MDGx

Actually only oleaut32.dll from Q886765 is buggy to install under Win9x. All other files work ok.I've tested on 2 PCs, with Win98 FE, Win98 SE and WinME. The bug in oleaut32.dll 2.40.4526 was with Macromedia Flash presentations/movies/etc streamed from within MS IE, or even played from the local HD. After I restored oleaut32.dll 2.40.4522, everything worked ok again. erpdude8 found another bug with OLE update 2.40.4526 [even without oleaut32.dll (?)] when installed on WinME, if I recall correctly, he said it breaks HTML help engine. [?] Anyway, for users who wish to install one or the other, this page contains both versions of OLE update: http://www.mdgx.com/add.htm#OLE OLEUP.EXE [2.40.4526] = meant for Windows 98 FE, 98 SE + NT4 OLEUPME.EXE [2.40.4522] = meant for Windows ME but they can be both installed on any 9x/ME based OS. Hope this helps.

If DOSBox gives you 637 KB of free conventional RAM, that means it does something similar to QEMM memory manager, i.e. strips most or all environment blocks from TSRs that allow this to happen, and/or moves some DOS modules [the ones that allow it, like portions of the command interpreter] to upper and/or extended memory, similar probably to what Helix NetRoom Multimedia Cloaking Tools used to do back in the good ol' DOS days. Note that in my experience these procedures will in certain conditions lockup the computer, because Windows I/O and/or VXDs may also compete for same memory blocks, and due to the fact that Win9x VMM is 16-bit, it will take the GUI with it, usually requiring a "hard" reboot. Also, it is possible [thru routines exemplified above] to achieve 630 or more of free conventional RAM, *but only if* there are no (E)BIOS/Video/HDD/RAID/SCSI/etc modules loaded in upper RAM. Example: most HighPoint PATA RAID controllers I know of take for their BIOS the UMA blocks located at CCFF-D3FF or similar, and there is *no way* this memory can be restored to be used by DOS or by any other app/game for that matter. Most NVidia GeForce video controllers BIOS take for themselves the UMA blocks at C000-CBFF or similar. Put together all this unusable upper RAM, and you won't have 637 [or not even 615] KB free conventional, even if using DOSBox. These are all hardware limitations. About conventional memory needed by DOS based programs: I have received an email from a DOS user some years ago, saying that he couldn't run his small "mom-and-pop" motel business financial software [the program name escapes me now] without having at least 670 KB of free conventional RAM. This can be achived only from native/true/pure MS-DOS, and only if video controller color functions [VGA modes] are completely disabled, and works only if the video controller is monochrome [very old technology]. QEMM [ver 8 and 9] has this capability, can provide up to 728 KB of free conventional RAM, if using the right command line parameters. NetRoom and 386MAX can also provide in certain situations over 630 KB of free conventional RAM. Without performing any "fancy" memory relocations or environement "stripping", QEMM, NetRoom, 386MAX, DR-DOS EMM386 and UMBPCI.SYS can provide up to 629 KB of free conventional RAM in normal conditions. Microsoft EMM386 manager can only provide up to 625 KB, because it needs HIMEM.SYS loaded in conventional RAM, and its own conventional memory module takes ~ 4 KB. In my experience the most memory demanding DOS game I've played was an early version of Falcon 4, it used to require 619 KB of free conventional RAM, at least 30 DOS BUFFERS and at least 60 DOS FILES in config.sys, besides expanded memory enabled with the EMM386 RAM and/or HIGHSCAN command line switches, and did not work with any expanded memory manager except microsoft EMM386.EXE 4.95 [ships with Win9x/ME]. Hope this helps.

MS-DOS 8.0 is not a standalone OS, comes only with Windows ME setup CD. You can zip up all DOS 8 files, make a boot disk, etc, but you can't run Windows 98 or 95 [any release] on top of it. MS-DOS 8 runs only WinME. Best MS-DOS version is 7.10 bundled with Windows 98 SE. It is not [unlike MS-DOS 8] a "stripped down" version with "disabled" features, it is a full-fledged DOS OS. MS-DOS 7.10 is the most stable DOS OS I'm aware of. The only thing MS-DOS 7 can't do "out of the box" is networking, without 3rd party tools, anyway. That's why one needs certain networking/communications components from other DOS OSes or another [3rd party] DOS OS layer. MS-DOS 7.10 performs best, especially if one adds certain [free(ware)] tools + replacements to make it even better: http://www.mdgx.com/dos.htm http://www.mdgx.com/drv.htm http://www.mdgx.com/umb.htm http://www.mdgx.com/mem7.htm Note that MS-DOS 7.10 from Win98 SE setup CD does not run WinME, 98 FE or 95 [any release]. MS-DOS 7.10 runs only Win98 SE. FreeDOS still has bugs that need to be "ironed out". Because it is a free GPL software, developers are few, and they take a while to update/fix the OS. Details: http://www.freedos.org/ But certain components + tools from FreeDOS are ok to use with MS-DOS [any version above 6.0]. Hope this helps.

sndvol32 can be run as smaller window also by holding down Ctrl and taping S [with same result as creating shortcut above]. If holding Ctrl and tapping S once again, the size of the mixer goes back to large [default]. This is valid for all Win32 OSes. More hidden shortcuts to Windows tools: http://www.robvanderwoude.com/

I use this INF code to create shortcuts to Pinball + Spider games in %windir% -> Start Menu -> Accessories -> Games [default location]: SETUP.INI,progman.groups,,"G2=Accessories\Games" SETUP.INI,G2,,"""Spider Solitaire"","%10%\SPIDER.EXE",,,,"%10%",,""Play Spider Solitaire Card Game""" SETUP.INI,G2,,"""Space Cadet Pinball"","%10%\PINBALL\PINBALL.EXE",,,,"%10%\PINBALL",,""Play Space Cadet 3D Pinball Game""" 2G.INF is part of 98SE2ME: http://www.msfn.org/board/?showtopic=46349 U can customize the code to your needs, of course. Hope this helps.

DOSBox cannot increase the amount of memory available in a DOS window more than it is actually possible, because of Windows GUI + VMM restrictions/requirements, which cannot be broken, no matter the settings/options in autoexec.bat, config.sys, msdos.sys, system.ini, win.ini, registry etc.Also, the amount of memory available to apps/games in native/true/pure MS-DOS mode is always greater than the amount of free RAM in DOS boxes [even if using DOSBox], because the native/true/pure MS-DOS mode does not have the Windows GUI loaded. DOSBox basically "matches" a DOS game memory requirements [minimum necessary amount of free RAM, conventional, upper, extended and/or expanded] and/or hardware [video, sound, networking, drives/partitions, COM ports, CPU speed etc] resources with the ones provided by Windows in GUI mode [not real/true/pure MS-DOS mode, which is an entirely different "beast"], to make sure respective DOS game runs properly on most MS Windows computers. That's why DOSBox is sometimes of limited use [Windows DOS boxes] or of no use whatsoever [native/true/pure MS-DOS mode]. Best to run DOS games from native/true/pure MS-DOS mode whenever possible [by tweaking autoexec.bat, config.sys, msdos.sys + specific game settings], to avoid Windows GUI overhead and VMM restrictions, which may crash certain DOS games, which may otherwise run ok from native MS-DOS [outside Windows GUI]. More details in MEMORY.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE: http://www.mdgx.com/95.htm Unfortunately, there are a few DOS games that do not run [or run but lock up] from within Windows DOS boxes. In such cases one needs to reboot [or exit Windows 9x/ME if ATX mode disabled: http://www.mdgx.com/98-4.htm#98ATX ] to native/true/pure MS-DOS mode, and then play that DOS game without Windows GUI overhead. Most such games require custom RAM amounts/types and/or to take over exclusively certain hardware resources [sound, video, real-mode X86 CPU etc]. Example: Any DOS program/game that requires VCPI memory will *not* run from within Windows, because to date there is no version of Windows that can provide VCPI memory to DOS boxes. More details: http://www.mdgx.com/newtip23.htm#WDBT Windows NT4/2000/XP/2003/Vista users [lucky b**tards! ] can take advantage of VDMSound [free GPL]: http://vogons.zetafleet.com/viewtopic.php?t=2071 http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/vdmsound/ which provides [similar to DOSBox] specific hardware resources to DOS apps/games. DOSWZCFG from 95 Kernel Toys: This a very limited tool, can tweak only a few autoexec.bat + config.sys settings. DOSWZCFG is of no use if custom settings are needed, and/or if necessary files [like EMM386.EXE, MSCDEX.EXE, SMARTDRV.EXE etc] are not found at default locations [like %windir%\COMMAND or %windir%]. Any serious DOS tweaker will avoid using DOSWZCFG.EXE. Hope this helps.

jimmsta: UPDATE: I've updated 98SE2ME [again ] on 10-13-2005: http://www.msfn.org/board/?showtopic=46349 If you plan to include 98SE2ME into your new version of PP, please d/l the current file [2.2 MB]: http://www.mdgx.com/4 Thanks.

erpdude8: Your wish is my command. See OLEUPME.EXE under 10-13-2005 updates.

To "spice" up your Desktop background: - d/l this small 82 bytes bitmap [right-click to save]: http://www.mdgx.com/files/MINI.BMP - right-click on empty Desktop spot - click Properties - click Background tab - click Browse button to select MINI.BMP - select Stretch under "Display:" - make sure your Desktop res is 16 mil colors [32-bit = true color] - done. FYI: u can make your own BMPs with different patterns [try for example different colors in 18x2 , 27x3 , 8x8 pixels, etc... the sky's the limit]. Please note that I have used only basic colors here, but u can use any color combos + factors: gamma, hue, saturation, luminance etc. If using MS Paint, switch 1st to 32-bit desktop res before u run mspaint. That way u can create a new BMP of same res as your screen res from scratch, without changing the BMP res from within MS Paint. Because MINI.BMP is only 9x1 pixels in size, it doesn't matter that it is 32-bit [true color = 16 mil colors], it takes very little Windows memory to display. Have fun.

jimmsta: UPDATE: Please see my next post below. Thankx.

Interesting, I'll have to test this out myself when I get a chance.I should stress test our 98 boxes on the network's 100mbit connection VS XP. If you take the time to stress test different environments, make sure to tweak internet settings first, so you can perform proper comparison with same/similar (IP)MTU, RCW, TTL, DACKs, PMTUD etc.Most necessary tools are here: http://www.mdgx.com/toy.htm#MTU if you prefer to do this the easy way. If you prefer to do this the "hard way" by using regedit and/or REG files, these pages may help: http://www.mdgx.com/modem.htm#MY Hope this helps.

cool! Keep up the good work. : PS: I've added a link to your pack here: http://www.mdgx.com/ PS2: finally, somebody put them all together in a single "all-u-can-eat" [all-in-1] package.

5. In my experience, using Win95, 98 + ME OSes [all versions] most DOS games "behave" better and/or more stable in native/true MS-DOS mode, without Windows GUI loaded, *if* specific game memory requirements [config.sys + autoexec.bat boot settings] are provided. Windows GUI only adds a virtual environment which takes over, and which may not allow some old DOS games to use hardware resources [video, sound] properly/exclusively. Thus certain DOS games will crash most of the time when executed from within Windows, even using DOSbox or similar approach. 7. I am using Comcast cable [currently 4.8 Mbit/sec average, to be upgraded to 6.4 Mbit/sec next month] with both Win98 SE [+ 98SE2ME and all other updates + tweaks] and WinXP SP2 + all other updates and tweaked for performance [DrTCP optimal settings] + all unnecessary services disabled: http://www.mdgx.com/xp.htm#WXP NetMeter [freeware]: http://www.mdgx.com/fw.htm#MNT says that my download speeds are most of the time better when using 98SE. I've tested all these configurations on 2 different PCs. Hope this helps.

The most recent OLE update for 9x OSes is found here: http://www.mdgx.com/add.htm#OLE These are the files installed by OLEUP.EXE: ASYCFILT.DLL 2.40.4526 [Win2000 Q886765 hotfix] OLEAUT32.DLL 2.40.4522 [Win2000 SP4] OLEPRO32.DLL 5.0.4526 [Win2000 Q886765 hotfix] STDOLE2.TLB 2.40.4526 [Win2000 Q886765 hotfix] These files are supported by and work properly with all Win95/98/ME OSes. The "active" files used by the OS are always in %windir%\system = must exist for proper operation. The OS "active" backup is in %windir%\sysbckup = optional, can be deleted. The "inactive" backup is in %windir%\options\cabs = optional, can be deleted. TweakBIOS: your mobo BIOS may be incompatible with TweakBIOS or some BIOS setup settings you may have modified may not be compatible with TweakBIOS settings. [?] Please keep in mind that TweakBIOS has not been updated since 1999, therefore it does not contain updates for BIOSes manufactured after 1999. Try to reset all your BIOS settings to defaults, reboot, install TweakBIOS, run TweakBIOS, make your changes 1 at a time, reboot after each 1, make sure your computer works ok upon each reboot, then change another setting and reboot again. Eventually write down each change in case your BIOS locks up, and u would have to go back to system defaults. This way at least you know which TweakBIOS settings work. Trial and error is the game here. TweakBIOS retail version keeps settings permanent, opposite from freeware version which does not, you have to reboot every time you modify freeware TweakBIOS settings. Also, make sure u download most recent TweakBIOS DAT files: http://www.miro.pair.com/tweakbios/users.html These work only with retail TweakBIOS versions. Hope this helps.

I have PSAPI.DLL build 5.00.2134.1 [from Win2000] in %windir%\SYSTEM [98SE OS] and it seems to work ok with NetMeter [0.9.9.9 beta 2]:http://www.readerror.gmxhome.de/

Sorry, I don't have the French sysdm.cpl, and I don't know where to get it from.

If the ME files [after you installed option 1 or 2] exist in C:\W98SEOLD , that means you installed 98SE2ME [option 1 or 2] more than 1 time, and you also selected to create a backup of your original 98SE every time, which has overwritten the original 98SE files in C:\W98SEOLD with ME files.The backup in C:\W98SEOLD has nothing to do with option 3. The backup in C:\W98SEOLD can be used to restore your entire original 98SE OS only if you installed option 1 or 2. All other options [from 3 up to 7] have their own [separate] backup + restore procedures. All this is fully documented in READ1ST.TXT [100 KB] under the "98SE2ME.PIF COMPLETE GUIDE" chapter: READ1ST.TXT Option 3 does not backup any files in C:\W98SEOLD, but in %windir% and %windir%\SYSTEM, and the backup procedure for option 3 is completely different from options 1 and 2. All files necessary to restore files replaced by option 3 are stored in %windir%\INF : RSTR3F.BAT RSTR3F.INF ATTRIB.COM FIND.COM MEM.EXE GETVER.EXE All files replaced by option 3 are backed up as: %windir%\*.98A %windir%\SYSTEM\*.98A If all files installed by option 3 are found [from a previous option 3 installation], option 3 is not installed over, but if even 1 file is missing, option 3 is installed over, even if u already installed option 3 at least once before. Original 98SE files replaced by option 3 can be restored 2 ways: 1. Open Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs -> select "98SE2ME Option 3: Restore Win98 SE Explorer, Shell32 + UI" -> click Add/Remove button -> reboot. 2. Or run [%windir% = usually C:\WINDOWS]: %windir%\INF\RSTR3F.BAT and then reboot. Hope this helps.

Try this: http://download.microsoft.com/download/win.../WIN_DEPLOY.exe Unzip with WinZip or PowerArchiver [ http://www.mdgx.com/toy.htm#ZIP ] using original folder names. Then unzip W98PREP.EXE from the \WIN98 subfolder using PowerArchiver. Hope this helps.

Sounds like the copy of PSAPI.DLL installed by your program is intended only for NTx OSes [NT4/2000/XP/2003/Vista]. U may want to send email to program's developers to correct this if respective program was designed for 9x [95/98/ME] OSes. To make your program work properly under 9x OSes, u need the 9x version of PSAPI.DLL [Process Status Helper]. There are 2 versions "floating" around the net that work with 9x OSes: - 4.0 [build 4.00.1371.1 from WinNT4 PSAPI SDK] - 5.0 [build 5.00.2134.1 from Win2000 setup CD] Ver 4.0 can be downloaded here: http://www.dll-files.com/dllindex/dll-files.shtml?psapi or directly from MS as part of PSAPI SDK for WinNT4 [122 KB]: http://download.microsoft.com/download/pla...N-US/psinst.EXE Should be located in %windir%\SYSTEM [usually C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM] if u want it to be used by all programs, or u can place it in the respective program's main directory [where program's executable also resides] if u want it to be used only by respective program. Hope this helps.

You're welcome.Glad you found the fix.

Thanks for the update.I have added a new section in READ1ST.TXT: http://www.mdgx.com/98mp10/READ1ST.TXT called "HOW TO REMOVE WMP": Please note that READ1ST.TXT is also part of 98SEMP10 [104 KB]:http://www.mdgx.com/98mp10/98SEMP10.EXE Hope this helps.

I believe Gape should better answer this question. As far as I know 98SE SP2 is strictly a patcher, not a tweaker. Besides, DOS tweaks are only needed/wanted by the few [myself included ] who still use/play DOS programs/games from within/outside Windows. On the other hand, if you like to tweak your 98SE DOS modes, please see MEMORY.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE + W95-11D.ZIP [freeware for personal use]: http://www.mdgx.com/95.htm PS: You don't need EMM386, QEMM, NetRoom or 386MAX to achieve ~ 624-629 KB of free conventional DOS RAM in native/true MS-DOS mode outside Windows, you need UMBPCI.SYS [in case you don't need expanded memory, otherwise u do need an EMS memory manager]: http://www.mdgx.com/umb.htm Example: http://www.mdgx.com/mem7.htm Memory managers: http://www.mdgx.com/newtip20.htm#9SMM Max memory/performance in a DOS box: http://www.mdgx.com/newtip23.htm#WDBT Hope this helps.

1. D/l HOSTS.ZIP [1.1 MB, free]: http://www.mdgx.com/files/HOSTS.ZIP More info: http://www.mdgx.com/modem.htm#HOS Unzip HOSTS.ZIP and read READ1ST.TXT. 2. Keep the HOSTS file u want: with local IP set to 0.0.0.0 or 127.0.0.1 . Keep HOSTS.BAT in same directory where u have the HOSTS file. Edit HOSTS.BAT in Notepad, and adapt its command lines to your specific needs: drive letters, directory names, etc. Please note that lines between :NX and :N0 batch labels are only for NTx [NT4/2000/XP/2003/Vista] OSes. 3. Add HOSTS.BAT to your post-setup commands section in MSBATCH.INF. Edit MSBATCH.INF in Notepad to modify it. More info on MSBATCH.INF + unattended installs: http://www.mdgx.com/add.htm#DEV 4. Put all files u want together [in dedicated directories] with your Windows 9x OS files, and then burn your CD/DVD. See also the 98/ME boot CD project: http://www.msfn.org/board/?showtopic=53392 5. Done. Hope this helps.

my 2 ¢ I recall reading that Microsoft [and most hardware vendors followed suit] dropped support for winmodems a few years back, especially since everybody started pushing xDSL and Cable as the next best thing. That's why [probably] a newer version of a system file installed by SP2 removes compatibility with [certain] winmodems. [?] It's a long shot and time consuming, but one can tell with a little luck which file(s) is (are) the "culprit": the best bet is to "look" inside %windir%\INF\*.INF files with Notepad or better text editor/viewer: http://www.mdgx.com/toy.htm#TXT and inside related system files with a hex or resource editor/viewer: http://www.mdgx.com/toy.htm#HEX These freeware tools may also help determine system files interdependencies: Dependency Walker: http://www.dependencywalker.com/ Process Explorer: http://www.sysinternals.com/utilities/processexplorer.html Hope this helps.

If you don't care for anything on your hard drive(s), you can just quick format C from a Win98/ME emergency/bootup/startup floppy diskette, like this [example, where A: is the floppy drive letter and C: your HD/partition letter] = press Enter after each line below: A: FORMAT C: /Q More about format.com command line paramters: http://www.mdgx.com/secrets.htm#FORMAT Otherwise backup 1st your important data, and then FORMAT your HD. Then place your Windows 98SE setup CD in your CD/DVD drive and reboot. Note that there are different versions of Windows 9x/ME setup CDs: - retail full: installs on top of any older Windows OS, as either upgrade or new, or on new/empty HD - retail upgrade: installs only on top of older WinOSes only as upgrade, but not on new/empty HD - retail updates: installs only on top of *specific* older WinOS only as upgrade, but not on new/empty HD - OEM full: installs only on new/empty HD without any other WinOS pre-installed More details: http://www.mdgx.com/win.htm Also, make sure your BIOS is set to boot [also] from CD-ROM. Otherwise enter BIOS setup [hit F1, F2, Del etc, depending on BIOS/CMOS manufacturer/model] and set your PC to boot from CD-ROM. That's it. Of course, u can use 3rd party tools similar to [or better than] FORMAT.COM [most are free(ware)]: http://www.mdgx.com/secrets.htm#FDPT Hope this helps.