[MDGx]

Thanks for the info.
I'll look into the doslfnbk license.

PK(UN)ZIP sucks big time: it is LFN compatible only in Win9x/ME but not in NTx, and like u said, it doesn't have a clue about LFN/SFN aliases.
I prefer 7-zip command line [7ZA.EXE]:
http://www.7-zip.org/
because it is 100% free [GNU GPL license], and creates much smaller ZIPs than PKzip, and besides, 7-zip is LFN compatible with all 9x/NTx releases.
I haven't checked 7-zip for accuracy on keeping LFN/SFN aliases, though.
If u have the time and test 7-zip, please let me know.

About the wdmaud.* files from ME:
I haven't received any error reports, but u never know, it could depend on audio hardware. [?]
I am using both these files since 7-1-2005 with my CL Audigy2 Platinum PCI sound card, and haven't experienced any errors so far.
But as usual, these 2 files are tied into other *.SYS [WDM style] drivers 98SE2ME replaces with ME files into %windir%\system32\drivers , so they wouldn't work just by themselves.
I can only hope for the better.

This post has been edited by MDGx: 14 July 2005 - 04:42 AM

[PsycoUnc]

-yup, tested 7-zip (that's my preferred zipper, too, use it all the time), and yup, it fails too... but my main gripe w/7zip, is that I haven't been able to get it to work in real-mode dos... ???... always says it needs to run in windows... and I think I was using the rite command-line version... ?...

-about "experimental": I'm building a "primary" (safest) backup os, from scratch, backing up every major step of the way (up to backup #7 rite now; next one oughta finish it), so in the future I'll only have to restore a backup, instead of goin thru this full-fresh-reinstall crap each time, so I'm only putting in VERY safe stuff; therefore, I don't want any potentially experimental stuff in it, so I guess I'll stick w/the previous version of 98se2me... (or, if I miraculously find the motivation, I'll just pick apart your current version and yank the experimental stuff; it's only 2 files, is it?)

-ps: let me know if anybody has been able to get 7zip to work in real-mode dos, and if so, what was my dumb-*ss error?

>;]

(btw, 7-zip is sooo awesome, I can zip-up ALL 7 backups (together, 7z, 8mb, 16word) into 2 files (progs, wins) which together fit on a single cd! gotta luv that! 44,100 files! 3.3 gb orig! and it includes counter-strike 1.6, which BY ITSELF is 717mb orig!)

This post has been edited by PsycoUnc: 14 July 2005 - 05:18 AM

[charly]

MDGx, on Jul 14 2005, 01:06 AM, said:

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

Enjoy.[/color]
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Great--it doesn't freeze while initializing the desktop anymore!
Everthing seems to run fine and installation was smooth.
Couldn't be happer!!! THANKS for all the work and speed in
fixing any problem. Don't know how you do it.

[Eck]

MDGx,

Miscommunication here.

I didn't interupt the batch file. When Windows rebooted (automatically by 98SE2ME) it could not initialize the desktop completely, just leaving the hourglass sitting there and no icons displaying. I left it like that for about 20 minutes before hitting ctrl-alt-delete. When I hit that it rebooted right away (didn't bring up the Close Program box).

When it rebooted, the WDM files were changed according to System File Checker, but the System Properties change was not made. So I copied over the file myself and all (I think) was well.

I'll install the new one and see what happens.

Charly had the same problem. Nice to see it's not there for him with the latest update.

[Eck]

Ahhh. That's better.

I even saw it working when the splash screen went away.

No Windows freeze on startup.

Great stuff!

Oh. do you know what the MAPI32.dll file does? Every time I run a software update, like the latest Nero update for example, it installs a really small version of the file. But when I run 98SE2ME it replaces that file with what I guess is the version on the Windows Me cd, which is bigger. I'm talking like the small version being about 7kb and the Windows Me one being something like 700KB. Nothing seems to break no matter which version is on there, but I was wondering what it does and why media type software (I think WMP9 installs the small version as well) seems to like to overwrite the original file with the smaller version.

[MDGx]

PsycoUnc, on Jul 14 2005, 05:11 AM, said:

-yup, tested 7-zip (that's my preferred zipper, too, use it all the time), and yup, it fails too... but my main gripe w/7zip, is that I haven't been able to get it to work in real-mode dos... ???... always says it needs to run in windows... and I think I was using the rite command-line version... ?...

-ps: let me know if anybody has been able to get 7zip to work in real-mode dos, and if so, what was my dumb-*ss error?

7-Zip [7za.exe] is designed to work only in Win32 GUI mode, even if it is a ["console" as it is also called in NTx] command line tool. Does not have a real DOS mode module. It's pure 32-bit.
If u would like to have real DOS mode support for the 7Z format, u could email the author and ask if he plans developing such feature:
http://www.7-zip.org/support.html

Bummer, I guess I won't replace xclone with 7za.exe in 98SE2ME after all.

FYI about the 2 WDMAUD.* files from ME:
I've also installed them on a friend's PC who has a CL SB Live! 5.1 Gamer PCI audio card, and works great so far.

Hope this helps.

[MDGx]

charly, on Jul 14 2005, 01:30 PM, said:

Great--it doesn't freeze while initializing the desktop anymore!
Everthing seems to run fine and installation was smooth.
Couldn't be happer!!! THANKS for all the work and speed in
fixing any problem. Don't know how you do it.

Very glad it works properly on your computer now.

How I do it:
with a lot of patience, experimenting + [never enough] time set aside for testing.

Enjoy.

[MDGx]

Eck, on Jul 14 2005, 07:48 PM, said:

Ahhh.  That's better.

I even saw it working when the splash screen went away.

No Windows freeze on startup.

Great stuff!

Oh.  do you know what the MAPI32.dll file does?  Every time I run a software update, like the latest Nero update for example, it installs a really small version of the file.  But when I run 98SE2ME it replaces that file with what I guess is the version on the Windows Me cd, which is bigger.  I'm talking like the small version being about 7kb and the Windows Me one being something like 700KB.  Nothing seems to break no matter which version is on there, but I was wondering what it does and why media type software (I think WMP9 installs the small version as well) seems to like to overwrite the original file with the smaller version.

Sorry, I didn't know it froze your computer for over 20 minutes. Bummer. Never froze on my PC, so I couldn't reproduce that. ;(
But I'm glad it works properly now.

MAPI32.DLL is responsible for e-mail interface in all Microsoft apps [Outlook, Outlook Express, Exchange etc] as far as I know.
MAPI = Messaging Application Programming Interface
More info:
http://www.outlookcode.com/d/mapi.htm
Even more info:
http://www.darkweb.c...nge/mdevfaq.htm
The newest build that supports 9x/ME is the 1 from WinME setup CD as far as I'm aware.
My guess would be that the programs that replace the MS file with their own, probably install a fake API/stub, therefore the difference in size. I have no idea why they do that.
You may want to email them [Ahead Nero for example] and ask.

Hope this helps.

[PsycoUnc]

-re: 7-zip for dos mode:

-no need, I've got that "Rescue" CD working (98se-OS-running-on-a-cd thingy), so anytime I totally lose all windows on HD, I can just pop in cd, win98se boots up AND RUNS COMPLETELY from the cd (and in RAM, of course), not using any HD space, and I instantly have win32 environment to use 7-zip to restore a backup to HD...

-works pretty good, tho VERY SLOOOOOW..... thinking about trying some tweaking, like loading most of it into RAM first, running the OS mostly from RAM instead of entirely from CD... -again, motivation issue...

-so, no REAL need for real-mode stuff, always have that OS-CD available... tho it takes FOREVER and a half to boot, so real-mode tools are preferable...

(oh yeah, I also keep an ancient 1gb HD with emergency safe win98se OS on it; more than once I've plugged that in, here and at friends' houses, actually quicker hooking that up as boot-drive than waiting for dam OS-CD to boot!

[MDGx]

PsycoUnc, on Jul 15 2005, 04:21 AM, said:

I've got that "Rescue" CD working (98se-OS-running-on-a-cd thingy), so anytime I totally lose all windows on HD, I can just pop in cd, win98se boots up AND RUNS COMPLETELY from the cd (and in RAM, of course), not using any HD space, and I instantly have win32 environment to use 7-zip to restore a backup to HD...

-works pretty good, tho VERY SLOOOOOW..... thinking about trying some tweaking, like loading most of it into RAM first, running the OS mostly from RAM instead of entirely from CD... -again, motivation issue...

-so, no REAL need for real-mode stuff, always have that OS-CD available... tho it takes FOREVER and a half to boot, so real-mode tools are preferable...

(oh yeah, I also keep an ancient 1gb HD with emergency safe win98se OS on it; more than once I've plugged that in, here and at friends' houses, actually quicker hooking that up as boot-drive than waiting for dam OS-CD to boot!

R u loading SMARTDRV from config.sys or autoexec.bat on that 98SE boot CD?
Because that CD [besides spinning way slower than a HD] loads probably only a minimal Windows GUI, and in that case probably doesn't have 32-bit disk/file cache enabled, so it runs in slower "MS-DOS compatibility mode". The only fix for that is smartdrv.
Example [for single HD/partition = C]:
- autoexec [no need to load it with LH, cuz smartdrv loads itself in UMA if it detects an UMA manager already resident in memory]:

SMARTDRV 12288 C+ /N /Q

-config:

INSTALLHIGH=SMARTDRV.EXE 12288 C+ /N /Q

This gives Windows 12 MB of disk cache, but works only in "MS-DOS compatibilty mode".

FYI: to load smartdrv "high" in config.sys [a.k.a. in the Upper Memory Area (UMA)], u need an UMA manager like UMBPCI, QEMM386, RM386, 386MAX or MS EMM386.EXE in config.sys.
UMBPCI [the best + it's free] requires compatible mobo chipset to work properly:
http://www.mdgx.com/umb.htm
complete list of chipsets that work with UMBPCI:
http://www.mdgx.com/umb.htm#REQ
chipsets with problems:
http://www.mdgx.com/umb.htm#CHI
You can find more details on how to do this [and more DOS tweaks to maximize performance] in MEMORY.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE [1.15 MB]:
http://www.mdgx.com/95.htm

Have fun.

This post has been edited by MDGx: 15 July 2005 - 05:14 AM

[Eck]

Oh, so that's what Mapi32.dll is. Perhaps I haven't noticed anything because I use Thunderbird and just have a normal pop email account. (Not that mapi's abnormal!)

By the way, that young feller on the main Windows 98 thread doing a Windows Me service pack should hire a ghost writer or something. I kind of get the feeling that what he's doing works but the way he's expressing it makes me afraid, very afraid. He shouldn't be making comments like your computer will think it's running XP or NTFS. It'll look like it if he installs a theme, but comments like that make it sound like vaporware, and inspire replys from experienced programmers like "How?".

I wouldn't want to discourage him though. A Me service pack would be cool!

Edit - OMG. I just read some more from mitchellvision. Um, could someone a bit older start working on this? He, he. The kid's got spunk though. "I HATE SPUNK!" (Thank you "MaryTylerMoore Show.")

This post has been edited by Eck: 15 July 2005 - 11:47 AM

[randiroo76073]

ROFLMAO Eck, are you gonna tell us you were never "spunky"

[PsycoUnc]

-mdgx: Rescue "OS-on-a-CD":
-not sure about smartdrv, but the way that rescue works is ya make your own win98se install, anything ya want, as long as the entire os fits w/in 650mb or so... then it copies it and modifies the registry to work from a cd and w/in RAM, & updates links, etc, then burns it to cd... so I *think* 32-bit access is running, as long as I had the driver originally installed, which of course I did...

I'll double-check, tho...

>;]

(btw, it's "Rescue v1.2", I think, nagware screens show up on cd-boot, annoying, but hey, it's free & it works! Instant win98se, any way ya like it... -except fast... lol)

This post has been edited by PsycoUnc: 15 July 2005 - 05:59 PM

[Eck]

randeroo76073,

Yeah. And I wish I was as "spunky" as I used to be.

I was referring to Ed Asner as Lou Grant reacting to Mary sticking up for her rights in the 1st episode's job interview. I used to love that show.

Darn it, I fubarred my 98 installation last night by mess'n around with the joystick's too much. By the time I was through I couldn't get any to show up in the joystick control panel even with them all appearing to be fine in device manager. I got so annoyed that I F-DIS-K'ed the drive!

I just reconnected my A7V880 with XP that I had left fully functioning last time. A few hours of software updates and it's all set.

Between the Saitek drivers, trying to get that Boom PSX/N64 USB adapter working, and the Sidewinder 3.02 and 4.0 stuff it all got messed up. I just finished an email coorespondence with Saitek where they couldn't understand why their driver always caused me Windows 98SE conflicts (startup, shutdown, closing programs making Windows crash, the Saitek Control Panel's "About" tab freezing, etc). They couldn't help. The Saitek stuff worked but would interfere with Windows. No problem with it on XP. Even the N64 adapter is working.

I've got XP set up with a theme so it looks and sounds like I had 98 set up, but without the bugs. I'm sure I'll be rediscovering XP's bugs now.

FDISKing is kinda "spunky" isn't it? Like Kirk in Star Trek III, "I--have had---enough of---YOU!" I felt so empowered.

[krick]

Eck, on Jul 15 2005, 11:38 AM, said:

Oh, so that's what Mapi32.dll is.  Perhaps I haven't noticed anything because I use Thunderbird and just have a normal pop email account.  (Not that mapi's abnormal!)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think you're confusing MAPI with IMAP. IMAP is an email protocol. MAPI is an API for hooking applications into windows email clients (outlook & outlook express).

[Eck]

Yep, your right I did confuse them. So, these media players like the stub (or whatever that smaller version is) version rather than the default one that comes with Windows Me. Hmmm. So folks with Windows Me wind up with the little stub while those using 98SE2ME get to put back the bigger, macho version whenever they update 98SE2ME.

Whatever, as long as stuff works right!

[Eck]

By the way, I'm considering putting Windows Me on my A7V333. For one thing, I'd like to see if the Saitek gamepad drivers have the same effect on Windows Me as they do on any 98SE install I've had. Plus, I want to experiment and see what WinMeDos (that semi-dual boot thing) is like. Instead of providing access to Ms-Dos 8, it uses Ms-Dos 7.1 from 98SE. Interesting.

I might wait until I'm done with a game I'm playing, but if I get antsy this game allows me to copy my saves to a cd. It depends what I want to do more, play a game or play with computers. Computers can make for long delays.

I'm sure XP would be the best choice for that computer but I only have one XP and 2 98SE full retails, a 98 Gold full retail, a Windows Me full retail, and a Windows Me Upgrade for 98 users. Gosh, I sure would like to use at least one of those!

Edit - There we go! Hopefully the thought police are busy elsewhere.

This post has been edited by Eck: 21 July 2005 - 09:57 PM

[PsycoUnc]

-yup, Micro$hit will sue u just for thinking about it! Best to leave such things out of public forums...

(ps: so ya might wanna edit that post, make it M$-safe...)
>;]

[eidenk]

MDGx, on Jul 15 2005, 12:11 AM, said:

[7za.exe] is designed to work only in Win32 GUI mode, even if it is a ["console" as it is also called in NTx] command line tool. Does not have a real DOS mode module. It's pure 32-bit.
If u would like to have real DOS mode support for the 7Z format, u could email the author and ask if he plans developing such feature:
http://www.7-zip.org/support.html
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Quote

7-Zip Release Name: 4.24 beta
- Command line version now supports short file names (like FILENA~1.TXT)

Does this make it now DOS compatible ?

[eidenk]

Has anyone an idea about the legality of the following. I have ME and 98SE (and 95). I currently have a single computer on which I use ME but I might recycle some of my (not so) old hardware to put together a second box and install 98SE on it.

The question is : Do I need a second copy of ME if I want to use totally legaly 98SE2ME on that second computer ?