LoneCrusader

Ahh, the thrill of victory! I successfully modified SETUPSLT.EXE, removing the old REGSVR32.EXE and the reference to it in the .INF. Now it installs without any prompts or errors. And, to add to the success, I have successfully modified the IE5SETUP.EXE from IE 5.5 SP2 to install the Windows Desktop Update by default. No more installing IE4 and then having to upgrade again to IE5.5 for 95 users who want the update. See here for more info on this. Section: "Installing Windows Desktop Update...." All changes listed in Method #2 have been integrated into this new installer. Tested successfully on Windows 95C OSR 2.5.

Wow, I never knew I possessed any arcane knowledge.. Hope it has been of assistance to everyone.

Agreed But I have no clue how to do that. I can extract the files and modify the .INF, no problem, but other than some quick reading about IEXPRESS, I know nothing about compiling an installer.

When I first posted this thread, I was working with W95Y2K.EXE and W95EURO.EXE, trying to slipstream the updated files inside and so on. I have since learned a bit more about them. First, W95Y2K.EXE makes a lot of registry modifications, and these are not contained in W95Y2K.INF, so I was wondering how these were achieved. I now know from MiTeC EXE Explorer that "Y2KSETUP.EXE" is being run instead of W95Y2K.INF, so obviously that executable is responsible for the changes, but that doesn't help me when it comes to slipstreaming. Second, I was having trouble getting the Euro € character to be properly available in Windows 95 after slipstreaming the updated files from W95EURO.EXE. I found out that "EUROPAT.EXE" was being called instead of EURO.INF. I thought the EUROPAT executable was responsible for manually patching some file, but I have discovered this was the result of differences amongst various versions of GDI.EXE and/or GDI32.DLL, and a possibly "crippled" HotFix. So, the Euro problem has been worked around, at least for the moment, but the Y2K registry entries still remain a mystery. I have now also encountered another problem. A self-extracting executable SETUPSLT.EXE (inside WIN95_22.CAB, also Here NOTE the linked version is SLIGHTLY different) is set to run in SETUPC.INF during Windows 95 installation. It contains an old version of REGSVR32.EXE. I slipstreamed a newer version (from SPEU.EXE) into my 95 CABs, and now I'm getting a "Version Conflict" prompt during install. When SETUPSLT is called, It asks me to keep my newer file, which obviously I want to do. It is called with the /Q switch in SETUPC.INF already, and changing it to "/Q:A" "/Q /A" or any of the standard switch combinations either a)causes an error and SETUPSLT will close without installing (/Q:A), or b)it will "appear" to run, and not give an error, but actually does nothing at all (/Q /A). So now, I am faced with dealing with the Version Prompt during every install, or trying to "hack" SETUPSLT to accept the proper switches, or repack SETUPSLT without the old version of REGSVR32.EXE inside.

I gave it a try with version 1.5, no luck. It wouldn't even extract files from one particular update that dates from the IE3 era, and can be opened with WinZip or WinRAR I'll take a look at things with ResourceHacker, I looked some of the files over with another tool that dencorso referenced in another thread (MiTeC EXE Explorer) and it will show what program or INF is set to run, which helps some, but still isn't exactly what I need.

submix8c or someone else may be able to give you instructions for setting those things in MSBATCH if it's possible, personally I would look for the INF's that set things that way to begin with. I have completely eliminated the installation of AOL, CompuServe, Prodigy, and so forth from my Windows 95 install by simply editing MSINFO.INF and MOS.INF, I don't know offhand if these same INF's are present in 98 or used for the same things, but take a look around. Search for the string "msn internet access" inside your CABs, and take a look at any files that contain that string or a reference to something else you want to alter. It's too bad all of the work I'm doing in this department right now is with Windows 95, I haven't gotten to 98 yet, or I could be of more help. This all comes down to personal preference. On a clean install, I first install DX9C, then IE6SP1, then WMP7. Then I would apply any specific hotfixes or addons I need, like NUSB for example. I don't like "Unofficial Service Packs" because they always want to replace my Notepad or change my icons or tweak my settings etc etc, and often they do not play well with other updates or patches.

Well, you've come to the right place. This is the home of all the die-hard Windows 9x'ers. Sorry I didn't get back to your other post, I didn't know you had added anything else. But you have what you're looking for now. ^^^^ Welcome aboard

All of the CAB files are "linked" together, and files are "split" between them so that each CAB can be the same size, originally to fit on DMF formatted (1.68MB) floppy disks. Similar to splitting up a large file/archive with WinRAR, etc. To change one of them, you would basically have to rebuild the whole set. (That's what I've been doing in the thread submix8c referred to, using tools I purchased from rloew.) Any updated/altered file placed in the \WIN98 folder that already exists inside the CABs will be picked up by the installer instead of the "older" one inside the CABs. Obviously you have your own legal copy of Windows 98 to experiment with, but as submix8c stated earlier, you will need a product key that is appropriate for the install type.

My post wasn't really directed to you, it was for the OP, I'm sure you are aware of that particular method. I just thought that would be the easiest way to get around the problem at hand. A modified extracted SETUPX.DLL will be picked up by the installer like any other "updated" file placed in the install directory, no "need" to edit LAYOUT.INF, but it's whatever you prefer.

The GDI.EXE madness continues. In order to have support for the Euro € symbol in Character Map, one has to use the GDI.EXE from W95EURO.EXE. It makes sense to a point because it does have the latest version number... but on the other hand has the earliest timestamp. The GDI.EXE's from Q229670 and MSAA do not display the Euro € symbol in Character Map. It would seem that the last GDI.EXE (4.01.971) for 95 is inside W95EURO.EXE, and the last GDI32.DLL (4.01.970) is probably the one from MSAA. Leave it to Microsoft to make things overcomplicated, I wonder why they started a "4.00.1111" style versioning for OSR2 in Q229670 and then reverted back to the Original 95 style versioning? EDIT: It appears Q229670 has been the victim of some "editing" by Microsoft. The Hotfix file for Windows 95 does not contain the proper versions for 95 Original as I mentioned before, and also the files inside for OSR2 do not match the size attributes listed in the article. The Hotfix versions for 98 and 98SE seem to match the attributes in the article. I believe Microsoft may have purposely crippled this particular update for 95... Also, bristols sent me a copy of this Hotfix earlier, and it is totally different from the one available now, and apparently somewhat older than the one described in the article. Anyone else have a copy of this?

Is there a way to "disassemble" a self-extracting update or hotfix to see what specific instructions are carried out by the installer? I know how to simply "unpack" them with WinZip or WinRAR, etc, but I would like to be able to see the steps performed by the installer. I also know that most of what goes on is controlled by the .INF file inside, from examining them and also from reading some documentation on IEXPRESS at MDGx's. However, I have encountered a couple of updates that perform other tasks that are not listed in the .INF, and I'd like to see how they're doing it.

AFAIK All of the CAB's are the same, so long as you have a "full version" CD and not an upgrade. The only thing that is different and that determines the "Type" of install is contained in SETUPX.DLL like Petr explained here. Modify that file to make it whichever you want.....

Trust me, I know exactly what you mean here. Not only on 98, but every day that I have to use an XP machine at college I have to go through getting rid of the lego look garbage, getting my Quick Launch Bar, and getting Explorer to be something useable. The "Apply to All Folders" button does work, it's just there is a trick to it. Open Explorer, just stay in the default folder, change the default view settings to what you want, go to Options, and set everything exactly the way you want it. Then click the "Apply to all Folders" button, and close out the dialog box AND Explorer. You have to close out Explorer and then re-open it for the settings to be applied to all folders and stay that way. One you re-open it you won't even get the Warning messages on the Windows folder and so on, not even the first time.

Thanks for that mate! That was all I needed, and means I do not have to continue my vain search, not to mention that file was nice and small for my poor little Aussie internet connection EDIT: And hooray, I have found the correct my computer icon! Thank you!!! Now I can stop these big downloads before I am capped No problem. I spent 6+ years on Dial-Up so I understand to some extent. Just so happened I had downloaded that same file a few days ago, MDGx has it linked and I saw it when I was collecting 95 things, so I knew just where to go to get the link. Otherwise I would have been digging around as well lol

Look for EXPLORER.EXE inside this.

I have several links for you. A couple of links on Unattended Installs, have some discussion of OEM installations: Here and Here. Information on the various Product Types of Windows 9x OS's: Here and Here. Good Luck!

I tried examining GDI.EXE with MiTeC EXE Explorer, and there didn't seem to be anything like a timestamp or compilation date anywhere inside. Also tried PEDUMP with the syntax you posted in the other threads, it generated no output whatsoever, even tried redirecting output to a .TXT file, and it was blank. eXeScope didn't find anything either. GDI32.DLL did yield some results however. Each version seems to have two instances of "TimeDateStamp," but they are usually within a few seconds of each other. GDI32.GLL version 4.00.1112 for OSR2 from Q229670: TimeDateStamp: 398F4DE4 -> Mon Aug 07 20:01:40 2000 TimeDateStamp: 398F4DDD -> Mon Aug 07 20:01:33 2000 GDI32.DLL version 4.00.954 for 95 Original from Q229670: TimeDateStamp: 39C2632F -> Fri Sep 15 13:58:07 2000 TimeDateStamp: 39C2632C -> Fri Sep 15 13:58:04 2000 GDI32.DLL version 4.00.955 from Q247578: TimeDateStamp: 39D4D9EF -> Fri Sep 29 14:05:35 2000 TimeDateStamp: 39D4D9EC -> Fri Sep 29 14:05:32 2000 GDI32.DLL version 4.00.970 from MSAA: TimeDateStamp: 32346E9C -> Mon Sep 09 15:23:08 1996 TimeDateStamp: 32091696 -> Wed Aug 07 18:20:06 1996 Going by these results it would seem that the MSAA versions are actually the oldest. Q247578 is the newest, but it supposedly not for OSR2. The Q229670 KB article claims it should have versions 4.01.971 for 95 Original (but doesn't?), so does that mean that Q229670 version 4.00.1112 for OSR2 is the OSR2 equivalent of Original 4.01.971? If so, then the Q229670 HotFix must contain the last version for OSR2. The version discrepancy between the Q229670 KB article and the actual files it contains is puzzling. It should contain 4.01.971 files for 95 Original, but does not. In fact, there does not seem to be any GDI32.DLL version 4.01.971, and the only GDI.EXE with that version is in the W95EURO package and has an earlier timestamp than all of these other files.

That would be the logical assumption of course. But I think Microsoft didn't exactly follow logic with several of these Windows 95 updates. The main problem seems to be that a good many of the files in OSR2+ still carry 4.00.950 version numbers instead of being bumped to 4.00.1111. This GDI.EXE and GDI32.DLL issue is the worst that I have found so far, and honestly, I don't know how to sort it out. My Windows 95C CABs contain GDI.EXE and GDI32.DLL version 4.00.950. Note there are no 4.00.1111 versions. MDGx lists the Q247578 HotFix (containing GDI.EXE and GDI32.DLL version 4.00.955) as being for 95 Original and OSR2, and the files work in OSR2 if manually installed, but the installer says that it is "not for this version of Windows" when I try to run it. A link to an older KB article under it at MDGx's links to Q229670. Q229670 contains two versions of GDI.EXE and GDI32.DLL, 4.00.1112 for OSR2, and 4.00.954 for 95 Original. The KB article claims that it should include 4.01.971 for 95 Original, but it does not. I just acquired this HotFix with the HotFix request form, so I know I'm using their "current" version of it. Following these links, there is a link to Microsoft Active Accessibility with a note saying it installs a newer GDI.EXE and GDI32.DLL version 4.01.971. However, the GDI.EXE and GDI32.DLL contained in MSAA are version 4.01.970, not 971. MSAA automatically overwrites 1112 versions I had installed with its own 4.01.970 versions. And, to top it off, the W95EURO update installs GDI.EXE 4.01.971, but no GDI32.DLL. This 971 version has an earlier timestamp than any of the previously mentioned files, but has the "latest" version number. It's a mad house.. a mad house!!

I have sent you a PM with my email address. I'm not picky, Ill take updates for all versions. And really the only way to sort some of them is to actually extract the files and compare them to the ones in the CABs... I have found some files with later version numbers but earlier timestamps than the ones in the CABs, at least one update (Q247578) that will not install on OSR2, even though the files contained in it are newer and work perfectly when substituted manually, have a situation with GDI.EXE and GDI32.DLL where v4.00.1112 files exist to replace the originals at v4.00.950, but v4.01.971 files exist and are newer than the 1112 versions. And the list goes on. Still unable to find the English Q282901 HotFix anywhere. This one is really driving me nuts. Also looking for the source of at least two files contained in the 95 USP, VNETBIOS.VXD with a Q262528 reference (unable to find a KB article for this one, even with the Wayback Machine ) CONFIGMG.VXD v4.00.1113 - I have 1112; 1114 exists in the missing Q282901 HotFix, but I can find no references to 1113 at all. On the bright side I have managed to slipstream 50+ updates with RLoew's slipstreaming tools. Including the addition of an .INF file that makes all of the registry entries for each of the updates.

You can just use the original v1.1.1.0 patch + the "WON2 Listing Patch" instead of the 1.1.1.2 update, may fix your problem, I haven't used the 1.1.1.1 or 1.1.1.2 patches.

I'd like to see some discussion of this issue as well. For the moment, there's the Steamless CounterStrike Project, which will allow you to play the various HL1 games in their original state without Steam. Of course this does not address the HL2+ games. I read somewhere that if you already had Steam installed before they dropped Windows 98 support, and did not allow it to update itself, then you could still use it. I can't vouch for this, as I have never had Steam installed, and probably never will. (I refuse to install or buy any game that requires it, or requires any form of "online activation" garbage.) However, if one could track down the installer for a version of it prior to the end of 98 support, then one might manage to work around the issue.

MSBATCH.INF can be very quirky. I spent many hours trying to get proper MSBATCH.INF's written for my 95C, 98SE, and ME installations. 95C was the hardest. I'll post my working 98SE MSBATCH.INF here for you, you can check and see if it differs from yours in style or specific sections. The "Product Type" of your installation may be affecting it as well, (especially the Product Key issue) i.e. if it is an OEM CD, Full Retail, etc etc. ; MSBATCH.INF ; ; Copyright (c) 1995-1998 Microsoft Corporation. ; All rights reserved. ; [BatchSetup] Version=3.0 (32-bit) SaveDate=01/17/10 [Version] Signature = "$CHICAGO$" AdvancedINF=2.5 LayoutFile=layout.inf [Setup] Express=0 InstallDir="C:\WINDOWS" NoDirWarn=1 InstallType=3 OptionalComponents=1 ShowEula=0 ProductKey="XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX" EBD=0 Uninstall=0 TimeZone="Eastern" [System] Locale=L0409 SelectedKeyboard=KEYBOARD_00000409 [NameAndOrg] Name="Your Name" Display=0 [Network] ComputerName=YourCompName Description=YourCompDesc Clients=VREDIR Protocols=NWLINK, MSTCP Security=SHARE [NWLINK] Frame_Type=4 [MSTCP] DHCP=1 DNS=0 WINS=D [VREDIR] ValidatedLogon=0 [OptionalComponents] "Accessibility"=0 "Accessibility Options"=0 "Accessibility Tools"=0 "Accessories"=1 "Briefcase"=0 "Calculator"=1 "Desktop Wallpaper"=1 "Document Templates"=1 "Games"=1 "Imaging"=1 "Mouse Pointers"=1 "Paint"=1 "Quick View"=1 "Screen Savers"=1 "Additional Screen Savers"=1 "Flying Windows"=1 "OpenGL Screen Savers"=1 "Windows Scripting Host"=1 "WordPad"=1 "Communications"=1 "Dial-Up Networking"=1 "Dial-Up Server"=0 "Direct Cable Connection"=1 "Hyper Terminal"=0 "Microsoft Chat 2.5"=0 "NetMeeting"=0 "Phone Dialer"=0 "Virtual Private Networking"=1 "Desktop Themes"=1 "Baseball"=1 "Dangerous Creatures"=1 "Desktop Themes Support"=1 "Inside your Computer"=1 "Jungle"=1 "Leonardo da Vinci"=1 "More Windows"=1 "Mystery"=1 "Nature"=1 "Science"=1 "Space"=1 "Sports"=1 "The 60's USA"=1 "The Golden Era"=1 "Travel"=1 "Underwater"=1 "Windows 98"=1 "Internet Tools"=0 "Microsoft FrontPage Express"=0 "Microsoft VRML 2.0 Viewer"=0 "Microsoft Wallet"=0 "Personal Web Server"=0 "Real Audio Player 4.0"=1 "Web Publishing Wizard"=0 "Web-Based Enterprise Mgmt"=0 "Multilanguage Support"=0 "Baltic"=0 "Central European"=0 "Cyrillic"=0 "Greek"=0 "Turkish"=0 "Multimedia"=1 "Audio Compression"=1 "CD Player"=1 "Macromedia Shockwave Director"=1 "Macromedia Shockwave Flash"=1 "Media Player"=1 "Microsoft NetShow Player 2.0"=1 "Multimedia Sound Schemes"=1 "Sample Sounds"=1 "Sound Recorder"=1 "Video Compression"=1 "Volume Control"=1 "Online Services"=0 "America Online"=0 "AT&T WorldNet Service"=0 "CompuServe"=0 "Prodigy Internet"=0 "The Microsoft Network"=0 "System Tools"=1 "Backup"=1 "Character Map"=1 "Clipboard Viewer"=1 "Disk compression tools"=1 "Drive Converter (FAT32)"=1 "Group Policies"=0 "Net Watcher"=1 "System Monitor"=1 "System Resource Meter"=1 "Web TV for Windows"=0 "Broadcast Data Services" "WaveTop Data Broadcasting"=0 "WebTV for Windows"=0 "Internet Connection Sharing"=0 "Dial-Up ATM Support"=0 "Outlook Express"=1 "Address Book"=1 "Macromedia Shockwave"=1

By all means use the P4. I would choose the ATI 9600XT video card, but there are several NVidia fans here that may disagree. If you want to use more than 512MB of RAM, I do not recommend the Unofficial Service Pack. I recommend RLoew's RAM patch instead. RLoew also has solutions for using hard drives >137GB if you plan to use one. After installing 98SE, you should install DirectX 9.0c from December 2006. (This is the last version for Windows 9x and will probably be a requirement for the drivers of the newer Video cards you listed.) And, while optional, may improve compatibility with other programs - Internet Explorer 6 SP1. After that, it's all about your own personal taste in program selection. Browsers.. Well, Firefox 2.0.0.20 is the last official Firefox for Windows 9x. This is what I use. I believe Opera 10.63 is the last official Opera for Windows 9x (Opera fans correct me if I'm wrong).

Success!! Of course I owe all of my success to submix8c for finding the right version of DIAMOND.EXE, jaclaz for finding relevant documentation, and to rloew for his Slipstreaming Tools and taking the time to test and script it for me. I now have a set of De-Spanned Windows 95 CABs properly compressed with QUANTUM. Now on to slipstreaming updated files. Thanks for all your help so far!

To "slipstream" an updated version of a system file, or virtually any file contained in the CAB files, all one has to do is simply place the newer version in the \WIN98 folder, and SETUP will use it instead of searching through the CABs for the older version. Of course this can get out of hand with a lot of updated files, but it is helpful for addressing specific issues, or issues that may crash or corrupt the installation process. (Good examples being the >2.1GHz processor bug on 95/98FE, and the >137GB HDD issue on all 9x) I think I read somewhere once that SETUP would detect any drivers placed in the folder with the CAB files during installation. One should not have to manually install the .inf using this method, the installer should use it. But, I have not tried it myself so I can't speak from experience.