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Kurt_Aust

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Posts posted by Kurt_Aust

  1. Changes - 2 Oct 2023

    • Added IrfanView Photo viewer & editor to the installed applications
    • Enhanced the Revolutions Pack with extra icons and Vista style cursors
    • Split off dotNET 2.0 into a separate installer due to instability on some systems
    • Cleaned up the Win_98se_Updates.iso folder structure
    • Other slight changes to the install guide for clarity and stability
    • Similar changes to the VMware Player guide
    • Tested on more old systems

  2. OK, it looks like the problem is caused by places.sqlite, if I delete that file from the profile folder, the issue goes away.

    It seems quite large for a history file (10MB), seeing as Firefox should not have really done anything yet.

    I take it you don't see any issue in removing it and letting Firefox create a new version?

  3. I've got a weird effect in that when I use the portable version of Firefox 38 (from the 1st post) it always crashes on exit but otherwise works fine.

    However if I use the non-portable version that it calls and is packaged with, there is no crash on exit, is this expected behaviour or is there something else I have to do?

  4. On 8/10/2023 at 5:45 PM, UCyborg said:

    I tried SoftGPU and GL Checker reports 3D HW acceleration works. I got an error from the installer that it didn't find the working PCI bus. Not sure if related, but on the old VM I was testing, USB 2.0 was enabled and NUSB drivers were installed. VM was run with VirtualBox 7.0.10 (current version ATM).

    Still, games are very slow, about 20 - 50 FPS in Half-Life in OpenGL mode in Hazard Course. Task Manager on the host indicated GPU's 3D capabilities were in use. Half-Life is pretty primitive, I guess anything more demanding would be a slideshow. In fact, even Half-Life's D3D renderer ran at about 10 FPS or less, that's all in 640x480. Haven't used such low resolution in practice in many years.

    The guide as written is meant for a new install, I can't know what legacy issues might be in an existing Win 98se VM.

    However the failed PCI bus is a known issue when using SoftGPU on QEMU, as indicated of the main SoftGPU page.

    Your best bet for advice on performance limitations is to ask there and hopefully get a response from the creator of SoftGPU.

    Still in the end it is just an advanced software driver/GPU, it can't be expected to achieve the performance of real physical GPU.

     

    Now if you're agnostic about how you get to playing old games that no longer work on modern versions of Windows, you may want to consider a Linux distribution.

    Counter-intuitive I know, but I've gotten good results playing older games on Linux Mint using the Play on Linux front end for WinE.

    For one thing it sends the graphics commands to your actual physical hardware, for instance it had no problems running King's Bounty: Armoured Princess (including the 3D effects) on my system (i7-5930K, 32GB RAM, GTX 960-4G).

  5. Reposted from the defunct RyanVM forums

    This guide requires the downloading of 2.4 GB mainly via BitTorrent

    Some of you might also be interested in these similar guides for Windows 98se, 2000 or XP x64.


    So you want to create Windows XP (x32) SP4 installation media with a full driver loadout and scripted installation installs?  Well here's how.

    So you are going to need some files:
    From MediaFire, the Config_WinXP-SP4_date.7z file and extract it, this will also setup the necessary directory structure (read \Misc\FileList.txt for contents).

    Also from MediaFire, extract both Files_WinXP-SP4_*_date.7z archives, targeting the same directory that you did with the config file.
    A - SHA-1: C14604183AA54F798B0379AEB778F3841EF1EA26 - 87 files that won't change
    B - SHA-1: 546D3A5928C5BB17F23140D68941E634AB1B2035 - 19 files that might change


    Download the unofficial service pack 4 for Windows XP from MediaFire or via BitTorrent (magnet link in \Torrents\).

    Download and extract the post SP4 May 2019 v2 update pack

    Using a BitTorrent client (or from MediaFire), download the 13 DriverPacks whose torrents you find in \Torrents\ (in the form of DP_*.torrent) to \Downloads\.

    Once all the DriverPacks are downloaded, run \Misc\DriverPacksPrep.bat to copy them to their required locations.

    Finally, to check that everything is accounted for you can open \Torrents\WinXP-SP4_date.torrent (includes everything except SP4 and the config files, but it will be very slow due to my upload limitations).

    If you haven't already done so, install nLite (a copy can be found in \Misc\)

    Now it's time to fire up nLite
    Note that nLite must be run with administrator privileges, you might need to disable anti-virus software and most importantly, slipstreaming Service Pack 4 must be done on a Win NT 5.x host (2000/XP/XPx64/2003/2003x64).  It may be worthwhile to do a pass where you only slipstream SP4 and then burn an .iso, thereby obtaining a clean XP sp4 source disk as a base.

    Updated Intel AHCI & RAID drivers are used at the textmode step of installation rather than the DriverPacks as in my experience they are more often needed. To use those included in the Driverpacks instead, skip step 6 and enable TextMode at step 10.

    There are screenshots available of the process at MediaFire.


    1. Run nLite as an administrator and locate your XP source.

    2. Extract your XP source to \XP-nLite\

    3. Load the appropriate session file from \Misc\

    4. Slipstream service pack 4

    5. Apply the May 2019 v2 update pack by running the slipstream.bat file

    6. Drivers - insert the single driver iaAHCI.inf in the "Universal 32bit Intel RST AHCI+RAID driver" folder and then when the popup box appears choose to install the SATA drivers in TextMode, selecting ALL the drivers (Ctrl-A)

    7. Unattended settings - this is the most important part (might need to load the session file again)

      1. Leave the Product Key blank
      2. Your RunOnce file must look like this:
        Ping -n 61 127.0.0.1 > nul
        CMD /R "%Source%RunOnce\Run1a.bat %Source%"
      3. Set it to autologon at least three times as the "Administrator" (Professional) or "Admin" (Home - administrator class) account with a password of "G1berish"
      4. Leave the Computer Name blank

    8. Make any tweaks you want, then run the process

    9. Fire up \DriverPacks\DPs_BASE.exe and target the \XP-nLite\ working directory

    10. Select all DriverPacks (only Graphics_PhysX in 3rd party) but don't include the Mass Storage drivers in TextMode

    11. Choose Slimstream Method 2 and Custom Finisher Start

    12. Disable Keep the Drivers and QuickStream Cache

    13. Choose ATI CCC new and nVidia CP both

    14. Check the settings and then slipstream the DriverPacks

    15. Copy all the contents of the \CopyFrom\ folder to the \XP-nLite\ working directory

    16. After you drag n drop anything else that you may want / need, go ahead and burn that image / DVD


    Installation
    Ensure the PC is disconnected from the internet, set your HDD as the first boot device then insert the DVD and optionally your USB stick.  Boot to the DVD using BIOS boot options and then follow the standard textmode installation steps.  If you have a removable media drive, you might get "No Disk" messages on reboots, just "Continue".  If you get a BSoD when installing from a SATA DVD drive, try an IDE or USB attached DVD drive instead.  The installation is fully automated except that it will ask you at one stage to provide a license key.  Note that the PC will reboot several times while installing drivers and the like.  The Administrator/Admin password is "G1berish".

    To install XP from a USB stick, download Rufus (copy in \Misc\) and run it to "create a bootable disk using" your new Win_XP_SP4.iso.  You can place the \XP32\ folder for optional application installs on this USB stick.

    Before Installing
    Application AddOns: (do NOT place multiple versions of the same application in \XP32\)
    If you wish to install additional or updated optional applications then copy the folder \XP-32\ and all its contents to a USB flash drive and rename it to \XP32\.  The following applications will be installed if they are copied to \XP32\, unless otherwise noted they will work with minimal rights (guest account) and maximum DEP (AlwaysOn).  If a version number is given then that is the last version to work on XP without issues: ε=EMET protected

    Recommended and included on the DVD by default (versions might be outdated)
    . Visual C++ 2005-2015 - do NOT install Visual C++ 2019 or later
    ε 7-Zip .msi - Critical
    . HashTab v5.2
    . Dexpot
    . Tool Tip Fixer
    ε FireFox - v52.9.0esr - Yank, Pom, Canuck & Aussie dictionaries installed
    ε FileZilla - v3.7.4.1
    ε IrfanView - plugins installed
    . DOS Box
    . Daemon Tools Lite - v4.49.1.0356 - requires SPTD
    . ImgBurn - requires Nero BurnRights for non-admin accounts
    . UltraDefrag - one pass of boot time defrag, requires Admin rights
    . Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit - v4.1u1 - requires .Net 4.0 & Admin rights for configuration

    Recommended but not included on the DVD by default (will be installed if copied to \XP-32\ on the DVD)
    ε Java Runtime Environment - v8u152
    ε Libre Office - v5.4.7.2 - requires Java for the database component
    ε Foxit Reader - v8.3.2
    ε K-Lite Mega Codec Pack - v13.8.5 - lots of stuff option

    Supported (pick and choose to suit your needs and/or preferences)
    ε WinRAR
    ε ThunderBird - v52.9.1 - Yank, Pom, Canuck & Aussie dictionaries installed
    ε SeaMonkey - v2.49.5 - Yank, Pom, Canuck & Aussie dictionaries installed
    ε Opera - v36.0.2130.80 - April 2016
    ε Google Chrome - v48 .msi - April 2016
    . Adobe Flash Player plugins:  Internet Explorer . FireFox & SeaMonkey . Chrome & Opera
    . Adobe Shockwave Player plugin
    . Microsoft Silverlight Player plugin
    . Notepad++ - v7.9.2
    ε M$ Office 2007 - see \XP-32|XP32\Config\Office2007.html
    ε SumatraPDF - v3.1.2
    ε Adobe Reader - v11.0.8 & patch (v11.0.23) - 1st run must be from an Administrator account
    ε GIMPv2.8.22 - help files
    ε Google Picasa
    . Mihov Image Resizer
    . nLite - requires Admin rights
    . WMP11 Slipstreamer
    . AutoIt
    . Virtual PC 2007 SP1 (rename to VirtualPC2007x86setup.exe) & patch & patch
    . VirtualBox - v5.2.44 - Oracle extension pack supported
    . VMware Player - v6.0.7 OR VMware Server - v1.0.10
    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Server only - edit \XP32\Config\Run2.bat to insert your registration key, any DEP level except AlwaysOn
    ε Google Earth - v7.1.8.3036
    ε Vuze - download - requires Java
    . AnyDVD - v7690
    . DVD Shrink
    . CDBurnerXP .msi - requires .Net 2.0 or greater
    ε VideoLAN Player
    . Save2PC Light
    . BOINC Screensaver
    . VirtualBox Additions - copy \Oracle\VirtualBox\VBoxGuestAdditions.iso to \XP32\, requires 7-Zip
    . VMware Tools - copy \VMware\VMware Player\WinPreVista.iso to \XP32\, requires 7-Zip

    It should be obvious, but installing these applications is completely optional, for instance there is very little point in installing 3 different PDF readers. Be cautious using AddOns at the nLite Hotfix integration step as they can break the install, however you can strip the actual executable out of the various AddOns created by others (copying the file to \XP32\) and then add the appropriate command to the batch files.  The executables have usually been repacked as silent installers, but be sure to read the entries*.ini file to confirm this.

    You can have as many application install reboot passes as desired.  To do this simply set the system to auto-logon (at step 7C) as many times as required and place the appropriate number of batch files in the \XP32\Config\ directory of your install media.  Another 2 batch files are already written (at \Misc\) with the needed handover command, but if you need more they are fairly self explanatory.  Be sure to install security software last.

    There are two files in \XP32\Config\ that affect setup, MenuReorg.bat will delete all program icons from the desktop and organise the start menu folders while boot*.ini will allow you to select DEP level easily at each boot (defaults to AlwaysOn, the most secure), move or rename them if you don't desire these effects.

    After installing
    See the Control Panel for Kel's bonus utilities and under "Add/Remove Windows Components" you should probably also add:
    Management and Monitoring Tools + Networking Services + Other Network File and Print Services

    If you're using .NET Framework 4.0 (installed by default) then every time you install a new update or application for .NET Framework you should run:
        %systemroot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\ngen.exe executequeueditems
       OR Post_dotNET_40_Update.bat to boost system performance and ensure reliability.

    Microsoft's EMET is a powerful and low resource security tool that hardens your system, the manual is included and an extensive application support configuration file has been applied.

    Another useful addition is Legacy Update which reroutes Windows Update so that it still works with older versions of Windows, unfortunately it can't be installed offline and isn't quite complete as it still depends on the whims ofMicrosoft.

    Stand Alone Drivers
    This disk can also be used as a driver store for already installed Windows XP systems, simply run DP_Install_Tool.cmd in \OEM\ (for CPU, Chipset, Mass Storage, LAN & WLAN, Audio or Video) or \DriverPacks.net\ (for Keyboard & Mouse, Monitors, WebCams, TV Capture, BlueTooth, Modems, et al).

    Testing
    I use VirtualBox for testing purposes (v5.2.44 for 32-bit hosts), highly configurable regarding choice of emulated hardware and also good for virtualizing Linux (some tricks needed for Windows 98se).  For now use v6.0.24 or v5.2.44 or v4.3.40 as v6.1.x does NOT support Direct 3D on Windows XP.

    VirtualBox hints:

    1. To get sound working properly, update the AC'97 codec driver from SigmaTel to 82801AA via the device manager.
    2. Silent installation of Virtual Machine extensions is supported, once VirtualBox is installed there will be a file "VBoxGuestAdditions.iso" at "\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\", copy it to \XP32\ on your install media (requires 7-Zip) AND increase the number of automatic logins (at step 7C) by one.
    3. They are installed with VirtualBox's experimental Direct 3D support (/with_D3D switch) which allows some games to work (Doom 3 for example) but can also cause some minor glitches.
    4. If you don't want Direct 3D support, rename VBoxGuestAdditions.iso to VBGA.iso


    Other options are VMware Player 15/16 (64 bit only, post 2010 CPU - Win7{15}, Win8+{16}, Linux), VMware Player 12 (64 bit only, pre-2010 CPU - Windows, Linux) or VMware Player 6 (32 or 64 bit, Win8-).

    VMware  hints:

    1. Silent installation of Virtual Machine extensions is supported, once VMware Player is installed there will be a file WinPreVista.iso at "\Program Files (x86)\VMware\Player\", copy it to \XP32\ on your install media (requires 7-Zip).
    2. When booting up the Virtual Machine click your mouse inside the VM and hit F2, this will allow you to access the VM BIOS, you can then alter the boot sequence so that it always boots off the CD first.
    3. If the BIOS flashes past too fast to access then add bios.bootDelay = "5000" to the VMname.vmx file, this will give you 5 seconds.

  6. It used to be possible with older versions of the drivers, I'm not sure if it's still possible with the latest versions.

    You might want to look at this topic, especially the last post - Gigabyte K8NS Pro (NVIDIA nForce3 250)
    https://msfn.org/board/topic/136807-xp-x64-driver-integration/

  7. Although there are differences in the CD layout for an XP x64 source (mainly an extra amd64 folder) there are largely transparent to the end user.

    Work can be done on XP x64 on a 32-bit host with the exception that SP2 needs some tricks to be slipstreamed and some hofixes won't integrate (5eraph's works fine though).

  8. Due to the stupid WYSIsn'tWYG editor MSFN now uses I can't fix it when the main post goes awry, for instance when lists change from numbered sequence to bullet points.

    That is why it got moved to RyanVM, go by that version of the guide.  Note that some options got removed, partly to simplify testing, but mainly because some things not longer worked with the pure hotfix method but still did when using 5eraph's packs.

  9. Just got back from holidays

    Now while I won't try to troubleshoot component removals, if it doesn't work without removing any components, ask yourself if you did the following steps correctly:

    Note that nLite must be run with administrator privileges, you might need to disable anti-virus software and most importantly, slipstreaming Service Pack 2 must be done on a Win NT 5.x host (2000/XP/XPx64/2003/2003x64).

    If working from a SP1 source slipstream service pack 2 then exit nLite (if nLite is open it can interfere with the WMP11 slipstreamer).

    These are the things most likely to result in a corrupt file error (assuming a clean source), note that all the Microsoft downloads should have a valid digital signature.

  10. Contents

     1. Introduction
     2. System requirements
     3. Included software
     4. Virtual Machine settings
     5. Required command
     6. Installation sequence
     7. File Associations
     8. Troubleshooting
     9. Usability tips
    10. Useful websites
    11. Other driver options
    12. VMware Player


    1. Introduction

    There are quite a few guides out there on how to install Windows 98se in VirtualBox, this one differs in the following ways:

    • Level of detail - for instance this guide takes you step by step through installing the system, the other guides I've seen only give a general outline
    • Installed software - once you finish you will have a fully updated system with a basic software loadout and some important runtimes

    2. System requirements

    VirtualBox 6.1.38 or later plus extension pack

    Host CPU must be capable of and have hardware virtualization enabled  (VT-x/AMD-V)

    A Windows 98se install CD and the Windows 98se updates CD for this guide, available from MediaFire or via torent

    The install has been tested in Windows and Linux but obviously not all versions thereof


    3. Included software

    The Windows 98se updates CD image file contains the following software:

    The extracted config and batch files from this post's attachment [attachment=0]Win98se_Config_Files.7z[/attachment]
    Auto-Patcher December 2007 Full - MSFN topic
    Auto-Patcher December 2008 Upgrade - download
    Realtek AC97 - Audio driver
    SoftGPU - Video driver
    KernelEx-4.5.2.exe - compatibility layer to run XP programs
    Kernel Ex Updates - version 4.5.2016.25

    GDIplus.dll - 5.1.3102.5581, needed by SumatraPDF and some other applications
    flashplayer10_3r183_90_winax.exe - Flash for IE, extracted from fp_10.3.183.90_archive.zip, last version to work
    Microsoft XML 4.0 SP3, extracted from msxml4-KB2758694-enu.exe
    vcredist_x86.exe - Visual C++ 2005 SP1 KB2538242
    dotnetfx.exe 55MB - .Net Framework 1.1 RtM
    NDP1.1sp1-KB867460-X86.exe - SP1 for .Net 1.1
    NDP1.1sp1-KB971108-X86.exe - .Net hotfix
    NDP1.1sp1-KB2833941-X86.exe - .Net hotfix

    7z920.msi - 7-Zip file archiver
    Firefox Portable 38.1esr - a bit twitchy, last version to work
    Dictionaries.7z - spell check for Yanks, Poms, Canuks & Aussies
    install_flash_player_32bit.exe - 11.1.102.63, last version to work
    jre-6u22-windows-i586.exe Java runtime environment, last version to work
    Open Office 3.2.1 - Great Britain - United States - Other - needs Java, last version to work
    SumatraPDF-2.2.1-install.exe - last version to work
    Chair_Agenda.pdf to register the .pdf file association
    klmcodec345.exe - K-Lite Mega Codec Pack, last version to work
    quicktimealt156.exe QuickTime Alternative, last version to work

    sdd-win-7.0.0.340-beta.exe - SciTech Display Doctor
    VMware drivers - Mouse and Audio


    4. Virtual Machine settings

    Create a new virtual machine named "Win 98se" with 512MB of RAM and an 8GB or larger hard drive (fixed size drives are faster on host HDDs) then adjust the VM settings to match as closely as possible the list given below.  The changes from default settings are in bold, if an item is mentioned then its matching box is ticked.

    • General
              
      • Basic        
        • Name:            Win 98se
                              
        • Type:            Microsoft Windows
                              
        • Version:             Windows 7 (32-bit)

                
      • Advanced        
        • Snapshot Folder:    Default Setting
                              
        • Shared Clipboard:        Disabled
                              
        • Drag'n'Drop:            Disabled

                
      • Encryption    
        • Not Enabled
    • System
              
      • Motherboard    
        • Base Memory:        512MB
                              
        • Boot Order:            Optical then Hard Disk
                              
        • Chipset:            PIIX3
                              
        • Pointing Device:        USB Tablet
                              
        • Extended Features:        Enable I/O APIC (only)

                
      • Processor        
        • Processor(s):        1 CPU
                              
        • Execution Cap:        100%
                              
        • Extended Features:        Enable PAE/NX

                
      • Acceleration        
        • Paravirtualization Interface: Default
                              
        • Hardware Virtualization: Enable VT-x/AMD-V & Enable Nested Paging
    • Display
              
      • Screen        
        • Video Memory:        128MB
                              
        • Monitor Count:        1
                              
        • Scale Factor:        100%
                              
        • Graphics Controller:        VBoxSVGA
                              
        • Acceleration:        Enable 3D Acceleration

                
      • Remote Display    
        • Not Enabled

                
      • Video Capture    
        • Not Enabled
    • Storage
              
      • Controller: Floppy
        • Type:        I82078 - Use Host I/O Cache
                              
        • Floppy Drive:        Floppy Device 0

                
      • Controller: IDE    
        • Type:            PIIX4 - Use Host I/O Cache

                
      • Win 98se.vdi - 8+ GB Fixed (must be C:)
        • Hard Disk:        IDE Primary   Master

                
      • Win 98se Install CD (must be D:)    
        • Optical Drive:        IDE Secondary Master

                
      • Win 98se Updates CD (must be E:)    
        • Optical Drive:        IDE Secondary Slave
    • Audio
              
      • Enable Audio    
        • Host Audio Driver:    Windows DirectSound or Linux/OSX equivalent
                              
        • Audio Controller:        ICH AC97[/b]
                              
        • Extended Features:        Enable Audio Output
    • Network
              
      • Adapter 1    
        • Enable Network Adapter
                              
        • Attached to:            Bridged Adapter
                              
        • Name:            {system specific}
                              
        • Adapter Type:        PCnet-PCI II (Am79C970A)
                              
        • Promiscuous Mode:        Deny
                              
        • MAC Address:            {randomly generated}
                              
        • Cable Connected

                
      • Adapters 2-4        
        • Not Enabled
    • Serial Ports
              
      • Ports 1-4    
        • Not Enabled
    • USB
              
      • Enable USB Controller
        • USB 2.0 (OHCI + EHCI) Controller
    • Shared Folders
              
      • Machine Folders
    • User Interface
              
      • Mini ToolBar:        Show in Full-screen/Seamless & Show at Top of Screen


    5. Required commands

    After creating your virtual machine and applying all the settings but before starting it up exit VirtualBox and run the following terminal command in the same user account, it does not require admin privileges.

    Windows (replace "Win 98se" with the name of your virtual machine if you changed it)

    "%ProgramFiles%\Oracle\VirtualBox\VBoxManage.exe" setextradata "Win 98se" VBoxInternal/USB/HidMouse/0/Config/CoordShift 0


    Linux & OSX (replace "Win 98se" with the name of your virtual machine if you changed it)

    VBoxManage setextradata "Win 98se" VBoxInternal/USB/HidMouse/0/Config/CoordShift 0
    


    You are now ready to start the installation


    6. Installation sequence

    As Windows 98se can be more than a bit unstable you may wish to save your image at various points, just chose to "restart later" and shutdown instead of restarting then take a snapshot of the virtual hard drive before proceeding.  I've given the time taken for some processes on my system (with the AntiVirus turned off) if you want to take a break while they run.

    Optional steps are described in green, guaranteed errors are described in red, system specific errors are described in orange.

    Boot from CD-ROM - Start Windows 98 Setup and configure the hard drive (enable large disk support)
    Boot from CD-ROM - Start computer with CD-ROM support then enter the following command E:\Install, does the following

    •     
    • Formats C:
          
    • Copies installion files to C:\Win98
          
    • Patches the installation files
          
    • Launches Windows 98se Setup


    Custom - add ALL Windows components except additional Accessibility, Multilanguage Support and Web TV for Windows
    Setup will hang on the last reboot, just force a restart
    Enable DMA on all drives (Device Manager >> Generic IDE Disk | VBox CD-ROM >> Settings)
    Set Virtual Memory from 1024MB to 3072MB (My Computer >> Properties >> Performance)
    Switch to Windows Logon (Network Neighbourhood >> Properties >> Configuration)
    E:\ Auto-Patcher December 2007 Full (install only)
    E:\ Auto-Patcher December 2008 Upgrade (install and run)
    Enter the following key sequence - M N U 5 1 3 7 B P S I I - 35 minutes- save point 1
    You might have to do the odd restart but if the VM continually aborts then it's time to refer to the troubleshooting section

    E:\Audio\Setup.exe (Realtek AC97, keep 7+1 files)
    E:\Video\SoftGPU.exe Enable SSE/AVX hack & QXGA
    Network Setup Wizard (Accessories >> System Tools, cable must be connected, keep 3 files)
    Internet Connection Wizard (Accessories >> Communications, connect via LAN)
    Lock down Internet zones (Internet & Restricted to High, others to Medium)
    E:\KernelEx-4.5.2.exe (compatibility layer to run XP programs)
    Boot from CD-ROM - Start computer with CD-ROM support then enter the following command E:\KX, does the following

    •     
    • Updates Kernel-Ex files
          
    • Patches Windows 98se Memory Manager


    Close the VM, you can now increase main memory to 1024MB

    E:\Apps - installs the following, reboots on completion - 10 minutes

    •     
    • uninstall MSXML 4.0 SP2
          
    • copy GDIplus.dll (5.1.3102.5581) to C:\Windows
          
    • flashplayer10_3r183_90_winax.exe (flash player for I.E.)
          
    • msxml.msi (MSXML 4.0 SP3 - extracted from msxml4-KB2758694-enu.exe)
          
    • vcredist_x86.exe (Visual C++ 2005 SP1 KB2538242)
          
    • dotnetfx.exe (.NET Framework 1.1 RtM)
          
    • NDP1.1sp1-KB867460-X86.exe (Service Pack 1)
          
    • NDP1.1sp1-KB971108-X86.exe (hotfix)
          
    • NDP1.1sp1-KB2833941-X86.exe (hotfix)
          
    • reboot and autostart Apps2.bat
          
    • extract OOo_3.2.1_Win_x86_install_en-**.exe (Open Office)
          
    • 7z920.msi (7-Zip file archiver)
          
    • Firefox 31.8esr portable (KernelEx - XP SP3)
          
    • extract Dictionaries.7z for Firefox
          
    • install_flash_player_32bit.exe (flash player for Firefox)
          
    • jre-6u22-windows-i586.exe (Java Runtime Environment)
          
    • install openofficeorg32.msi (En-GB by default)
          
    • SumatraPDF-2.2.1-install.exe
          
    • klmcodec345.exe (K-Lite Mega Codec)
          
    • quicktimealt156.exe (QuickTime Alternative)
          
    • MenuReorg.bat (tidy quick launch, desktop & start menu)


    Windows Explorer settings (details view, don't hide file extensions, show system files)
    Set KernelEx compatibility mode to Windows XP SP3 on C:\Firefox\FirefoxPortable.exe, C:\Firefox\App\Firefox\Firefox.exe & C:\Firefox\App\Firefox\XUL.dll
    Set Firefox home page to http://kproxy.com/ (converts https to http)
    Set file associations for 7-Zip, K-Lite Mega Codec & SumatraPDF (see below)
    DeFrag & ScanDisk
    All done - save point 2


    7. File Associations

    To register the file associations:

    •     
    • 7-Zip - Open 7-Zip and it's under Tools >> Options >> System (clear the email options on the 7-Zip tab)
          
    • K-Lite Mega Codec - Open Media Player Classic and it's under View >> Options >> Player >> Formats
          
    • SumatraPDF - Open a .pdf file in Windows Explorer and link it to C:\SumatraPDF\SumatraPDF.exe
          
    • Open Office - The easiest reset method is to uninstall Open Office, reboot and then reinstall Open Office with the command
      C:\Windows\System\msiexec.exe /I C:\OpenOffice3\openofficeorg32.msi REGISTER_ALL_MSO_TYPES=1 /Qb
      or for individual file types you can open the file in Windows Explorer (shift-right-click if already linked) and link it to C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 3\Program\[word=swriter|excel=scalc|powerpoint=simpress] and then edit the file type (Tools >> Folder Options) adding [ -o "%1"] to the end of the open command - Open Office file association commands (these do not work on network shares, local files only)
      "C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 3\program\swriter.exe" -o "%1"
      "C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 3\program\scalc.exe" -o "%1"
      "C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 3\program\simpress.exe" -o "%1"
      "C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 3\program\sbase.exe" -o "%1"
      "C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 3\program\smath.exe" -o "%1"
      "C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 3\program\sdraw.exe" -o "%1"

    8. Troubleshooting

    A. Security software has been known to interfere with VirtualBox (for instance it is impossible to install Windows 2000 in VirtualBox if Avast Free anti-virus is installed on the host) so first try disabling such programs and if that doesn't help you might even have to uninstall them

    B. An older version of this guide using different software can be found here, it may work better for you

    9. Usability tips

    Some games can have trouble with the mouse, if so try turning mouse integration off

    Some games require that the install CD be in the drive, if so connect to a physical (or advanced virtual - Windows, Linux) drive and enable passthrough


    10. Useful websites

    KernelEx wiki (application compatibility database)
    Main install guide used
    Auto-Patcher MSFN topic
    Display Driver
    Firefox for Win 98se


    11. Other driver options (all in the Other_Drivers directory on the updates CD)

    SciTech Display Doctor was released for free (item 2) when the company went out of business, it's not as flexible or powerful as SoftGPU but it is an alternative option that provides limited 3D acceleration.

    You can use the Intel PRO/1000 MT Desktop (82540EM) network adapter as drivers are available, however it won't increase your network speed as VirtualBox will push data through the virtual interface at the highest speed your physical network will support, also don't change to it until after you've run the Network Setup Wizard

    You can chose to stick with the default SoundBlaster 16 rather than changing to ICH AC97, in which case you should not run E:\Audio\Setup.exe

    VMware-98SE-Audio.exe conflicts with SoftGPU so you have the option of using (SoftGPU + SoundBlaster 16) OR (SciTech Display Doctor + SoundBlaster PCI 128) if using VMware Player


    12. VMware Player

    If you are using Microsoft Windows 7 (15) or later (16) or a current version of Linux you can use VMware Player 15/16 (or VMware Player 12 if your host has a pre-2010 CPU - Windows, Linux)

    However the installaion is considerably more difficult and SoftGPU does not provide "hardware" OpenGL acceleration (DirectX is the same as in Virtualbox), there are notes on the installation in the Other_Drivers folder on the update CD.

  11. Thanks for your interest and suggestions PCBONEZ, unfortunately however due to changes in MSFN.org's forum software it is no longer possible for me to update or maintain complex forum posts like the main guide in this topic.

    Attempts at updating the main post always fail, previously I was able to work on it offline as a basic text file and just copy/paste it but that is no longer an option.

    I intend over the Christmas break to rewrite and move this topic to another forum host, but there won't be any updates until then.

    ATICCC.ins is correct at 0 bytes, at least that's what the DriverPacks create with the ATI graphics settings I use.

  12. Neighbour:  What processor does your host machine have?  I ask because it turns out that while a 98se guest install fails on my current machine (Haswell-E i7-5930K) it installs fine on my old machine (Core 2 Quad Q9450) and I seem to recall something about newer host processors sometimes having an impact on other guest OS installations.

    135th:  I've fixed the SciTech Display Driver link but this stupid new forum software won't allow me to update the QuickTime Alternative link.

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