Leaderboard

The only thing that will dictate how long I stay on Windows 8 is Firefox ESR support longevity. If ESR 115 is supported, I’ll stay on Windows 8 until 2024. i wasn’t planning to stick it out through the ESU period, because once Firefox ESR support on Windows 8.1 bites the dust, then there won’t be any other suitable “modern” browsers to rely on. I suppose 360Chrome from ArticFoxie could work in a pinch, but that’s an older Chromium build that it’s based on. I’m not sure I’d want to bank on that for too much longer. So hopefully I can wring out one or two more years from Windows 8 before adopting Windows 10 LTSC, which I have ready to go on another machine.

It actually does. And is even being offered on Windows Update for both Windows 7 & Windows 8.1 (have no clue if the same is also true for Windows Server 2008).

I need a publicly written approval from the moderators !

StartIsBack++ 2.9.18

That's right because they're on Mica. Though they're not rendered against transparent background I think I can bring ClearType back.

Moderators don't know anything about the contents of PMs, they are private, by definition.

Sorry for the offtopic, but with the updates from server 2012, is it possible to install .NET 4.8? For some reason I prefer Windows 8.0 to 8.1, it seems faster to me.

Why use Win8/10/11? I cannot understand this. Capitalism is their goal. On every new M$ OS, more backward compatibilty is missing. They implement newer DirextX for every new OS, so that gamers need to switch their OS to newer ones if they want to play modern games. High OS -> more CPU power is needed, thats an insane policy against sustainably living, hundreds of (modern) "old" computers got thrown into city trash area every day. Programmers could do everything, but they don't want to, money interests are far more important than humanity. The same thing exist in the game developer industry. Userfriendly programmers would never remove compatibility. Hope to see a XP revival (driver support for all new GPUs, DX12 support, possibilty to install modern browser) or a massive switch-over-to-linux. It is time to stop the insanity, it's already urgent since 20 years...

NotHereToPlayGames (aka ArcticFoxie) has already expressed some interest in modifying newer Chinese browsers that still support Windows 7. (Support for XP has ended even in China now.)

I would honestly be surprised a little if ESR 115 doesn't support Windows 7/8/8.1, as that would go against their usual traditions. Also, in case anyone is interested, below is the Windows Update log file for Windows 8.1 in its entirety, compressed into a 7z archive. Maybe it'll come handy to some of you... WindowsUpdate_log.7z

My grandfather haunted me for decades (and still does). We had a strong connection, so after he passed away, I could still see him (from time to time) in his room. In the evenings mostly, just sits on his couch and does nothing. Then I burned almost all of his things except some - his dagger, and the motorcycle etc., so I could channel the energy to summon him, Why ? I decided not to fight it 'cause he meant no harm and I accepted to just live with it . I don't mourn him. Never did. I loved him , yes, but didn't mourn. I sometimes need his advice and he visits at night, after I channel the energy . With years he became less apparent. And I need more an more energy to summon him again. Creepy, I know.

Hi Sal, how do you do ! XP chkdsk is a total joke ! The only thing that really remaps the sectors is a FULL (not quick!) reformat . It will delete all of the data on the disk.

I meant what does he do ? His specialty ? From my very short encounter with him (her?) , I remember he (she?) was an expert on using the word "dude" in his local area.

@jaclaz Thanks for the tip! I have something working. But it isn't ideal, or a solution for large hard disk images. I downloaded RamDisk98, from one of the many Simtel FTP clones. If my disk image has the same partition size, as the RamDisk98 saved partition image, I can use HxD to copy the data between the two. So the image size is limited by the amount of free ram you have. You need enough ram, left over, for HxD's copying in order to paste. So it's better to save the ram image, then operate "afterwards" without the ram disk. For me, the ram disk does not start and stop, as described in the readme. Edit: now works Mapping a disk image, with Grub4Dos, is still easier. I'll install Paragon's Harddisk Manager 6, to see it I can do something similar with the included Image Mounter. They have a header, on there created disk images. As long as the image is not compressed or encrypted, it saves it raw. But this would only work for people with this software. Update: Image mounter couldn't unmount Paragon's own images correctly; the changes were not saved. It seems like a Win98 compatibility issue. Otherwise, it seems as if it would have worked. Mounted images, that had been modified by raw disk image partition data, displayed contents of the original raw partition. Alternatively, the "README.TXT" included with RamDisk98 say: If there is enough usable code, in there, maybe something could be (re)written for a ram or file image.

Not what you asked for, but older versions of Diskinternals Linuxreader *should* run on 9x (at least there is a .vxd in version 2.0). It allows mounting disk images and save files from them (read only access), but no drive letter. jaclaz

Installed the Server 2008 x64 version yesterday. No problems.

Doesn't concern me too much, to be honest. I think people over-estimate just how "fast" 'web standards' migrate through the internet. We are "forced" to use MS Edge at work (us in Engineering are exempt, thankfully!) - MS Edge has been updated THIRTEEN times this year alone! And we're only 46 days into the year. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/deployedge/microsoft-edge-relnote-stable-channel I'm sorry, that's just STUPID in my "not so humble" opinion.

LION’S MANE MUSHROOMS FOUND TO ‘MAGICALLY’ REGROW BRAIN CELLS, NEW RESEARCH SHOWS CHRISTOPHER PLAIN - FEBRUARY 14, 2023 Edible “lion’s mane” mushrooms have shown the ability to magically regrow completely new brain cells, according to new research. Formally named Hericium erinaceus, the formidable fungus has been used in traditional Asian medicine for millennia. However, new lab research shows that, unlike some traditional medicines whose reputations are stronger than their efficacy, the lion’s mane was highly effective in helping forge new nerve connections within the human brain, promoting the growth of entirely new brain cells.... More: https://thedebrief.org/lions-mane-mushrooms-found-to-magically-regrow-brain-cells-new-research-shows/

Millions of years captured in one photo...

Amazing Astronomy @MAstronomers SpaceX Starlink satellites seen traveling over Hiroshima, Japan…

BREAKING balloon NEWS But look at the shiny balloon!

Science girl @gunsnrosesgirl3 15h This heart-shaped amethyst geode was discovered by miners in Uruguay. They split open a rock, inside was a pair of matching hearts Marcos Lorenzelli. iG Uruguay Minerals

Massimo @Rainmaker1973 Another impressive visualization of the magnitude of the earthquake which hit Turkey one week ago. This photo taken in Adıyaman shows how the buildings were literally moved onto the cars that were parked nearby [source, Özkan Bilgin/AA: https://buff.ly/3I02CZX] Here:

Major media cover-up in Ohio! The 50+ car derailment caused a huge amount of toxic chemicals to leak. The authorities began burning the chemicals to avoid an explosion. Now megatoxins are Chernobyling Ohio… But where is heading this thick and incredibly dangerous stream of smoke? Look at a wind map… They are heading to the eastern seaboard… MASS POISONING EVENT IN PENNSYLVANIA, WIND HEADED TOWARDS NEW YORK CITY. Extremely Toxic and Carcinogenic Vinyl Chloride Cloud headed to NYC… Check this video and then read the whole thread on Twitter… From: https://strangesounds.substack.com/p/seriously-what-the-heck-is-happening Look too: https://strangesounds.substack.com/p/red-pill-warning

Build 5430 succesfully working on Windows 7 Normally, the last build is 5425.

One possible reason for the increasing pace of UFO disclosure? Plainfiction is a place to find all things Chris Plain. ... aside from a scant few like billionaire Dennis Tito or school teacher Christa McAuliffe, pretty much all (astronauts) have been government employees, former military and/or highly qualified scientists. As such, basically every woman and man who has had the opportunity to travel into space has also operated under security oaths and non-disclosure agreements. Although ostensibly related to any classified human tech they may observe, and rightfully so, rumors persist that there is another reason for this secrecy, maybe the main reason. Whatever the case, even these security oaths and agreements haven’t kept a few spacefaring humans from speaking out about odd encounters during their missions, encounters that often remained unexplained. For instance, if the statements like the one of former US Army radar specialist Harland Bentley are to be believed, many missions that included American astronauts, from Mercury and Gemini to Apollo and the Space Shuttle, have had such encounters. He’s not the only whistle blower, either. Actual astronauts, from Mercury’s Gordon Cooper to Apollo’s Edgar Mitchell, have given statements about things (possibly) seen during missions, either by them or their fellow astronauts that seem to defy conventional explanation. However now, as technology has advanced and the era of private space flight is finally upon us, the type of human that will be entering space is completely different. Not only will these private citizen astronauts be just that, private, and therefore unchained by the laws and oaths typically taken by those in the military or NASA, they will also be rich. In fact, they’ll mostly be filthy rich, wealthy even, which is like rich times a million. This will undoubtedly change things. In my very limited experience with wealthy people, they live by their own rules, and in many cases are the ones making those rules. So, when this type of person shoots into space aboard a Virgin Galactic Spaceship, a Space-X Starship, or even a Blue Origin whatevertheycallit, (apologies Admiral Sheppard) they will be free to report what they see. And report it they will. If non-human, sentient beings have been observing us for as long as it appears, likely millennia, and are particularly interested in our first forays into space, then it seems inevitable that at least one of these private citizen astronauts will see them, probably more than one. Once this happens, it will change everything. I mean, do you really think someone like Jeff Bezos, Sir Richard Branson, or noted UFO skeptic Elon Musk himself will hesitate to talk about any flying saucers that decide to buzz their ship? How about Tom Cruise or Taylor Swift? No, me either. ... Therefore, is ask, as we finally enter the commercial space age, an era will thousands of “ordinary” (albeit rich as hell), citizens will venture outside of our atmosphere, could this pending revolution in space travel be the reason for accelerated UFO disclosure?... MORE: https://plainfiction.com/2020/11/one-possible-reason-for-the-increasing-pace-of-ufo-disclosure/

Sounds So Relaxing: Howling Wolf * 1 Hour * (0 dropped frames!) 1 hour sleeping | Wolf howling in the rain (0 dropped frames!) - So which video of a wolf howling is best suited to your needs, please?..

That's because my XP port is built with PyInstaller 5.7, in which the bug is fixed. See here. I only occasionally test these, to be honest... Exactly what I was thinking.

I am broadcasting this user guide because the essential information is being slowly lost from internet search providers. Windows 9x is a very functional OS, however, Microsoft rarely included the troubleshooting essential for resetting parts of the file system, which is the way the OS typically gets to work back to normal, even in 2022. I've learned through experience that Virtual PC Emulation is never going to support all DOS and 32-bit games library. A real PC made between 1993 - 2001 must be purchased and taken care of. The Windows Millennium embedded virtual mode DOS window is 100% functional in the exact same performance as in Windows 98... however, the AUTOEXEC.BAT and the CONFIG.SYS files located in the path C:\WINDOWS or in C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\EBD expect accurate command strings in relation to the upgraded MS-DOS Version 8.0 which is a part of Windows ME itself. Additionally, one must be mindful and careful in searching for that one original 16-bit DOS driver made by the Sound Card manufacturer because the name of the string can vary. The file path I mentioned a moment ago is not the DOS BOOT system files. Rather, it is a secondary replica of the DOS BOOT system files which is intended to be read by the embedded virtual mode DOS, which Microsoft designed. For the reason that the AUTOEXEC.BAT and the CONFIG.SYS files were left completely blank by Microsoft, I do not know why. However, with efficient work and knowledge, DOS Gaming is very functional and the CD-ROM, SOUND, MIDI, and Analog Joystick strings must be applied. It also should be noted that the MS-DOS Editor application doesn't even permit editing of the system file path I mentioned. It should be manually edited under Notepad by copying and pasting it to Desktop, and re-naming the file extension to .TXT. 1) Let us start with AUTOEXEC.BAT. A) Because my Sound Card is not an actual SoundBlaster brand, but a SoundBlaster-compatible brand called CrystalAudio, then the SET SOUND string is different. It appears: SET SOUND=C:\WINDOWS\CWCDATA\CWCDOS.EXE /P (CWCDOS.EXE is the original 16-bit DOS driver made by the Sound Card manufacturer.) B) Because my Sound Card is not an actual SoundBlaster brand, but a SoundBlaster-compatible brand called CrystalAudio, then the string particularly has the "I5" and "H5" instead of the usual "I7" and "H7." It appears: SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 P330 E620 T6 (On a SoundBlaster brand only, it appears: SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 H7 P330 T6 J200) Note: Apply the "J200" at the end of the string IF ONLY your sound card is SoundBlaster. If it is SoundBlaster-compatible brand otherwise, skip and proceed to the next step. C) Because my Sound Card is not an actual SoundBlaster brand, but a SoundBlaster-compatible brand called CrystalAudio, then the string SET MIDI is PART ONE in order to activate the Analog Joystick under DOS. It appears: SET MIDI=SYNTH:1 MAP:E MODE:0 Note: PART TWO in order to activate the Analog Joystick involves installing Direct X 7.1 through 8.2. Then restart. Then these dual 16-bit and 32-bit drivers will combine functionality. The Joystick is therefore active under Control Panel > Game Controllers. D) The CD-ROM string is a universally recognized one. It appears: LH c:\command\MSCDEX.EXE /D:mscd001 E) The complete code string as a whole is a ton of gibberish code, however, it is VERY IMPORTANT to use this version of code IF YOU'RE USING WINDOWS ME because it is the resigned DOS Version 8.0 code included with it. Note: Open attachment below. 2) Let us continue with CONFIG.SYS. A) The original purpose of CONFIG.SYS was intended to sort the Disk or Diskette boot order. Microsoft expanded on it to specify memory thresholds and character thresholds. Subsequent to Windows 98 and ME, it also includes expanded memory and hardware drivers. The HIMEM.SYS string is crucial. It is used to manage extended memory on DOS. Note: Open attachment below. 3) If you have recently upgraded or installed Windows Millennium, you should adhere to the strict update process. A) Do not download and run the "Unofficial Service Pack 1" auto-script. The person who created that script did not take into account that most updates needs to be individually installed and to restart the computer every time. Your computer will either crash on blue screen or your registry will become obsolete. Instead, go over to this link so that you can download a folder that contains all relevant updates individually > https://archive.org/download/WULOS and select the file "WinUpdates_95-XP32.iso." B) Please be advised that you may not need to install too many updates for too long from that folder, as because Microsoft released an update-related Security Disc in 2004 to various magazines, which includes a lot of final component updates. Go over to this link > https://archive.org/details/securityupdatecd_2004_woutdirectx9 and download the .ISO file. Note: This is the only version of the Security CD that has Direct X 9 removed. Because Direct X 9 removed compatibility with dozens of 32-bit games and also removed the analog joystick driver. C) Do not install Direct X 9 ever. Direct X 7.1 is pre-installed with Windows Me. You may also install Direct X 8.1a and 8.2. Version 8.2 is when you stop. D) You may also browse the very large collection of updates and additional applications located here: https://www.mdgx.com/ietoy.htm 4) Browsing the World Wide Web (mainly Google and MSN) in 2022. A) Download the custom built browser called RetroZilla 2.2 located here: https://github.com/rn10950/RetroZilla/releases/tag/2.2 B) Install Internet Explorer 6.0 Service Pack 1 (IE6SP1). Don't listen to what everyone is saying regarding TSL connections being blocked by external websites. That's bs. Google will load on unsecure HTTP via either TSL and/or SSL. Therefore, open Control Panel > Internet Settings > Advanced. Then scroll down to check mark "SSL 2" "SSL 3" and "TSL 1." Install RetroZilla 2.2. Open a new browser tab, then type "about:config," then add these scripts: Script 1: security.ssl3.ecdhe_ecdsa_aes_128_gcm_sha256 Script 2: security.ssl3.ecdhe_rsa_aes_128_gcm_sha256 Again, open a new browser tab, then type "about:config," then search these six scripts and disable them each by toggling it to FALSE. security.ssl3.ecdh_ecdsa_rc4_128_sha security.ssl3.ecdh_rsa_rc4_128_sha security.ssl3.ecdhe_ecdsa_rc4_128_sha security.ssl3.ecdhe_rsa_rc4_128_sha security.ssl3.rsa_rc4_128_md5 security.ssl3.rsa_rc4_128_sha Again, open a new browser tab, then type "about:config," then search for Java and disable the script called "javascript.enabled" by toggling it to FALSE. C) If you set up Networking Devices (Sharing) via the Home Network Setup Wizard, your Internet Connection (IP Address) will be negatively compromised. Don't. There is a new yet little known setting in Windows ME called "IP Routing Enabled" which causes this issue. You can view this unusual setting by opening Start > Run > type "Command" > type "WINIPCFG." IP Configuration Utility will open and you will see that setting check marked in blue. It cannot be resolved simply by de-selecting the check mark because the registry settings were compromised too. Therefore if you have no Internet Connection (IP Address) because of this, then this troubleshooting will fix it and get the connection restored. C-continued) Repairing Winsock2 in Win9x/ME. Open Control Panel > Network. Inside the "Configuration" tab, remove all protocols (the protocol icon is T-shaped) while leaving the Network Adapters (green icon) alone. Close the Network Properties window, AND DO NOT CLICK YES FOR A REBOOT. YOU MUST NOT REBOOT YET. Open Regedit and delete these keys: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VXD\Dhcp HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VXD\Dhcpoptions HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VXD\MSTCP HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VXD\Winsock2 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock2 Then close Regedit. Open Control Panel > Network again. Click Add, then click Protocol, then click add once more. Then a third box appears. Click Microsoft on the left panel, then click TCP/IP on the right panel. Have your Windows ME CD inserted for the CAB rebuilding process. Click OK and close all boxes. When the request to reboot appears. CLICK YES and REBOOT. And your Internet Connection (IP Address) settings are now restored. 5) Release and Renew the IP Address, Default Gateway, and DNS router data. A) Open Start > Run > type "Command" > type "WINIPCFG." Click Release All and then click Renew All. 6) Easy way to boot into Safe Mode. A) Hold down the "Control" key when you reboot the computer. 7) Burning blank CD-Rs for file transfer. A) CD-Rs manufactured since 2015 changed to dyes that are unstable on older CD-ROM Drives and the dyes melt very easily due to the higher power output of the laser. Your best bet is to purchase a lot of orders of vintage CD-R stocks on eBay.com. _______________________________________ Have *´) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•´ * . ´***Great Times!! I am so very tired and I will provide more troubleshooting guides when I return in a day or two. AUTOEXEC.TXT CONFIG.TXT