Leaderboard

So I hope you guys know about some of the interesting things about Windows Me, at MSFN in fact, I found all this info in bits and pieces scattered over many threads so I am posting it in a single post. Also, there are many people here who already know it or are much smarter so ignore, I am only posting it for those still playing with this ancient OS in a VM or real old hardware. Hope it's not a problem: 1. Only the OEM version of Windows Me has hibernation support, retail doesn't. Also, OEM Windows Me CD is bootable. 2. It is common knowledge that Windows Me was patched to restore MS-DOS real mode. Io.sys, Command.com and Regenv.exe can be patched so it processes Config.sys and Autoexec.bat. That is old news. But this way of patching has a downside - you lose the nice white Windows Me boot logo (logo.sys that's inside Io.sys) because it takes the Io.sys/Winboot file from the EBD (Emergency Boot Disk). But instead what I recently learned (sure seasoned members and experts know it already) is after using the Me2Dos patch to modify Io.sys, command.com and regenv.exe or patching it yourself with a hex editor, if you take the Io.sys from Windows Me's Bootable CD (after it boots to DOS for Setup) or from the OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK) that's there in tools\nettools\fac -> DTA files (which are actually CAB files on the CD) and overwrite the one in C:\ drive's root with this one, then this OEM Io.sys does have the nice boot screen and you can still boot to DOS if you want due to the patched Command.com and Regenv.exe. In fact you get the full set of startup options like 95/98 except "Previous version of MS-DOS". So, after you have patched Windows Me with the famous Me2DOS patch to boot like 95/98, you can replace Io.sys with the non-patched Io.sys from Me OPK or Bootable Me ISO, and you get the best of both worlds - boot screen as well as boot to DOS/startup files no longer ignored. 3. Another advantage of Io.sys from OEM CD vs EBD patch is Expanded Memory is available in Windows Me for DOS programs. 4. Finally, you need to make a few changes to startup files after the Me2Dos patch and replacing Io.sys from OEM CD, so that "Command prompt only" option works like 95/98 and also you don't get boot errors at startup when booting Windows Me with the "Normal" option. I'll explain why you need to modify files again after the Me2Dos patch. With this unpatched Io.sys from OEM CD Boot image/OPK, it always loads Windows Me even if you choose the "Command prompt only" option. This is because the Command interpreter line in startup files lacks the /P (permanent) switch. You just need to add the /P switch to config.sys. After you install the Me2Dos patch, it modifies Config.sys to add this line: shell=c:\command.com e:32768. Just modify it as stated below so you don't get a "File creation error" when booting. Like this: shell=c:\command.com c: /p /e:32768 (Note the correct use of /p switch in Config.sys is to list dir where command interpreter resides before it so you must add: c: before /p) Also this Io.sys will automatically load Ifshlp.sys so you can comment out the line in config.sys added by Me2Dos patch by a semicolon and lastly remove the line from Autoexec.bat: C:\WINDOWS\win.com as with the non-patched Io.sys from Bootable OEM CD, it will load Windows Me anyway when "Normal" startup is used. So you get all options working exactly like Windows 95/98: Normal, Logged, Safe Mode, Step-by-Step Confirmation, Command Prompt only (which does process your Config.sys and Autoexec.bat but boots to DOS only) and Safe mode command prompt only which bypasses them. 5. Another fun thing I recently learned is with the ORIGINAL Io.sys that Windows Me officially installs (not the patched one from Me2Dos/EBD patch and not the one from OEM Me CD), Windows Me does not actually need Win.com to boot! It is there only for compatibility but Win.com then loads vmm32.vxd which is the main file that switches from real-mode to protected mode. So you can do fun trick (not that there is any use of it): - Rename C:\Windows\Win.com to WinMe.com so Windows doesn't find it automatically - Rename C:\Windows\system\vmm32.vxd to vmm32.com. - Take Command.com from tools\nettools\fac -> DTA files and rename it to C:\Windows\system\vmm32.vxd Now when your PC boots with original unpatched Io.sys, it will only load Command.com Also you can directly load Windows Me by running: C:\Windows\system\vmm32.com. Or create a batch file in C:\ called Win.bat which points to C:\Windows\system\vmm32.com. That way it loads command.com. If you type, Win, it loads Windows Me. Note that I find this trick (#5) useless as original Io.sys bypasses startup files so there is no advantage of booting to DOS. Also if you use any different Io.sys, then vmm32.com will fail to load Windows Me directly. Let me know what you guys think. I think having access to MS-DOS almost like Windows 98 is awesome. The only thing that is still missing is Restart to MS-DOS Mode option but you can always dual boot between some version of DOS and Windows Me/DOS if you don't like "Command Prompt only" (Windows Me DOS 8.0).

Just curious, regarding possible workarounds (can't test myself, old browser): does this new layout still contain the direct video links in html source code? Especially easy in meta tag "og:video". And futher down are SD and HD variations. In whichever version they send me, those links still work for downloading. If giving a timestamp error, must just replace "&" with "&". Suppose a little userscript can also wrap those links into a simple html5 video tag .

A small update on the repository. Thanks to the efforts of @Regele there are now EN-US version of IE9 and KB937286. I've also change the folders names in the Ultimate Extras to English.

Also greenhillmaniac’s Windows Vista Update Repository has Ultimate Extras folders in both the x86 and x64 folders.

Bit late, but Dumps.7z

It does not. MS never bothered to port DiagTrack to NT 6.0.

Nothing like having one's privacy violated just by Google, MS, Amazon and Facebook, isn't it?

More screenshots:

Obligatory download link: https://s3.amazonaws.com/startisback/StartIsBackPlusPlus_setup.exe Your feedback is welcomed.