[Eck]

Alright, I've gotta get back to creating my roster set for Microsoft Baseball 2001. The files are on my super duper computer (the A7V880). I decided to stop fooling around after I was just checking out Device Manager for something and Windows froze. It was for no apparent reason, as after booting up everything was fine but I said to myself, "This is why folks like XP better," and unhooked the Abit KT7A and rehooked my Asus A7V880. (It is the only one with XP. I only have one cd of that and I like to do things proper.)

Ahhh. I even plugged the USB stuff into different slots, as I had forgotten which ones I had used, and XP simply detected a new HP 3970 scanner and I now have it listed as HP 3970 #2! I don't know whether this matters, since it works and I'm not gonna try to figure out how I had it before. But, you see how easy? 98 would have given me fits. XP (Palpitine) is more forgiving than 98 (Darth Vader) is.

And, the M-Audio Revo 7.1 sounds almost as good as the Riptide! (Ha, ha.) Riptide gave more bass. The Revo is more accurate though. I just got used to how the Riptide sounded from years of using it. Not really usable with broadband internet though. That's why I put an SBLive into the KT7A as well. I can't deal with the skipping. And forget about it on XP. It can't even handle dial-up on that. Howdy, Dosbox! (Works great with a 2.2GHz processor.)

Edit - Fixed the scanner #2 problem. The original didn't show in Device Manager but it did show up in HP's Diagnostic program that comes with the scanner. It works just like Device Manager. I right clicked both and uninstalled the devices, rebooted, and XP installed just the one where it is now connected.

Still easier than it would have been in 98, which would have gotten thoroughly confused I suspect.

This post has been edited by Eck: 12 June 2005 - 05:22 PM

[RJM]

MDGX,

I noticed that last week on my computer that add/remove windows components was
In add remove programs was blank. Since I have 98SE2.01 and 98SETOME installed on my computer
I restored my system from a backup that I made last December. After this add/remove windows
components worked normally, I then installed 98SE2.01 and it continued to work normally.
When I installed 98SETOME (6/11/05) add/remove windows components was once again blank?
Has anyone else seen this? And do you have any ideas about this?

RJM
System

HP vectra VL-600
600 MHz P-III EB
256M rdram
Maxtor 10G (partitioned c (windows), e (programs))
WD 80G (partitioned d (windows), f(swap), g (programs)
TDK 32X CD R/W
ZIP 100
Phillips sound card
Matrox G250 video card

I mainly boot off the D drive and only boot to the
C drive to back up and restore the D drive

This post has been edited by RJM: 13 June 2005 - 06:08 AM

[eidenk]

Quote

I noticed that last week on my computer that add/remove windows components was blank. Has anyone else seen this ?

Are you using Regseeker to clean your registry ? If you choose to autofix all errors it finds, the above systematically happens. To avoid it you need to add this line to the exclude list :

2|SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\VarLDID

Not sure of course this is the cause of your problem.

PS : I am a Win ME user.

[RJM]

[QUOTE] Are you using Regseeker to clean your registry ? If you choose to autofix all errors it finds, the above systematically happens. To avoid it you need to add this line to the exclude list :

No, I use ccleaner and after the last install of 98SE2ME I did not clean the registry before trying the add/remove windows components.

[MDGx]

PsycoUnc, on Jun 11 2005, 02:35 AM, said:

-MDGx, when you remove files from 98se2me, how do we restore the orig win98se files properly?  -just copy them back, or do we need to Register/un-Register?  Perhaps, when you do this, you could automate the process for us?    Or would that get a little messy...

I've also added this guide to READ1ST.TXT, under the "FAQ" chapter:
READ1ST.TXT

How to restore original Windows 98 SE system files manually:
1. If you have made a backup of your original OS into C:\W98SEOLD when you ran
98SE2ME.PIF for the 1st time, search for the file(s) you want to restore by
running a File Search with the C:\W98SEOLD folder highlighted from within File
Manager [FM = %windir%\WINFILE.EXE].
2. If you have not made the C:\W98SEOLD backup and if replaced system files
you wish to restore are of SAME version/build as the ones from Windows 98 SE
setup CD CABs, create a DOS mode BATch file using Notepad or better plain text
editor/viewer and name it EXTR98.BAT [example]:

-----Begin cut & paste here-----
@ECHO OFF
C:
IF NOT EXIST C:\TEMP\NUL MD C:\TEMP>NUL
CD\TEMP
EXTRACT/Y /A D:\WIN98\BASE4.CAB %1 %2 %3 %4 %5
EXTRACT/Y D:\WIN98\PRECOPY1.CAB %1 %2 %3 %4 %5
EXTRACT/Y D:\WIN98\PRECOPY2.CAB %1 %2 %3 %4 %5
EXIT
CLS
------End cut & paste here------

and then run EXTR98.BAT followed by exact file name or use DOS wildcards [*.*]
to extract multiple files at once. All files will be extracted into C:\TEMP in
this example.
More info here:
http://www.mdgx.com/last4.htm#EXTRACT
and here:
http://www.mdgx.com/newtip15.htm#CABEX
Make sure you replace D drive letter and/or WIN98 folder name above if your
CAB files are located somewhere else. You can also modify all C:\TEMP
instances to point to any other valid location.
3. If you have not made the C:\W98SEOLD backup and if replaced system files
you wish to restore are NEWER than the ones from Windows 98 SE setup CD CABs:
A. (re)install Gape's Windows 98 SE Service Pack (SP):
http://exuberant.ms11.net/98sesp.html
B. OR install desired files separately from appropriate Windows 98 SE patches:
http://www.mdgx.com/web.htm#98SE
Most system files into %windir% [usually C:\WINDOWS] or %windir%\SYSTEM MUST
be replaced ONLY from native MS-DOS mode.
How to exit/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#MEN
C. OR from a Windows 98 SE Emergency/Bootup/Startup floppy/CD/DVD/USB/external
disc/stick.
Last step:
Copy back the files to their appropriate locations: %windir% [usually
C:\WINDOWS], %windir%\SYSTEM, %windir%\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS etc.
Run WIN or reboot one last time.
To learn which system files must be registered using the REGSVR32 command,
open C:\9!M\2G.INF into Notepad or better plain text editor/viewer and look at
the REGSVR32.EXE lines.
Then run this command from within Windows to register a system DLL or OCX
[example]:
%windir%\SYSTEM\REGSVR32 /S %windir%\SYSTEM\WHATEVER.DLL
If the respective REGSVR32 line you found inside 2G.INF contains the /I
switch, then run [example]:
%windir%\SYSTEM\REGSVR32 /I /S %windir%\SYSTEM\WHATEVER.DLL
Make sure you replace WHATEVER.DLL with appropriate file name AND extension.

Hope this helps.

[MDGx]

Eck, on Jun 12 2005, 12:17 AM, said:

I ran into a problem with trying to install WMP10 on that box.  The files would download and extract, but the WMP Bonus Pack for XP would go through the install then say on the last screen that the installation failed.  Then, instead of bringing up the installer for WMP10, the batch file would do whatever it does then rebooted the computer.  It made the backup of WMP9 system files as you said, but the installation was never done.
Is this perhaps because I always install WMP7.1, WMP Bonus Pack for WMP7.1, and WMEncoder7.1 before installing WMP9?  Maybe the Bonus Pack for XP can't install if the 7.1 Bonus Pack is on the system?
I tried a couple of times and made sure to use the updated batch file on that thread (I always seem to lose where that is so that's why I'm posting here).  No go.  Then I tried to reinstall WMP9 in case something was done to it that would break stuff and the installer would make Windows bring up a Close Program Error saying that the installer caused a Stack Overflow.  So I tried uninstalling WMP9 and got the same Stack error.
Heh, so I tore apart the old slow machine (well, took it out and wrapped the board nicely) and put my KT7A into that box.  I don't think I'll try that WMP10 install yet.  I also usually install the WM9 codecs and WM10 codecs for the 6 and 7 players.  Maybe all that stuff has something to do with the Microsoft installer's failing?

I also use Partition Magic, but not when using one big partition of the whole drive.  I purchased the newer Norton version so I can play with bigger drives.  But do you know that FDISK is actually more compatible with the larger drives if its limited features will suffice for what you're doing?  FDISK will work with the whole drive whereas Partition Magic will leave about 30% unused to work with very large drives.

I have no idea why u get that WMP10 Bonus install error.
Did u first install WMP9 and then WMP10 in this order?
They are both required by the Bonus.
Also make sure both DirectX 9.0c:
http://www.mdgx.com/dx.htm#MDX
+ MS IE 6.0 SP1:
http://www.mdgx.com/toy.htm#IEX
are already installed.
As far as I'm aware WMP7 + WMP10 codecs should not interfere with Bonus.
Codecs upgrades do not modify WMP detection strings in the registry.
I did not try this with WMP7 Bonus pack, but it should not interfere.

Stack overflow related issues and how to solve them:
1. MinSPs=x
http://www.mdgx.com/...week.htm#MINSPS
2. Config.sys "STACKS=m,n"
http://www.mdgx.com/last2.htm#OVER
or see MEMORY.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE [1.15 MB]:
http://www.mdgx.com/95.htm

About PM:
Do u use an older version of Partition Magic?
I use 8.0 Pro and did not encounter that issue.
I used it so far on five 120 GB disks [I don't have HDs larger than that].
PM8 is way more compatible/reliable with all MS/Linux/IBM OSes/drives out there than any DOS based fdisk [or similar] tool.
The only disadvantage is u have to pay for it.

Hope this helps.

[MDGx]

RJM, on Jun 13 2005, 05:43 AM, said:

MDGX,

I noticed that last week on my computer that add/remove windows components was
In add remove programs was blank. Since I have 98SE2.01 and 98SETOME installed on my computer
I restored my system from a backup that I made last December. After this add/remove windows
components worked normally, I then installed 98SE2.01 and it continued to work normally.
When I installed 98SETOME (6/11/05) add/remove windows components was once again blank?
Has anyone else seen this? And do you have any ideas about this?

You got me, never heard of this error.
I've also installed 98SE2ME personally on more than 10 PCs, and never seen this.
IMO it must be related to some other software you've been using prior to installing 98SE2ME.

[RJM]

Also noted, that when you click on ok in the blank add/remove windows components window the error window

rundll32

hit ignore to save your work or hit close

and when you hit close

rundll32 this program has performed an illeagle operation and will close

I'll go back and try removing programs this week end when I have more time.

Thanks.

This post has been edited by RJM: 14 June 2005 - 04:06 AM

[eidenk]

Quote

Also noted, that when you click on ok in the blank add/remove windows components window the error window rundll32 hit ignore to save your work or hit close and when you hit close rundll32 this program has performed an illeagle operation and will close I'll go back and try removing programs this week end when I have more time.

That's more of the exact symptoms I had when using Regseeker to clean the registry. In fact Regseeker removes several apparently dead entries under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\VarLDID key. Those corrrespond to path to MS programs folders that do not exist on my machine such as Outlook, Movie Maker or Hyper Terminal that I do not use and I normally remove through the add-remove programs. I took me some time to figure which out of around 300 MS related entries containing the words Setup that Regseeker removes were responsable for the Add-Remove programs applet crash. As all registry cleaning engines work more or less the same (they mostly remove entries pointing to non-existant folders or files on your disks), you might have removed similar values under this key with another Registry cleaner you use if this key is not on that cleaner's exclude list.

I don't think removing any programs will cure your problem. I don't see how it could. Reinstalling windows on top of itself should but I am not 100% sure about it.

So I suggest you look into all backups generated by registry cleaning engines you use to see if there is any removed values under the above quoted key and restore them back to see the functionality of the Add-Remove Programs back after rebooting.

In case this is not possible (You haven't got backups anymore), I suggest you download RegDat

Quote

Regdat displays the contents of copies of the Win9x/Me Registry files System.dat, Classes.dat, and User.dat in a Regedit like interface (it can not deal with WinNT/2K/XP registry files). You can search for keys and values and export them. Also functions to compare the file with the current Registry are provided as well as tools to edit the file.

This is a slightly crippled nag shareware but is the only soft I know who can read and export data in REGEDIT4 format from .dat registry files (such as the ones routinely archived as rbxxx.cab as backup by scanregistry at startup and present in the C:\WINDOWS\SYSBCKUP folder) or .1st registry files (First copies of your registry generated during the Windows Setup process and normally present in your root drive as hidden and/or system file.)

You should compare the values under the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\VarLDID of your system.1st file (and which contains for sure all the right entries (provided it is the one generated by the initial Windows Setup and not one generated by a Windows reinstall, in which case the original .1st files are replaced by new ones reflecting the content of some of your old registry including possible errors)) with those in your registry and correct accordingly. You may not have this very usefull initial system.1st file anymore as many people delete it at some point or another of their bloat cleaning. If so you can look for the oldest scanregistry backup you've got but bearing in mind that this system.dat file might already contain the error.

As a title of example I give my own Setup\Varldid key ( As a title of example only as I am on ME and the values are slightly different in 98 and ME if only for the reason that Movie Maker does not exist on 98).

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\VarLDID]
"28700"="C:\\PROGRA~1"
"28701"="C:\\Program Files"
"28702"="C:\\PROGRA~1"
"28710"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\ACCESS~1"
"28720"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\ACCESS~1\\HYPERT~1"
"28730"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\COMMON~1"
"28732"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\COMMON~1"
"28740"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\COMMON~1\\MICROS~1"
"28742"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\COMMON~1\\MICROS~1"
"29000"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\INTERN~1"
"29001"="C:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer"
"29002"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\INTERN~1"
"29400"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\INTERN~1\\CONNEC~1"
"29401"="C:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\Connection Wizard"
"29402"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\INTERN~1\\CONNEC~1"
"30000"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\OUTLOO~1"
"30001"="C:\\Program Files\\Outlook Express"
"30002"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\OUTLOO~1"
"30100"="C:\\WINDOWS\\system"
"30400"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\Plus!\\Themes"
"30801"="C:\\Program Files\\Windows Media Player"
"30900"="C:\\WINDOWS\\APPLIC~1"
"30901"="C:\\WINDOWS\\Application Data"
"30902"="C:\\WINDOWS\\APPLIC~1"
"30910"="C:\\WINDOWS\\APPLIC~1\\MICROS~1"
"30911"="C:\\WINDOWS\\Application Data\\Microsoft"
"30912"="C:\\WINDOWS\\APPLIC~1\\MICROS~1"
"29800"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\NETMEE~1"
"29801"="C:\\Program Files\\NetMeeting"
"29802"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\NETMEE~1"
"30600"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\MESSEN~1"
"30601"="C:\\Program Files\\Messenger"
"30602"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\MESSEN~1"
"30800"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\WINDOW~1"
"30802"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\WINDOW~1"
"30810"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\MOVIEM~1"
"30811"="C:\\Program Files\\Movie Maker"
"30812"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\MOVIEM~1"

If I remove any of those entries in the registry (even those pointing, as I have said above, to non existant locations such as the Outlook folder) the Add-Remove Programs applet crashes with aproximately the following error message : Rundll32 caused an error in SetupX, Rundll32 will now close.

It is only by restoring the deleted entry and rebooting the machine (A quick reload of explorer.exe will not do) that the full functionality of the applet is restored.

Maybe this will help you sort out your problem .

This post has been edited by eidenk: 14 June 2005 - 11:45 AM

[RJM]

eidenk,

Thanks, I'll look into that. I was browsing the web and came accross the same
.reg file and I think I know what might have happened. You see I like to keep the size of my windows directory as small as possible and last year had used COA2 to move my program files directory to my E drive. I am wondering if some how they were changed back to my C drive. I will try moving my program files directory back when I get home tonight and start from there. Again thanks.

[krnl]

I have not used 98SE2ME since one of it's early first versions. Back then, as MDGx promised, it delivered super speed, with Windows 98se ready to go as soon as the desktop appeared. But the latest version is actually slower than a clean install of Win98SE followed by Gape's service pack. The cursor stays busy for a good 10 to 15 seconds and windows don't open as fast either. Any other folks having this problem? Has speed been sacrificed for compatibility and latest file versions?

This post has been edited by krnl: 15 June 2005 - 02:33 PM

[Eck]

Hi again.

My brain is somewhat fried from just finishing installing my system on the A7V333 for the last couple of days. I came to check on my post here and saw the reply. Okay, let me sort for a minute. (Finishing was hard to spell! I must need coffee.)

Bottom to top (since this one's easier), Partition Magic will lock out about 30% of a big, big drive. I'm talking over 160GB (or whatever the limitation was on the last PowerQuest version). I think Symantec found it still worked perfectly well on larger drives so they enabled the feature in 8.0 but only with locking up the 30%. So, on my 250GB Sata Maxtor Fdisk will be able to use the whole thing but Partition Magic 8.0 will not. There's no error or anything like that, but it will not let me size anything that doesn't leave about 30% of the drive unpartitioned. That works out to about 200GB usable to partition. This is not a bug. It's the way it's designed. I won't call it a feature like Microsoft would! I've used PM since PM7. Love it when I need it. But if I just make one big partition of the whole drive I just use Fdisk.

WMP is a little more tricky. Brain must think. Okay. (I am getting close to bedtime here!) Before installing WorksSuite, I install WMP7, the Bonus Pack, the wmencoder7, and WMP9. Then I go through the rest of the system setup with 98SE Service Pack, 98SE2ME, etc. Then, after all was set up that time, I ran the batch to install WMP10. It extracts everything it needs from what it downloads and proceeds to start the Microsoft Bonus Pack installer. I click through the installer and it runs but on the last screen it says the installation has failed. The batch file then runs whatever it runs and reboots the computer. I don't know what the batch has removed or installed but WMP9 is still there and so is the WMP7 Bonus stuff. No WMP10 except in your folder that it extracts all its files to. By the way, it runs the Bonus Pack installer as soon as the files are extracted, not the WMP10 installer. Bonus Pack first.

I had run plenty of installations of software on that system as I was setting it up to get to the point of trying out the WMP10 batch, and never got any installer errors. The first sign of trouble was when I was attempting to run the WMP9 installer so it would repair whatever might have been done by the WMP10 batch that I wasn't aware of. The installer went partially through the process but Windows stopped it with that Stacks error. Trying to uninstall it also gave me that error. At that point I just got peeved off and put the machine away and started on this one.

I have no idea if that Windows is damaged or not. I had never received an error like that before the WMP10 try. My memory management and the MinSP's is as it usually is. I believe that the 98SE Service Pack puts the MinSP thing into System.ini so that's probably not the problem. I've read the Microsoft KB about that before. The 98SE Service Pack tweak is basically the solution they suggest. That was present.

I'm having fun now running the Riptide card on the A7V333. I just wanted to see what would happen on a really fast system with plenty of processor power and memory. I do know that I played some mp3's with the old Willowpond WillowMedia and got no skipping whatsoever while my ethernet was online. It also showed in the About box 100% free Windows memory. Hmmm, I'm sure WMP (that I'll need to use-that or Winamp-so I'll have an EQ) won't provide that! DVD's played fine with both Nero Showtime and PowerDVD 6. Other program's videos played fine with both audio and video going on. (All while cable internet connected.) Dos games work both in Windows and Dos Mode. They sound great within Windows (better than the SBLive), but the Live does a better job in Dos Mode. Music sounds quite a bit better than the SBLive. It's funny. I got the Live way back when because all I read was folks saying the HP Riptide sucked and get a real soundcard. Well, I've found that this cheap little card provides better sound. Not better, of course, than the cards today but better than the Live. I've even got Wavetable Midi! Sometimes I feel like it's my personal Soundcard since everyone else in their right mind throws it in the garbage real quick. Worthless card on XP because of the skipping and removal of features from the WDM drivers but it's great on 98. But I won't really know until I try actually using WMP, the G-Force Visualization, and Firefox at the same time. If it can't do that without the skipping then the experiment is over. Ahh, I'll just uninstall the card and put a different one and a modem in if that's the case. Easy when they're sitting in boxes over there.

I sure keep from getting bored with this stuff.

I think I'll wait on the WMP 10 stuff until I see what other's might post about trying it. I don't want to risk going through that again. But I would like it if I knew it would work and if I could figure out what went wrong. I tried running it several times and got the same (negative) results.

[Eck]

So, to get back the msconfig from the backup file before updating to the latest 98SE2ME, do I need to do the same as before with the Network driver issue?

Do I go into the Command Prompt Only and copy msconfig.exe from the backup file made by 98SE2ME to the System folder and overwrite the Me one there?

Isn't it strange to have 2 versions of Msconfig on the system? Which shows up in the toolbar of System Information? What about the Environmental Variables that the Me Msconfig said it moved from Autoexec to the Registry? Is that just ignored by Windows 98, which just pays attention to what's in autoexec.bat? Ummm, this is too complicated before bedtime. I'll check back tomorrow and see if my worries are answered.


EDIT- Oh! I suppose the only change besides msconfig is the way 98SE2ME reboots the computer? So I could just go into Command Prompt Only, rename the existing msconfig to MECONFIG.EXE and copy the 98SE one over to the system folder from the backup done when 98SE2ME was installed.

No need to reinstall the thing, right?

I do think more clearly in the morning!

This post has been edited by Eck: 16 June 2005 - 08:29 AM

[Eck]

Okay, a new post because I tried it.

The one installed by the 98SE Service Pack appears to be the same as the one installed by 98SE2ME!

I went to Command Prompt Only and renamed msconfig.exe to meconfig.exe, and copyed msconfig.exe from W98SEOLD\system to the system folder.

Both versions are the same. So I now have 2 identical msconfigs except one is named meconfig!

This can't be right. Both say they are version 2.0 and work the same way, with the Environment tab instead of autoexec.bat and config.sys. But right click properties on all of these files show 4.10.3000! Every msconfig on my system is the Me one, even in the 98SEOLD folder!

So unless someone installs 98SE2ME without installing the 98SE Service Pack they are going to get the Me Msconfig.

I suppose it doesn't make a big difference. However I don't see the point of the change in the 98SE2ME keeping the one that is there if they are both the same.

[Eck]

Ahhh! And the Riptide is able to handle WMP 9 with the EQ and Visualization playing mp3's while browsing around the net without any skipping or hesitating. It must be the AthlonXP3000+. The T-Bird 1.2 couldn't handle it.

So, that is a driver problem with the WDM's that never got fixed before HP stopped using the Riptide in their Pavilions. The VXD's work fine as long as the computer has plenty of processor.

I even pull a fast one with the drivers. After updating them, I uninstall just the modem driver from add/remove, reboot, and direct Windows to the original modem driver. This gives me a full duplex speakerphone voice modem, who's voice feature was removed by HP in the updated drivers. So I use the updated audio driver with the old modem driver. When I used dialup I never had a problem with either modem driver. I just used the old one to get the voice and speakerphone functions to work. HP claims the Riptide is a half duplex modem without speakerphone. They should read the old Conexant literature which says otherwise. And HP's own original driver on the recovery cd installs the voice modem serial wave device that activates it. The new updates change the name of the modem and do not install the voice feature.

The only thing this card lacks is EAX support. But it does have a3d and a sort of virtual ear for 2 speakers or headphones that gives a 3d effect to waves. I think it's just an ACM97 codec, but it sounds great and apparently has extremely high quality D/A convertors.

If it had 5.1 support and better WDM drivers it'd be perfect. Sounds better than many expensive cards.

Is this the audio forum? Ha! If I posted in those I'd be ignored or flamed out of existence. They think this thing is a piece of junk. I know what my ears are hearing.

[MDGx]

I have installed WMP10 bonus on my 98SE PC twice using the same batch file, in 2 different configurations, and worked both times.
I have no idea why the installation aborts on your computer.

MECONFIG.EXE build 4.90.3000 installed by 98SE2ME is modded by Tihiy to eliminate the nagging prompts, it is not the original files from WinME CD CABs.
Tihiy's file is posted here:
http://www.msfn.org/board/?showtopic=38021...st&p=263314
Plase see READ1ST.TXT, the "98SE2ME.PIF COMPLETE GUIDE" chapter, the "* ALL MANDATORY Components listed below" paragraph for more info:
READ1ST.TXT
If memory serves, Gape's SP 2.0.1 installs MSCONFIG.EXE build 4.10.2223 from official MS patch for 98SE:
Microsoft Windows 98 SE Shutdown Supplement TSHOOT98.CHM, MSCONFIG.EXE build
4.10.2223, APMBATT.SYS build 4.10.2223, CONFIGMG.VXD build 4.10.2222, PCI.VXD
build 4.10.2223 + VPOWERD.VXD build 4.10.2223 Fixes:
http://support.micro....com/?id=239887
Direct download [504 KB, English]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/d/d...b2c/4756US8.EXE

The only actual change to 98SE2ME 6-14-2005 edition is the MSCONFIG.EXE [the 1 modded by Tihiy] file name which is now renamed to MECONFIG.EXE when it is installed into %windir%\system , so u can have both: (1) the 1 from MS 98SE patch or if u haven't installed the MS patch or Gape's SP, the 1 from Win98 SE CD CABs and (2) the 1 from WinME CD CABs, again, modded by Tihiy.
If u open MECONFIG.EXE [from 98SE2ME] and WinME MSCONFIG.EXE [from CD] in a hex editor/viewer/compare tool, you'll notice differences.

The only other change is purely "cosmetic", and transparent to the user [u won't notice any difference], the computer has to reboot one way or another, in order to install system files which cannot be replaced while in use, and the reboot sequence is now the one built into the OS, no more NirCmd or fake virus reports.
And as added bonus for dial-up/56k/analog modem users, after removing nircmd.exe 98SE2ME.EXE file size decreased by ~ 250 KB, because if u use dial-up every byte counts.

Hope this helps.

[MDGx]

krnl, on Jun 15 2005, 02:21 PM, said:

I have not used 98SE2ME since one of it's early first versions. Back then, as MDGx promised, it delivered super speed, with Windows  98se ready to go as soon as the desktop appeared. But the latest version is actually slower than a clean install of Win98SE followed by Gape's service pack. The cursor stays busy for a good 10 to 15 seconds and  windows don't open as fast either. Any other folks having this problem? Has speed been sacrificed for compatibility and latest file versions?

Thanks for your feedback.
I've never heard of such problem before.
To my knowledge the differences [added WinME files] between early + current 98SE2ME editions should not slow down UI loading.
This is true only if 98SE2ME option 3 is not installed, in which case you would have the slower ME explorer + shell.
I'm testing + using all files from 98SE2ME on my PC, and also personally installed 98SE2ME [various editions] on 10+ other computers, and never noticed slower performance, unless option 3 is installed.

What slows down UI loading [only few examples]:
- added hardware + drivers that need time to load
- added programs/processes/TSRs/DLLs/etc that load as memory residents at every startup
- less free HD space from installing/downloading new stuff, which slows down overall performance in the long run
- various tweaks that make changes to the registry/system files, and which do not necessarily speed up performance
- invalid clusters scattered throughout the HD if not scanning the HD on a regular basis to repair all errors, especially before installing new software.
Of course none of this applies if installed 98SE2ME on top of a "from scratch" 98SE install, on an empty HD.

But if anybody else can confirm similar experience, I'll look into it.

Hope this helps.

[Eck]

It's strange that the file MSCONFIG.EXE in the W98SEOLD folder is a 4.90.3000 then. I installed the 98SE Service Pack 2.01, then did the Maximus Decim MDAC 2.8 install, Office Update and Windows Update, installing all the critical updates for both. Then I installed 98SE2ME. Then I installed the Maximus Decim USB native install.

So as far as I know there should still be a 98SE version of MSCONFIG somewhere. It should have been in the System folder, but if it was then 98SE2ME would have backed it up. It seems the only places now would be the Win98 folder (where I copied the 98SE cd to so I wouldn't need to insert the cd when stuff needed to access it), or the 98SE Service Pack 2.01 package. Before I ran 98SE2ME, MSCONFIG showed the normal Autoexec.bat and Config.sys instead of the Environment and Static VXD's tabs. But somehow the WinMe version is in the W98SEOLD folder!

So now I have the Microsoft WinMe version as msconfig.exe, and the Tihiy version as meconfig.exe. I think. Since I copied the one in the W98SEOLD file to System and renamed the one 98SE2ME (prior to the current one) installed to meconfig.exe.


Another note. The version of Themes.exe installed by the Microsoft 98 Plus! cd is an updated one that fixes the issue of the program not displaying the Title Bar colors correctly. When running 98SE2ME this is replaced by another version (probably from Windows Me) that fixed other problems in the original 98 version of Themes.exe. However this again breaks the title bar color. They appear solid dark blue instead of the correct dark blue on the left fading to light blue. I now must extract the version on the 98 Plus! cd to fix the problem.

Perhaps you can use the one from the 98 Plus! cd as one of the forced updates in the 98SE2ME batch file? It works perfectly, fixed the same problems that the one in Windows Me fixed, but it doesn't have the title bar color problem.

Just a suggestion. All seems real good as far as the system is running. Much improved from all the Me updates!

Heh, heh, my dos games seem to need a reboot to start again after I close them. If I try to run them again, the screen goes to black (trying to open the game full screen-it does this for most games whether or not I check the pif's full screen box), then immediately returns to Windows desktop. Then Explorer crashes (I think it's related to winoldap. I remember having problems with that in the days before XP and Dosbox and vdmsound). So, if I exit a dos game I need to reboot to run it again. Even with clean booting using msconfig (whatever version it is I have) with just the Windows stuff running. Perhaps it's my Radeon 9550 driver getting confused with the resolution changes, who knows.

[PsycoUnc]

-Eck: radeon 9550? Do ya have it cranked up to 500mhz (main clock, not mem)? I recently bought that card for my nephew (but I chose the Gigabyte version, $70, for the much bigger heat sink, but no fan, then I put a fan on it and doubled the std. 250 clock, no prob)

[PsycoUnc]

MDGx, on Jun 16 2005, 08:34 PM, said:

To my knowledge the differences [added WinME files] between early + current 98SE2ME editions should not slow down UI loading.
This is true only if 98SE2ME option 3 is not installed, in which case you would have the slower ME explorer + shell.
I'm testing + using all files from 98SE2ME on my PC, and also personally installed 98SE2ME [various editions] on 10+ other computers, and never noticed slower performance, unless option 3 is installed.

? -option 3 slows down performance? Then it's only there for increased stability? I thought it was there for both... ?