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Although the LUA script yt-dlp4vlc,, originally created by FalloNero on GitHub, is still working, I modified it once again but already months ago. I didn't like his solution from April 2025 to have to add the video quality to the link every time it was transferred to VLC. It is easier to only enter the raw YouTube link as was the case in the past. In the LUA script, I therefore added code to be able to read and use the video quality which the user has preset in the video settings of VLC. Furthermore, I added a new variable containing a limit to use no better codec than h264 (an important switch for older hardware). I also changed the content of the format_string variable. Both can of course be changed by the users according to their needs. Finally, I reduced the hidecon command to start yt-dlp hidden. Here is my new mod of the LUA script yt-dlp4vlc: -- YouTube Link Resolver for VLC with Separate Video and Audio URLs -- Place this script in VLC's lua/playlist directory local yt_dlp_path = 'yt-dlp.exe'; local yt_dlp_silent_path = 'yt-dlp-silent.exe'; function sleep(s) local ntime = os.time() + s repeat until os.time() > ntime end function probe() -- Check if the input is a YouTube link return vlc.access == "http" or vlc.access == "https" and (string.match(vlc.path, "youtube%.com") or string.match(vlc.path, "youtu%.be")) end function parse() -- Construct the full YouTube URL local youtube_url = vlc.access .. "://" .. vlc.path -- Extract "quality" query parameter if present local quality = youtube_url:match("[&?]quality=(%d+)[pP]?") youtube_url = youtube_url:gsub("[&?]quality=%d+[pP]?", ""):gsub("[&?]$", "") -- Remove trailing ? or & -- Get the preferred resolution preset by the user in VLC local prefres = vlc.var.inherit(nil, "preferred-resolution") if prefres < 0 then prefres = 2160 -- Best quality set to 2160p to overwrite VLC's native value of -1 end local allowed_qualities = { ["240"] = true, ["360"] = true, ["480"] = true, ["720"] = true, ["1080"] = true, ["2160"] = true } -- Default quality limited to the preferred resolution taken from VLC's settings local format_string = string.format("bestvideo[height<=%i]+bestaudio", prefres) if quality and allowed_qualities[quality] then format_string = string.format("bestvideo[height<=%i]+bestaudio", quality) vlc.msg.info("Using requested quality: " .. quality .. "p") else vlc.msg.info("No valid quality specified. Defaulting to best available.") end local cmd_hidden = yt_dlp_silent_path -- No better codec than h264 (an important switch for older hardware). This can of course be changed by the users according to their needs. local codec_limit = '-S "codec:h264"' local video_url = '' local audio_url = '' local yt_dlp_silent_exists = io.open(yt_dlp_silent_path, "r") ~= nil if not yt_dlp_silent_exists then vlc.msg.info(yt_dlp_silent_path .. " not found. Falling back to " .. yt_dlp_path) cmd_hidden = 'hidecon &' -- Start cmd hidden and ... local cmd = string.format( '%s "%s" %s -f \"%s\" -g "%s"', cmd_hidden, yt_dlp_path, codec_limit, format_string, youtube_url ) local handle = io.popen(cmd) video_url = handle:read("*l") audio_url = handle:read("*l") handle:close() else vlc.msg.info(yt_dlp_silent_path .. " found. Running program") local cmd = string.format( '%s -s "%s %s -f \"%s\" -g %s"', cmd_hidden, yt_dlp_path, codec_limit, format_string, youtube_url ) local process = io.popen("start /B " .. cmd) process:close() local output_file = "yt-dlp-output.txt" local file_exists = false local timeout = 0 local timeout_limit = 10 while not file_exists do local file_test = os.rename(output_file, output_file) if file_test then file_exists = true else vlc.msg.info("Waiting for output file...") sleep(1) timeout = timeout + 1 if timeout > timeout_limit then vlc.msg.warn("Timeout reached. The output file was not created.") break end end end vlc.msg.info("File found") local file = io.open(output_file, "r") video_url = file:read("*l") audio_url = file:read("*l") file:close() os.remove(output_file) end video_url = video_url and video_url:gsub("^%s+", ""):gsub("%s+$", "") or "" audio_url = audio_url and audio_url:gsub("^%s+", ""):gsub("%s+$", "") or "" vlc.msg.info("[YouTube Resolver] Original URL: " .. youtube_url) vlc.msg.info("[YouTube Resolver] Video URL: " .. video_url) if audio_url and audio_url ~= "" then return { { path = video_url, name = vlc.path .. " (Video)", options = { ":input-slave=" .. audio_url } } } else return { { path = video_url, name = vlc.path .. " (Video + Audio)" } } end end Don't forget to download hidecon (see the quoted post) and copy it to the main progranmme folder of VLC! From now on, the user's default settings for video quality will be respected again. Simply enter any YouTube link in VLC and the preset quality will be played. Cheers, AstroSkipper

The old download link I used in my ytBATCH releases was https://github.com/nicolaasjan/yt-dlp/releases/latest/download/yt-dlp_x86_Windows-XP.zip which is no longer working. As you can see, at some point you changed the file name of the ZIP archive. For me. no problem. I have already rewritten the yt-dlp update module for the upcoming release of ytBATCH.

@nicolaasjan changed the download link to his Windows XP release of yt-dlp. Moreover, it is no longer provided as a ZIP file but an executable one. Therefore, the yt-dlp update module inside my ytBATCH versions doesn't work anymore. I have already fixed that and am in testing phase. Additionally, I made further changes and implemented new features. When all is finished, I will release ytBATCH for Windows XP 1.7. Cheers, AstroSkipper

Many programmes come with their own OpenSSL modules to establish secure connections. If such a programme is no longer updated, it is only a matter of time before secure connections can no longer be established. Local updating of the OpenSSL files by the user, if possible at all, can then help. A global installation of a current OpenSSL version will not help at all in such cases, as it is simply not used.

Without a correctly installed and running HTTPSProxy, you will get this message each time under Windows XP when trying to activate Panda. Whether the proxy is working correctly or not, you can see in its console window. If you are not familiar with these proxies, then you should read my article ProxHTTPSProxy and HTTPSProxy in Windows XP for future use.

Clicking onto the vthash.exe file as described in the readme file. And it doesn't matter whether doing that from an Explorer or Total Commander window. The window is always hidden and inaccessable. Process Hacker can see its proccess, the window item is disabled, though.

I am an old member of MSFN too with 4k+ postings , and I have never given any advice without a well-founded reason. Long story short, absolutely no trust in Kaspersky and especially in their definition updates. And this will be the case forever. The reasons for that can be read in all its detail in this thread.

FYI and for the cause research, if the programme has been called, and the window is not accessible, it appears the moment you open an Explorer window, very strange.

@genieautravail Your release VT Hash Check 1.67 for Windows XP is running fine here. But one thing is not working as described in the readme file. When clicking the main executable, the window is supposed to be opened to reach its settings. The programme opens, and I can see it in the task manager but its window is inaccessable. I can only reach the settings when performing a hash check. I don't think that was the intention. Or did I miss something? And BTW, the option SSL/TLS has of course to be enabled to establish a connection to VirusTotal.

When checking for a yt-dlp update, the command yt-dlp -U always gave an error messsge but never performed an update under Windows XP. Recently, this message no longer appears, and yt-dlp is updated directly to a version that is not XP-compatible. Since this command wasn't a big hit under Windows XP anyway, I've now programmed the yt-dlp update check to be squeaky clean. In the upcoming release 1.6, a clean version check will be carried out as it is already performed by the youtube-dl update module. The direct updater has also been modified accordingly. No more youtube-dl -U or yt-dlp -U commands.

Due to a recent change in @nicolaasjan's yt-dlp release, I had to change the update module for the YouTube downloaders in my release ytBATCH for Windows XP 1.5. Additionally, I modified both config files youtube-dl.conf and yt-dlp.conf to download YouTube videos with a resolution 480p and the h264 codec at maximum combined with the audio codec mp4a for all Windows XP users on old, weak hardware like me , and to embed subtitles. These config files can of course be edited by the user to use higher codecs and resolutions at any time. ytBATCH for Windows XP 1.6 will be released soon.

you're welcome , be sure to rename it to crashreporter.exe , NOT to crashreporter.exe.txt.

@THK2003 , WerRegisterRuntimeExceptionModule function registers a custom runtime exception handler that is used to provide custom error reporting for crashes. The key words are "error reporting" , so this is yet another spying "feature" . Absolutely not needed . Try replacing crashreporter.exe with a blank file. Create an empty txt file . Rename it from "New Text Document.txt" to crashreporter.exe and replace. Actually, you can replace all *.exe files in the firefox folder, except the firefox.exe itself.

Actually this is my discovery, so should be polite to mention me. And I still do not have any answers why the much beloved russian (KGB or not) repackers "missed" out that important part completely. I mean , c'mon , russians are so cool at hacking (that's what they tell us on TV , no ?) , so how come they didn't "notice" ? Actually, they "missed" out lots of telemetry parts and codes generated by 360 Chromium to link each user to the PC he's using at the moment and much , much more... https://msfn.org/board/topic/182304-extreme-explorer-360-chromium-78-86-general-discussion/page/15/?tab=comments#comment-1194253

On the contrary , it was interesting to know what other people feel today/felt back in the day. You can always share with me. Yeah , lots of emotions , I agree , though I'm not emotional myself and even I always remember that times like it was something from some other world (in a good sense). So you're from the late 90's period .... I skipped that part completely due to the worsened music . I started as an ordinary DJ in the early 1994. Later I had a small club of my own, but the music/style just went bad , the club had became flooded with junkies , I fed up with it and quit in 1996 , I think it was November - December . I'm not sure why , but it wasn't the case in 1994 , people became different ? I dunno . Trance ... yeah , right : 1997 it's when the trance began to kick in (without me) xD . But, yeah , there are some good trance things , I just prefer the older ones . In 2012 I started clubbing again, mainly because I wanted to find a yonger GF (sorry for a slight off-topic) , well I succeeded , sorta ... 'cause somewhere in 2018/19 I felt the urge to find a younger GF again , but this damn "virus" began and all those restrictions , so I'm kinda in your shoes , I try not to go out without the real need , etc. Back to 2012 , I just tried to ignore what was played , of course it was nothing like the 90s and it will never be. Yeah , I miss that times , and I miss my Roland JW-50 !

Opera 72 with these latest files "SHAssocEnumHandlersForProtocolByApplication not found in SHELL32.dll".

Hi. Just checked , the main driver nvhda64v.sys makes calls to PsGetVersion , so I think it is still used. Any way to cheat it without replacing ntoskrnl ? By the way , RtlGetVersion is absent .

Well , I don't think this will help because I've installed the driver manually, avoiding Nvidia's auto installer. I've spent another several hours trying different drivers and registry hacks. As far as I can see , there is just not enough info for the players to "see" HD audio capable device . Take a closer look at the Vista's registry entries under : [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\MMDevices\Audio\Render\{my receiver auto generated id}\Properties] For example, HDAUDIO string is missing , compared to W7 entries . So I changed the .inf file (added everything from W7 sections to the Vista ones) and when I try to install this driver manually Vista says driver is not signed , I pressed ignore and the installation went ok , but it didn't change anything . Still not enough needed entries in the "MMDevices". It is painfully annoyning to add them manually for each device , esp. since the names are auto generated . At least now I know what's the culprit and who's to blame . I think Nvidia made it that way so one couldn't use HD audio on Vista. I will not purchase their products anymore . I've been their fan for almost 20 years. Any ideas ? Thanks.

Yeah , I too use a 24' CCFL 15 year old monitor and loving it very much. But DTS HD MA is ancient by modern standards and should be supported by ancient hardware, including Realtek (for examplle 2nd Generation Intel Core mobo's) , Nvidia's cards starting from GTX460 (I think, maybe even earlier). Do you remember the times when there was a small cable that we needed to attach to the motherboard's SPDIF and connect to Nvidia's DVI to bypass the digital sound. GTX 8800 definitely had this "feature" . I guess Nvidia was cutting the costs of the production so we needed to use onboard sound , later they added their own chip and it 100% supports DTS HD MA , I guess starting from 2010 or so.