I'll try and get the disc started soon, at the moment I am still modifying 98/ME files.

Can't get the screenshots yet though, but the error message for my pics problem is as follows.

WiaMgr.Devices.Length is null or not an object
Code: 0
URL: file://C:\WINDOWS\Web\ImgView.htt

The solution was to right click folder, go into Customise the Folder Wizard, set folder type to classic view (thus, removing the thumbnails), go into the hidden subfolder (can't remember what it was called now) and delete the wvleft.gif, and then save the wvleft.bmp as a gif. This make it look like other folders. But you have to do this manually for each folder. And then the hidden subfolder had same prob. Repeating customise wizard creates another buggy subfolder, and so on.

The problem seems to be in the main Imgview.htt file although if u try to change it u get lots of funny errors appearing.

Hope this helps
Rjd123

[Eck]

Um, I didn't get the System Properties general tab change back to 98 2nd Edition. It still says I'm running Me.

Also, when the system rebooted following the 98SE2ME batch run it froze while initializing the desktop and I needed to ctrl-alt-delete. When it booted up again the startup screen appeared saying Windows didn't boot properly and offering to start in Safe Mode. I declined, and it started up fine in normal mode this time.

I ran system file checker and the wdm audio files were updated as advertised, so the 98SE2ME did run. I needed to check because for some reason the splash screen had stayed up while the 98SE2ME batch was running so I couldn't view the dos messages (like "so many files copied with 0 errors" etc).

All is running fine, but I didn't get the general tab to change back to 98SE like you said.

I also don't know the effect of the Me WDM audio files since I'm using vxd audio at the moment.

A question. Does 98SE2ME do anything to USB joystick files? I ask because I've never been able to use my Saitek Gamepad P-880 on 98SE. But, since I've had the pad I've always run 98SE2ME so I don't know if the Saitek drivers would mess up Windows if I didn't have 98SE2ME installed. The pad and drivers run fine, but the "About" tab in the Saitek joystick control panel will freeze the control panel and Windows will have restart and shutdown problems with the Saitek driver installed. And they interfere with my USB printer as well. So I don't use the pad on 98SE. I've written Saitek, because I'd like to! We'll see if they reply with anything constructive. The Sidewinder Gamepad Pro USB and the Sidewinder Gamepad 1.0 don't give me any problems. Just the Saitek stuff. I just wondered if the Me joystick drivers are copied over and if perhaps they have something to do with the problem. Funny that the Sidewinder drivers and software (3.02 and 4.0) don't mess up anything.

[charly]

Eck, on Jul 12 2005, 02:58 PM, said:

Um, I didn't get the System Properties general tab change back to 98 2nd Edition.  It still says I'm running Me.

Also, when the system rebooted following the 98SE2ME batch run it froze while initializing the desktop and I needed to ctrl-alt-delete.  When it booted up again the startup screen appeared saying Windows didn't boot properly and offering to start in Safe Mode.  I declined, and it started up fine in normal mode this time.

I ran system file checker and the wdm audio files were updated as advertised, so the 98SE2ME did run.  I needed to check because for some reason the splash screen had stayed up while the 98SE2ME batch was running so I couldn't view the dos messages (like "so many files copied with 0 errors" etc).

All is running fine, but I didn't get the general tab to change back to 98SE like you said.

I also don't know the effect of the Me WDM audio files since I'm using vxd audio at the moment.

A question.  Does 98SE2ME do anything to USB joystick files?  I ask because I've never been able to use my Saitek Gamepad P-880 on 98SE.  But, since I've had the pad I've always run 98SE2ME so I don't know if the Saitek drivers would mess up Windows if I didn't have 98SE2ME installed.  The pad and drivers run fine, but the "About" tab in the Saitek joystick control panel will freeze the control panel and Windows will have restart and shutdown problems with the Saitek driver installed.  And they interfere with my USB printer as well.  So I don't use the pad on 98SE.  I've written Saitek, because I'd like to!  We'll see if they reply with anything constructive.  The Sidewinder Gamepad Pro USB and the Sidewinder Gamepad 1.0 don't give me any problems.  Just the Saitek stuff.  I just wondered if the Me joystick drivers are copied over and if perhaps they have something to do with the problem.  Funny that the Sidewinder drivers and software (3.02 and 4.0) don't mess up anything.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Same here, but it has been happening since 6-30 ver.--but when you ctrl alt del
and it trys to start in safe mode and you move to normal mode it starts in Windows
and update files. The file it skipped on you was SYSDM.CPL just go to 9me folder
and move it out to replace yours with new 98 2nd Edition title in System Properties general tab.
I thought that their was something wrong on my computer when it keeps hanging
when it rebooted into windows--I get a blank screen with the hourglass that just sits their running until you ctrl-alt-del. Once done everything is just fine.
Glad to know its not just my OS!

[Eck]

Thanks charly. The 6-30 one was the one I skipped. I just replaced setupx.dll myself instead with the one in the backed up 98SE folder.

But I got the same thing you did with the hourglass with this one.

I'll go ahead and copy the sysdm.cpl over, but I'm wondering if anything else is being skipped since Windows skipped that one. I think I'm okay because I've had the 98SE2ME on it for several versions so the files the new one is copying over are just replacing the same versions. But what about those who are installing 98SE2ME for the first time? I wonder if they are getting all the files or whether something is going wrong?

MDGx, something is up with this. Maybe it would help to go back to however it was installing prior to 6-30? That went smooth as silk and I never noticed anything skipped over that you set up to be copied like what's happening now.

Edit- There you go. Windows 98SE shows up after I copied the file over myself. Shouldn't have to do that though.

Edit2- Hey! Windows starts up faster now! But the desktop appears right after the splash screen, not showing the dos messages of my path statements from autoexec loading. It's like Windows Me, hiding dos from us! I'm not sure I like that. Make it go slower so I can see what's going on. (I'm tired this morning, so forgive me if that sounds demanding. Don't mean it that way. I kind've wanted it to sound stupid and funny.) But I did like watching that to make sure the right stuff was being loaded. Like a quick check.

Edit3- Oh. That fast startup only happens sometimes. I guess it's normal for the path loading to be done before the splash screen goes away every so often. I guess that's nothing.

This post has been edited by Eck: 13 July 2005 - 05:46 PM

[MDGx]

Try this new edition, guys.
Most of the bugs should be fixed now.

Eck:
I can't reproduce the sysdm.cpl error not being copied to %windir%\system you experienced.
Maybe it happened when u interrupted the batch file operation... [?]
Please do not interrupt the batch files, even if u don't see anything on the screen, because you will experience errors, or even worse, data loss. As far as I can tell, none of those batch files will freeze your OS, their code is designed to let them complete, even if errors occur, and so far I haven't seen any errors on my PC [I just spent 2 hours testing options 1, 2 + 3 using the 7-14-2005 98S2ME edition posted below].
Let them finish, it's much easier to fix something afterwards from within Windows, and even if u can't fix something, just let me know, and I'll help u do it.
If u would like to see exactly what those files do, please open them in Notepad. They all reside into C:\9!M .
DOS blank screen upon reboot is normal, I have added "CTTY NUL" + "CTTY CON" into some of the batch code to suppress screen output. I found annoying starring at a listing of files being copied/moved/renamed/deleted.
98SE2ME cannot [even if I want to] implement the "hidden" DOS mode from WinME, because it is "hardwired" into WinME [a.k.a. MS-DOS 8.00] IO.SYS, COMMAND.COM + REGENV32.EXE, and 98SE or any other release, will lock up if u replace those files [except regenv32.exe, which doesn't even exist in 98SE].
DOS mode operation [after reboot] may seem different [eventually slower] because I have added more batch code, which means more files are moved/copied/deleted/renamed/etc around.

VWIMaster:
I was able to reproduce the "WiaMgr" thumbnail view errors u experienced, and which occurs ONLY IF u install option 3.
A Google search and an hour later, I can tell u that it is due to a bug in WinME Movie Maker [C:\Program Files\Movie Maker\MOVIEMK.EXE], a tool which is installed and can be used *only* by WinME OS [I can't add it to 98SE2ME without further research, because it is tied up into other apps/tools/DLLs, specific only to WinME OS].
The WinME only fix is to install MS hotfix Q262806 [available only from Windows Update], listed here:
http://www.mdgx.com/web.htm#WME
So I removed all buggy JavaScript code from IMGVIEW.HTT, and copied it over into %windir%\WEB . Your original 1 is backed up as %windir%\WEB\IMGVIEW.HTO .
If u would like to see the IMGVIEW.HTT changes I made, please open C:\9!M\IMGVIEW.HTT into Notepad.
There was also more buggy code into imgview.htt which was tied up to scanners + digital cameras image transfer + slideshow, which is used + installed by ME, and known as WIA [Windows Image Acquisition] Manager, another tool specific only to ME OS. WIA Manager is also tied up into Movie Maker.
Note that every time u run [after u installed option 3]:
regsvr32 /s %windir%\system\webvw.dll
IMGVIEW.HTT will be overwritten with a buggy copy from within WinME vebvw.dll.
If that happens, please copy the "good" 1 from C:\9!M over to %windir%\WEB .
Note that most files from %windir%\WEB are HRS [Hidden, Read-only, System], and u need to change their attributes to remove RHS [example]:
attrib -H -R -S %windir%\WEB\*.HTT
in order to be able to overwrite them.

randiroo76073:
From now on SFC.EXE info [inside default.sfc] is updated upon next reboot with all newly installed WinME system files.

Have fun.

This post has been edited by MDGx: 29 September 2005 - 01:52 PM

[PsycoUnc]

-uh oh... XCLONE, which is used here to make the original windows OS backup, has the same flaw as most copy/zip/backup utils: it will sometimes swap the "~1", "~2", Short File Names (SFN's) of files/dirs! (this bug even eludes it's built-in "verify destination files" function...)

-This will screw-up links (inside the Registry, too), sometimes causing instability, functional issues, errors, etc... Backups need to be reliable, always... XCLONE needs to be replaced...

[-but good luck, I've searched/tested looooong and hard, for ANY copy/zip/backup progs which DON'T have that very same flaw, and only XXCOPY and DOSLFNBK dealt with that issue properly!... (and even doslfnbk has limits: very large sub-dirs, like Plus!, X-Setup, etc, need to be done separately, or cross-linked files/errors will result]

-If you (MDGx) write the authors of XXCOPY, asking permission, they might give it, as per the documentation regarding freeware re-dist... -otherwise, the only (reliable) way I know of, is using doslfnbk along with pkzip "-n"...

>;]

This post has been edited by PsycoUnc: 14 July 2005 - 01:23 AM

[MDGx]

PsycoUnc, on Jul 14 2005, 01:12 AM, said:

-uh oh... XCLONE, which is used here to make the original windows OS backup, has the same flaw as most copy/zip/backup utils:  it will sometimes swap the "~1", "~2", Short File Names (SFN's) of files/dirs!  (this bug even eludes it's built-in "verify destination files" function...)

-This will screw-up links (inside the Registry, too), sometimes causing instability, functional issues, errors, etc... Backups need to be reliable, always... XCLONE needs to be replaced...

R u trying to find more work 4 me? [just kidding ]

Thanks for your advice.
I actually plan [sometimes in the future when I'll find the time] to change the entire backup procedure for options 1 + 2, and avoid backing up the entire 98SE OS. Will slim it down to back up only the files that will be replaced by WinME files, plus the registry [*.DAT] files.
This will also save time + disk space.
And I'll probably use the plain DOS based COPY command [built into COMMAND.COM] to do this, and do away with xclone or other similar tools. This will also reduce the size of 98SE2ME.EXE.

I've read the xxcopy license, and I don't think the author will make an exception just to let me use it in 98SE2ME. ;(
Besides, xxcopy.exe is huge [~ 268 KB in size], and I need to think of everybody, including the people who still use dial-up/analog/56k modems.
But I'll take look at DOSLFNBK, and maybe I find a way to use it to backup the LFNs.
The good part is that I don't need to backup C:\Program Files [I never did], which would be a major pain, due to its many LFNs that would be "translated" into wrong ~1 ~2 etc SFNs.
Besides, as far as I recall, all 98SE files replaced by ME files that I need to back up have SFNs [except the few from %windir%\WEB\Wallpaper = which are now backed up before installing option 3], and that makes it so much easier to use a primitive tool like MS COPY command.

Hop this helps.

This post has been edited by MDGx: 14 July 2005 - 02:13 AM

[PsycoUnc]

-good idea, just backing up what 98se2me replaces/changes... I always wanted to suggest that, but didn't wanna make that much more work for ya

(btw, doslfnbk's license is slightly ambiguous: first paragraph says 30-day trial, but 2nd paragraph relates to freeware re-dist:
"
You are free to distribute unmodified copies of the complete DOSLFNBK package, provided your total charge is no more than $1. The total cost of a compilation (e.g. a CD ROM) including DOSLFNBK must be no more than $1 per package in the compilation.
"
--2nd paragraph doesn't specify that u must have purchased the full license, prior to re-dist... only specifies that ya can't charge more than $1, total... hmmm.... )

...and pkzip, forget about it... maybe I looked in the wrong place, but unless I'm wrong, it mentioned OVER $1,000 for a license! sheesh... perhaps that's just a "commercial" license, not relating to freeware, dunno... but ya don't really need pkzip, anyway... just need doslfnbk... (or get one of the coders in these forums to blast up a quikie mini-replacement for xxcopy, I can already think of the simple logic for it, just not familiar with present day OS-coding...)

>;]

(btw, that latest "experimental" addition to 98se2me, is that still rated as "experimental", or is it now considered completely safe?)