jaclaz

I pinged Daniel B.Sedory (The Starman) about the topic and he plans to make a page similar to : https://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/WTC.htm but related to "where is the code" in 9x. For the moment he quickly checked a few more files and found another other copy of the MBR code in OEMSETUP.EXE. While the files tffsprop.dll and tformat.exe contain a copy of the "Standard" (since MS-DOS 3.30 and up to 95 A) MBR code: http://starman.vertcomp.com/asm/mbr/STDMBR.htm jaclaz

Yep , but it remains "queer" because usually in MS programs (including FDISK) the strings are 00 terminated, in FDISK, there is - besides the 00 separator - a field for length of the string, as described by the given link, which - while being different from "normal" C programs string storage - makes (to me at least) more sense as this "length" field most probably simplifies the command used to write it. jaclaz

Good. In the meantime I checked (only out of curiosity) with gsar the expanded contents of the first files on win98 SE install (up to base4.cab) and besides the matches (9) in FDISK.EXE, there is ONLY a match for SUWIN.EXE: suwin.exe: 0xe6c2 suwin.exe: 1 match found and there the MBR is in its "expanded" 512 bytes form (though still missing the error messages) between a copy of the FAT12 (/16) and a copy of the FAT32 bootsectors. The error messages are a little past that at 0xEEDF in the form of strings "queerly" separated by Hex 24 character . jaclaz

Which is good, so that or similar sequence of bytes is likely to be *in some other file*, as said (check point #3 above). The technique used to store the sequence of bytes is very likely to be similar. jaclaz

What happens (or should happen) *sometimes* during the setup is that a command (not entirely unlike dd) is used to overwrite the first 440 bytes of the MBR (i.e. first absolute sector or sector LBA0) and possibly the magic bytes 55AA. To be copied these 440 bytes must exist *somewhere* (possibly also with an ending 55AA) most probably embedded in this (or that) file. The file in question (again very likely) is connected with partitioning, and as a first attempt I would look inside FDISK.EXE... ... hey, wait, it is there and it is actually documented by The Starman: https://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/FDISK.htm https://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/95BMEMBR.htm#CHS the issue is that it is "interspersed" with some unknown bytes and there is a "hole" for the error messages (that can still be found in FDISK, but at another address) and another "hole" for the partition data (just before the ending 55AA), and there are the mistery 00 bytes: https://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/mystery.htm In a nutshell, and if you have - besides the time - the guts for it, you could test if: 1) your current MBR code is compatible (or can be made compatible) with the "segmentation" with which the original MBR is stored inside FDISK 2) if yes, if when you change ALL instances of the MBR code inside FDISK (and probably you will also need to modify the "error messages") FDISK (from a boot floppy or however from a pure DOS) does actually manage to write your modified MBR code (or throws a checksum error or whatever 3) if the above works, try if setup actually uses the data strored inside FDISK or gets the bytes from somewhere else, and if this latter is the case, look for the file that contains it (maybe a .dll?), rinse and repeat. jaclaz

You mean in the 20th century? jaclaz

Interesting. Didn't know about that, and it does also Secure Erase, which is something that can be usually done with this or that hdparm port, but that is complicated. Though seemingly, all it does (related to secure erase) is to prepare a small Linux based USB stick: https://www.naraeon.net/en/naraeon-help-ko-main/erase-pm/ able to run sedutil-cli: https://github.com/Drive-Trust-Alliance/sedutil/wiki/Command-Syntax jaclaz

@sdfox7 Feel free to use this, in case of need : https://msfn.org/board/topic/152748-custom-avatars-and-signatures/?do=findComment&comment=1015974 jaclaz

I don't see anywhere in your post the proper adverbs , like, you know, surprisingly, unexpextedly, strangely, etc. Generally speaking, plugging square pegs in round holes is a lot of fun but rarely works . There are exceptions, of course : jaclaz

Ok, then it is a problem, but still an easily solvable one (by restoring the MBR). Your actual problem is having the stupid install take care of usbccgp.sys jaclaz

That is the worst case of installitis I ever heard . Anyway, it takes literally a fraction of a second to restore the MBR, and you can well make such restore automated. Alternatively, hunt for the MBR code in the Windows Setup or OS files (it must be copied from *somewhere*) and replace it with your PART code (and yes this is anyway a "binary patch"). But - come on - this is not a "problem". jaclaz

Naah, for toilet paper there is this other technology: https://www.cnet.com/news/target-created-home-accessories-that-order-household-goods-for-you/ jaclaz

So, maybe, locating all oleaut32.dll's AND jolting down where they are AND backing them up BEFORE deleting them could be a good strategy. jaclaz

Good . In a human readable form (with ; replaced by CR+LF): jaclaz

Maybe easier, open a command prompt. In it type: SET PATH [ENTER] jaclaz

You must be joking. What if while you are away to the supermarket another member of the family actually pilfers something from the fridge? Your list would be out of date , and not only, you will also likely be accused (usually by the same member of the family that sacked the fridge) how you don't care about him/her and his/her needs/likings. Also, cannot really say if it can be configured this way, you could program it so that you can have an SMS or e-mail on your phone as soon as someone opens the fridge door (this usually happens between 2:00 and 3:00 in the morning[1], how can you deprive yourself of this nice feature?) jaclaz [1] Right after you will have finally managed to catch sleep again, after having being wakened by the message your "smart" outdoors camera sent you arounf 1:00 and that came out as being a false alarm [2] [2] to be exact false alarm #217 since you installed the IP enabled camera

Posting a link to WHERE on RyanVM Forum is asking too much of the Author (on a "release" thread, BTW) I presume. Maybe here?: https://ryanvm.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10631#p143702 the post is almost one year old, and in it you are substantially saying that you are abandoning it, whilst both there and on this very thread on MSFN you hinted that you are still (maybe) working on it (but of course there is always something to wait for or that is missing). Maybe you could post a definite statement about: 1) the current situation of the project 2) what actually works in it and what it doesn't (I understand that asking for a proper, even minimal documentation would be too much). 3) a future, tentative roadmap (only if there is any future, of course) As is the project seems objectively: 1) half Vaporware (or in an unfinished pre-pre-alpha stage, which in practice is the same thing) 2) half AbandonWare jaclaz

As Tripredcus and Jumper hinted before, usually the DLL searching path is as follows: 1) the same folder directory where the main .exe is 2) the %PATH% 3) some other place (maybe) The exception is when the full path to a given directory containing the .dll is explicitly set *somewhere* (normally a .ini file or the Registry). What I would do in your case would be to copy to the directory where the .exe is, the .dll that is giving the error (or if more than one, one at the time, in the order that Dependency Walker finds them when tracing) of course the version with the appropriate "bit width". jaclaz

Well, if it is a production machine you should have (besides a "quick change" disk clone[1]) also a whole machine clone, meaning an identical (or however similar enough) PC with a clone of the original disk running. Besides allowing experimenting like installing the SP4 and the patch, such a setup would allow other experiments[2] and allow no downtime whatsoever (either switching the disk or the whole machine may take 10-15 minutes at most. At least in my experience, production comes before anything else, so whenever possible you don't actually repair the machine that is involved in production (shutting it down for the whole time the repair might need), you quickly replace the faulty module/subsystem with a spare and then you later have the time to repair the "original" (that becomes the "ready spare" for next time it is needed). This approach has a cost, as you will be pay and keep stored spare components that possibly would never be needed, but it keeps the downtime of a plant to the bare minimum. jaclaz [1] which is the bare-bare minimum I recommend you to have [2] since the machine and its software are surely extremely "static", besides "vintage", I don't see these many reasons to run it on NTFS at all, FAT16 might well be more than good enough.

Anyway, since the original didn't boot, even if you had the hotfix you would have needed anyway a (temporary) NT 4.00 install, which is the part that was IMHO "overkill" to only change two bytes on a disk. BTW, I believe (I may be wrong of course) that the hotfix makes the system CHKDSK compatible with the later NTFS version, it does't backport the version, so you needed anyway SP4 (and obviously a bootable system) in order to apply it. jaclaz

Talking of preposterous, paying only a little bit more you can also have a Samsung fridge (mechanically/electrically they are very good I am told) that can interact with you, your smartphone, your family, the TV and even order your food /besides advising you on how to cook it): https://www.samsung.com/it/refrigerators/familyhub/ think about how much you can save by having the possibility, thanks to the 3 (three) internal cameras, to inspect the contents on the fridge when at the supermarket, thus avoiding to buy duplicated items that would otherwise be thrown away. And you can also save that 5 Euro whiteboard in your kitchen, with the advantage that family messages can also be retrieved, no more "I didn't see it, someone must have deleted it". Also, obviously nothing beats watching - say - a soccer match while standing in the kitchen on a screen that is taaaall and naaaaarrow (missile launchs are OK, though ) , of course provided that the software works: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2D2TH442TDCYS/ref=cm_cr_pr_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B004XQHBHC jaclaz

Well, this doesn't take anything away from the (correct) comparison you made, stupid smartphone vs. fridges. It remains insane no matter how much the country's population median (or lower, or top) income is, that would only affect how many people will be able to afford the one (or the other). jaclaz

I see , but JFYI (hopefully not needed as there won't be a "next time") you can change those bytes with *any* disk editor even on a later windows, as long as you unmount the volume/operate at the physicaldrive level, it's not like you need Diskprobe and a NT 4.00 to change them, you only have to be careful that the stupid windows running would not revert them. Personally I would have used DOS or *any* live Linux or even grub4dos for that little edit. jaclaz

My bad, I meant the 8, more or less prices should be the same between Sweden and Italy on these items, possibly a little less in Italy: https://www.apple.com/it/shop/buy-iphone/iphone-7 here the 7/7 plus is between 549 and 789. The 8/8 plus have been rebated recently I believe due to the launch of the new XR/XS, they are currently : https://www.apple.com/it/shop/buy-iphone/iphone-8/display-da-4,7"-256gb-argento#00,10,21 889 and: https://www.apple.com/it/shop/buy-iphone/iphone-8/display-da-5,5"-256gb-argento#01,10,21 999 to which you add the Apple Care 169 Euro. jaclaz

The thing - at the time - was for the NTFS version 3.0 (Windows 2000), The idea was to still be able to use a previously/originally formatted to 1.2 NTFS volume after the Windows 2000 arbitrarily changed it to NTFS 3.0. I personally wouldn't even think of running NT 4.0's chkdsk on a volume that was originally formatted as 3.0 or 3.1 (and populated by the install of a later, Windows 2000 or XP, let alone Vista or later), maybe nothing bad will happen, but I wouldn't take the risk. jaclaz