Wunderbar98

The Quick and Dirty YouTube post 4 up was edited to incorporate using DuckDuckGo-Lite as a good search engine for YouTube (search_term site:youtube.com), as YouTube is no longer directly accessible to vanilla Windows 98 browsers. The Quick and Dirty MSN post above was edited, including a modified script. CNBC and Reuters now work. A Bumper2Bumper workaround now works for MP4 videos, some use m3u8 that won't work. Warning most Bumper2Bumper are high quality, hard on older hardware. CNN tested successfully. The long affiliate list of working videos is summarized in the post. Each visit to MSN Video provides different affiliate video links, making it hard to test them all. Let me know if you experience issues, with the script not with life :)

= Quick and Dirty MSN Video = Similar to Quick and Dirty YouTube above but with MSN Video. Only a few lines of code to fetch most MSN videos, set up an Enhanced Cygwin-Lite install: https://msfn.org/board/topic/177106-running-vanilla-windows-98-in-2020-and-beyond/page/17/?tab=comments#comment-1175895 Download the script below named 'msn' and copy the file into C:\CYGWIN\BIN. Point web browser to http://www.msn.com/video. For me it redirects to http://www.msn.com/en-ca/video, not tested in any other regions. There are LOTS of videos here, they change frequently, most work. Successful: Buzz Videos, The Weather Network, FOX News, US Weekly, ET Canada, People, CBC, Instyle, Tribute, SMG, Pop Sugar, Southern Living, Cityline, Hello Giggles, Drive, My Recipes, Food and Wine, Rumble, National Geographic, CNN, Bumper2Bumper. Fail: CNBC, Reuters. Right-click the desired video link and select 'Copy link location' to get the video's URL to system clipboard. Open a Cygwin-Lite Bash prompt, run 'msn' (or whatever you named the script) and it will automagically fetch the video to C:\WINDOWS\TEMP as a named MP4 file. Add code if you want to autoplay the MP4, whatever. Note works as of today, the internet changes regularly, just maintain the code. msn

Thanks for clarifying @Gansangriff. On my vanilla Windows 98 CutePDF Writer v2.7 works well and PDFCreator v0.8.0 slightly better for web pages converted here. Performance issues noted here too in Windows 98 when working with too high pixel count, so my CutePDF and PDFCreator settings are adjusted accordingly. For me most modern images are too high quality for general use. My heart bleeds too for old hardware even when it's sent to recycling, as it will never likely be functional again. Not quite abandoned dog heart bleed but still. I noticed Windows XP in your signature, you'll hopefully have an OS and lots of free hardware for several more years. Keep up the good work :)

= Quick and Dirty YouTube = Just a few lines of code to download most videos from YouTube, set up an Enhanced Cygwin-Lite install: https://msfn.org/board/topic/177106-running-vanilla-windows-98-in-2020-and-beyond/page/17/?tab=comments#comment-1175895 Download the script named 'yt' and copy the file to C:\CYGWIN\BIN. Nevermind visiting YouTube, just use a search engine like Dogpile (doesn't obfuscate YouTube URL) from the RetroZilla Search Engine Collection to search (search_term + youtube). Right-click the desired Dogpile search result and select 'Copy link location' to get the YouTube URL to system clipboard. Open a Cygwin-Lite Bash prompt, run 'yt' (or whatever you named the script) and it will automagically fetch the itag 18 video to C:\WINDOWS\TEMP as a time stamped MP4 file. The DuckDuckGo-Lite search engine from the RetroZilla Search Engine Collection also works well. Just perform a search as 'search_term site:youtube.com'. Although DuckDuckGo obfuscates the search result URLs, opening the desired YouTube URL to a blank (broken in RetroZilla) YouTube page will convert the obfuscated URL to the proper YouTube URL where it can be copied to clipboard for the script to utilize. Add code if you want to extract the video title, autoplay the MP4, whatever. Substitute itag 22 if you want better quality video - too hard on my old system. Note works as of today, YouTube changes regularly, just maintain the code. yt

As always thanks for all input. It would be cool @Gansangriff if there was still a modern printer that could natively print in Windows 98 without piggybacking off a networked or multi-boot system. If you're still following, does your web interface only allow PDF printjobs or can you print other file types, such as Open Office *.doc or specialty graphic software image files? In response to your query, if my Windows 98 system breaks there's probably enough parts in the basement to keep Windows 98 running on real hardware until my body decays. But yes i too wouldn't pay for this hardware and would just 'upgrade' to whatever is freely available. The world needs more scavengers. Nature does this naturally, mankind does a p*** poor job. Since setting up my whopping $25 CDN 64-bit system (latest browser, banking) the old but entirely functional 1.8 GHz AMD (not even SSE2 capable) was moved into the loft as a perfect media centre. Seems a good way to keep old hardware relevant and productive. As probably most households now, most news, media and education is via computer so the computers get a good workout and the old televisions, DVD players and VCRs are only used occasionally. Recently picked up a free 17" IBM LCD monitor (2005 vintage) via Kijiji. I don't go out of my way and just check in once in a while but three 17-19" LCD monitors were picked up free in the last few years. So here a combination CRT and LCD monitors are used. Still trying to desperately use up the old CRTs but even my problematic monitor just won't die. It fails to lightup and conks out during runtime at least twice a week but i just rock it a bit and picture restored. If The Fonz maneuver ever totally fails i will do a final check for a broken solder and then it will finally get recycled. My computing needs are basic @UCyborg and have no need for f.lux type software, not sure what's out there for vanilla Windows 98. My computing space is artificially lit day and night so nothing fancy needed. Rarely i adjust monitor brightness as needed, this old 19" ViewSonic CRT even provides colour adjustments. My Windows 98 system has an NVIDIA GeForce2 MX100/200 graphic card (32 MB, NVIDIA driver 24FEB2005) with lots of adjustments for colour profiles, vibrance, brightness, gamma, etc but i never use them. AFAIK @Bracamonte, YouTube in vanilla Windows 98 no longer exists in the traditional sense. Since YouTube made changes these old browsers can no longer view YouTube pages. I custom coded a Bash script for Windows 9x using a custom Cygwin-Lite install. It allows searching YouTube and downloading most videos via a COMMAND.COM window. The project is discontinued but you could code your own. If you use kernel extensions there is a youtube-dl Megapack, named something like that, that has an updated Python, youtube-dl and other goodies - please query on a non-vanilla-Windows 98 thread. https://msfn.org/board/topic/181417-windows-9x-web-helper-9xweb-discontinued/

Thank-you for clarifying this install process @loblolly986, looks like it took a fair amount of testing and research. A link to your post was added to footnote [3] on the first post. It appears @rn10950 has yet to release a formal RetroZilla update based on some of these improvements, hopefully still forthcoming.

Thanks for all responses. CD/DVD drive update, the hair elastic works but not well as eject is not smooth and the elastic is flimsy. Retrieved the belt from the recently discarded drive and it seems to work well in the problematic drive. Strange as the donor drive is several years older (early 2000s vs 2011) yet the belt still feels grippy like real rubber. Query an indication of quality degradation in newer hardware or maybe just usage or environmental storage differences between the two drives, don't know. In the CD/DVD drive maintenance post somewhere above i failed to mention 'Pot Tweaking' as a potential fix for lasers that no longer work properly. There's lots of information on this topic online. I tried this once on a broken DVD player and it didn't help but i didn't know if this was even the real problem. Nonetheless to me this would be a last ditch attempt to 'fix' a CD/DVD drive where every indication is it should work but somehow the laser isn't reading data. Worst case scenario you wreck a drive that wasn't working anyway. Just finished my taxes again using Windows XP, even though it's not Windows 98 it's still a champ. Long live Windows XP - so say we all. Recently came across a company marketing 'Windows 98 hoodies'. Cool i thought but isn't this more of a Windows XP type logo? Hmm, maybe not, maybe it was Windows 95/98 marketing, don't recall. http://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/H30e8541483f340d5906d88f5657be30bk.jpg Now i have a summer fantasy, mow the grass wearing a cool Windows 98 hoodie up top with some baggy sweatpants that have 'sweaty' or 'juicy' written across the buttock in large letters (all credit to Howie Mandel). To me crazy people are spending money on this old stuff @Gansangriff. When i started my (small) hoard years ago it was all free giveaways, nobody wanted it. Guess the price cycle goes like this with most collectibles. Get in at the right time when the items are no longer new and shiny but before they become nostalgic and desirable again. Thanks @Mr.Scienceman2000, i will refrain from using 'retro' to avoid price hikes :) Thanks for the advice @MrMateczko, PATCHMEM has already been hoarded here long ago. Interesting someone saw fit to upload to archive[dot]org already, especially since R. Loew's son is already hosting the files for free AFAIK.

Thank-you Deomsh for the detailed explanation and links, you've put a lot of work into this stuff. The MaxFileCache rules of thumb are definitely variable. I've read that between Windows 95 -> 98SE there were several improvements - don't know for sure. Thankfully i'm under 512 MB RAM and the system runs stable, so will continue to leave [vcache] empty. Subjective, my other Windows 98 machine with 1.5 GB RAM doesn't run as smooth or stable as this 384 MB system, despite RLOEW's patch and tweaking attempts. In SYSTEM.INI [386Enh] this 384 MB system uses below, which doesn't need swap during regular use, seems okay. ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1 MinPagingFileSize=131072 MaxPagingFileSize=131072 Regarding CONFIG.SYS for DOS, thanks for confirming. My DOS applications run fine so will leave this alone too. Never even heard of MinSPs and PerVMFiles. Thank-you the informative MDGx link (SYSTEM.INI TWEAKS), bookmarked. Still so much to learn and explore. Regarding network speed, this system uses moderate speed DSL, tweaked via TCP Optimizer v3.0.8. A Windows XP system was recently set up (yes not Windows 98) and a popular network tweak utility was trialed, the name escapes me. Nonetheless the tweaks were negligible so i went back to TCP Optimizer and was painlessly able to get my usual connection speed. There are some nice sites like below for practical download speed testing of various file sizes, no JavaScript required. https://www.thinkbroadband.com/download One old system has a hard drive that is failing SMART forever. I refuse to give it up until it totally dies. It's noisy and on startup has the 'click of death' for years. It is sometimes unable to spin up after sleep, problematic during runtime requiring file system checks. The BIOS and OS has recently been configured to prevent hard drive sleep. As long as the drive powers up at boot, almost always, now it never needs to wake from sleep during a session. A little more electricity but the system runs reliably. Will limp it along, no important data on the drive, have backup images of the OS'. My Windows 98 registry is occasionally backed up to another hard drive on this dual boot system (two retro 6 GB hard drives). For anyone using dual boot Windows 98 and GNU/Linux, a command like 'cp -aux /mnt/sda1/WINDOWS/SYSBCKUP/rb*.cab /destination_directory' will preserve the date stamps of the backed up files. This makes it easy to determine the backup date if it becomes necessary to restore an older registry. As mentioned previously, a similar copy command can backup an entire Windows 98 install to other media or GNU/Linux partition, no fancy backup software needed. Just a call out to any Windows 9x Geezers and wannabes, now is the time! If you've been daydreaming about this stuff for the last 20 years, no guarantee this goodness will still be waiting for you another 20 years down the road, just saying..

Mentioned in a previous post by @Drugwash before the CD/DVD drive stuff, Starter v5.6.2.9 from CodeStuff was the version tested here in Windows 98 SE. It does indeed seem a good alternative to Process Explorer. Nice interface with easy access to startup items and running processes. Thanks for the feedback @RainyShadow, especially the laser cleaning warning. Laser cleaning comments were elaborated in the CD/DVD Drive Maintenance Tips post above. Thank-you for reporting your printing workaround @Gansangriff, nice. To me if Windows 98 could still run a modern printer and web browser, no reason it couldn't be used today as a sole operating system for everything. The landfills and 'Eco stations' here are only accessible if you're dumping something, not to rummage. Shame so much good computing hardware gets wasted. Society will eventually pay, and already is, a big price for this destructive and wasteful behaviour. In remembrance of recent Earth Day please reduce, re-use and recycle. My CD/DVD drive had the same symptoms @UCyborg and it ended up being the loading belt, responsible for ejecting the CD/DVD tray. I was also able to limp it along for a while too, worked on first or second try, until it stopped working altogether. On all but one of the drives inspected recently the drive belt is easily accessible from the front of the CD/DVD drive when the tray is open. It is easy to swap out with a reasonable facsimile and should then be 100%. If this easy fix doesn't work take the drive apart, remove grummy grease and lightly oil all the disc tray eject components. Of the three CD/DVD drives i worked on last week only one couldn't fix, previously marked 'Query broken'. Not bad as my overall repair success ratio is probably less than 50% due to lack of proper tools, no formal training and most importantly no readily available parts department. The broken drive was stripped for parts and the laser assembly destructed to learn more. The laser lens is pretty cool indeed. The only parts kept were the two front 'micro-switches' and the LED bulb. I used to keep more parts from old equipment but my workbench area isn't too big, most of it never gets used despite good intentions or it isn't the right part for the next fix as there is no standard across manufacturers. Too bad i didn't have these little micro-switches a few weeks ago, would have used it as a replacement power switch for my tower. Oh well the old popcorn maker switch has been working perfectly. Different topic, experimented on/off with C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.INI entries for [vcache] for quite some time on this seasoned Windows 98 SE build. It has 384 MB RAM and runs very nice. Entries i've previously trialed inlcude: MinFileCache=2048 MinFileCache=1024 MaxFileCache=98304 To be honest, without really knowing what i'm looking for, none of the entries appreciably affect system performance. So for the last few weeks i've removed all [vcache] entries. Maybe this is some type of voodoo, maybe modifying this settings works best on systems with more RAM, etc. Similarly, experiments with various entries in C:\WINDOWS\CONFIG.SYS, exampled below, also provided no appreciable difference, running in DOS or Windows, and have mostly now been REMarked out: FILES=40 REM BUFFERS=40 REM STACKS=9,128 REM STACKS=9,256 REM STACKS=0,0 If someone has expertise on this stuff feedback appreciated. For now my configurations have been simplified and everything runs well. I remember submitting patches to a developer before, the response was essentially as long as it works, so similarly maybe my current configuration is good enough.

Thanks for trying to help DougB. Using vm=yes with SDL is worse, won't play full screen properly. The CRT monitor doesn't modeswitch if i use the default 'directx' video out. Benchmarking with directx output my old 2009 MPlayer performs slightly faster than the 2018 build too.

Hi RamonUn. This alternate MPlayer-win98-r38116+g23fe072e43 works even with SDL. Unfortunately it causes my CRT monitor to mode switch with every fullscreen toggle, like when launching a fullscreen video game. To me this is harsh on the monitor when toggling frequently, such as consecutive YouTube videos. My old MPlayer does not do this. I will leave this build alone but it may be useful for others that need an alternative. Thanks for the suggestion.

= CD/DVD Drive Maintenance Tips = Passing on random things i learned, maybe it keeps other old hardware alive. CD/DVD drives are often serviceable regardless what you read on the internet. As they are electrical and largely mechanical, there's quite a bit that can be fixed and maintained. If the laser is burned out, it won't power up or a motor is dead, then maybe just recycle it, unless there's an obvious fixable defect (eg. broken solder, loose ribbon cable). To test open the tray, if the belt is malfunctioning you should still hear a motor power up even if the tray doesn't open. Then load a CD/DVD, you should hear motor/gears to accept the disc, another motor whirring to spin up the disc and the all-familiar laser power up sounds as it attempts to read data. On most CD/DVD drives the belt can be changed from the open tray without removing or dismantling the drive. Cleaning the drive belt with water (spit), alcohol or glycerine is a temporary fix. The belt is likely hardened, stretched and/or worn out and this 'fix' will only be temporary. A belt that 'looks' okay can still be defective. Rubber functions best when it is less than 5-10 years old, manufacturers usually ensure there is at least one 'weak-link' part in their products - $$$. Recommend using new rubber. I have combination hippy/grunge hair and use rubber no-slip hair eleastics, something like a package of 50 for only a few dollars. Alternatives include elastic bands (cheap, temp fix, good for troubleshooting), O-ring from local hardware store (good), belt salvaged from a donor drive (may be worn or wrong size) or online purchase (not personal preference). As the rubber drive belt assemblies do not have a tensioner adjustment, ensure a replacement belt is similar circumference, generally a little smaller than the stretched old belt. Too loose won't work and too tight is hard on the motor. If repair and/or maintenance is more involved, CD/DVD drives are easy to disassemble and appear similar across different manufacturers. Unplug the unit and remove from the computer. Use a paper clip to manually eject the CD/DVD tray then snap out the plastic front face. There are usually four screws to open the steel case. Remove the steel cover then lift the entire drive assembly from the steel case. These components only fit one way so photographic memory or backwards re-assembly isn't an issue. While the drive is partially disassembled pushing/pulling the CD/DVD tray in/out will simulate loading/unloading and help determine how components are moving and functioning. Totally removing the plastic sliding CD/DVD tray is useful for working on components hidden underneath. There's usually just a plastic tab to release it from a catch mechanism, then pull it right out. You may need to gently pry the plastic case apart for extra clearance, no big just be careful. There's no magic to 're-aligning' the teeth and gears during re-assembly, move the plastic gear slider out of the way, fully slide the disc tray all the way back into the drive along it's grooves without any teeth/gear resistance. Re-activating the motor during a power on test should grab the gears, properly align and eject the tray. If possible removing pulleys and gears can help clean and lubricate underneath. Gears should be lightly lubricated, pulleys should be squeaky clean. Depending on the drive's design, disconnecting the laser tilt assembly (screws or snap out) allows thorough cleaning of these pivot joints. Vacuum dust, dry paint brush, air (blow or compressed) and damp cloth to bulk clean the case and other components. Use a lightly oiled cotton tip to clean components that should be lubricated, basically anywhere there is old grease. The old grease in these drives doesn't last forever. Now the mechanisms won't be 'gummy' anymore and should operate smoothly with little resistance. Don't buy the hype, you don't need special chemicals for every little task. I just use a drop of (new) engine oil from my oiler on a cotton tip. Maybe not ideal but cheap and readily available. The oil isn't going to 'eat' through the plastic in my lifetime. I've used this on many products over the years, such as plastic knitting machine and crank flashlight components, never a problem. Avoid cleaning components that should be greasy with alcohol, you don't want them squeaky clean, you want them to remain slippery. Cleaning old grease from the mechanism that pivots the laser assembly in/out of position is really important, it reduces load on the drive belt and motor, making it easier to open/close the tray. Also ensure these pivot joints are clean and move freely. Use a lightly oiled cotton tip to clean and lubricate the railings that the laser assembly slides on. There may be quite a bit of dust, maybe hair, maybe black stuff or it may be dry (very bad). Gently slide the laser assembly back and forth a few times, avoid touching the laser, during this process to ensure everything is clean and to distribute lubricant. A smoothly sliding laser is critical when reading data from discs. Ensure other components, such as the worm gear, also move freely. Use a cotton tip with a little alcohol (not dripping) to clean the laser, be gentle it wobbles. To be safe blot any excess alcohol from the cotton tip onto a clean cotton rag or similar before cleaning the laser lense. See the warning from @RainyShadow in post below. The electric motors are typically sealed and do not require lubrication. If you come across a motor with exposed bearings, only if you think it needs lubrication, use less than one drop of oil on the tip of a sewing pin. Basically very little oil, otherwise it will leach inside and burn out the motor (old slot car maintenance tip). When swapping and testing hardware don't boot a restrictive operating system like Windows XP, it may register a hardware change and cause re-activation issues. Just boot to the BIOS, a boot menu screen, a free or less restrictive operating system or any liveCD for testing purposes. Just in case, use an undamaged CD/DVD you don't care about when testing.

Hi Drugwash, thanks for your input as always. Codestuff Starter is also very nice. Can't remember the version i trialed, my Windows 98 machine hasn't been available for a few days. I've used Wine a few times on my GNU/Linux systems, came in handy a couple years to complete tax returns. Otherwise i always prefer to run code natively on the target system. Thermometers in this house are off too by about one degree celcius, even at same level of the house. Don't know much about 'modern' computers, recently purchased a used Dell Vostro 230 for $25 CDN, not much more than a couple Big Mac meals. Build date 2011, dual core 3+ GHz, 64-bit, 3 GB RAM. Most powerful computer in the house now. None of my old hardware is compatible, it uses SATA, and everything is much newer. It now dual boots Windows XP and the latest Devuan Beowulf nicely. Dell still provides the Windows XP drivers. Don't think it would run Windows 98, never tried. Refurbished the tower. The previous owner kept it pretty clean but i still removed the motherboard to clean underneath, opened up and cleaned the power supply, removed and cleaned behind the front cover (traps lots of dust), etc. Only issue was the DVD drive failed to open, fixed by gently cleaning the rubber belt with alcohol. Apparently a common problem, lots of information online. This can be performed without dismantling the drive using angled tweezers or a dental pick. My brain shifted to CD/DVD drives, this house has 11 drives! What the heck, they will never get used up. Some CD only, some CD/DVD, some read-only, some burn. One is labelled 'Query broken' from a previous used hardware pickup. Dismantled and rebuilt what appeared to be the worst condition drive, Pioneer DVD-ROM. Never took a drive apart to this degree before, parts everywhere, lots of fun. Covers, gears and pulleys removed, etc. The belt on this drive was refurbished with glycerin, looks like new again and works like a champ. The original problem actually was that the drive wouldn't stay closed to read a disc. Upon further inspection, this was because the laser assembly was unable to fully pivot into position, so the disc wouldn't fully load, then the drive would eject it. Lots of old grease removal, added some oil, lots of cleaning. The mechanism works smoothly again and the drive runs like new. Most people can't be bothered to fix this stuff. To me if it's a hobby then it's not work. Some have the philosophy that their time is more important and what's the big deal spending a few bucks to buy a new one. To me haste makes waste. Save the planet, keep stuff running, learn something new. Driving around town buying new stuff takes time and energy too. Plus 'working for the man' to pay for all this new waste also comes with a cost.

Hi RamonUn. Sorry the new build didn't work either, will leave it alone, as long as it works for others great. Take care and thanks for your efforts.

Hi UCyborg, thanks for the video link. Never heard that song before, very entertaining. Always late for the party, CRTs and all this good old stuff still seem modern to me :) --- I don't have digital I don't have diddly squat It's not having what you want It's wanting what you've got I'm gonna soak up the sun - Sheryl Crow (Soak Up The Sun) --- Running lean is important to me for a snappy system. The usual way: lean software, minimal startup items and running processes. - Ctrl-Alt-Delete for obvious stuff - Start menu -> Programs -> StartUp - Search 'regedit' for run and runonce - Check 'msconfig' information - 3rd party (eg. CCleaner v2.29.1111 -> Tools -> Startup) Process Explorer v8.52 is launched at startup then minimized to system tray, where it displays a nice CPU usage graph with quick access to running processes. An unknown process to me, not flagged by other methods, is C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MMTASK.TSK (2 KB). This is from Microsoft, description 'Multimedia background task support module'. Killing this process, system sounds and MPlayer work fine but MIDI files now fail. So i will keep the process, it has trivial overhead and is useful. Warning, killing MMTASK.TSK resulted in MIDI playback failure even on reboot. Attempting to play MIDI from the file's Properties -> Preview resulted in the vague popup error 'MMSYSTEM001 Undefined external error'. No problem, a DOS reboot using my trusty friend 'scanreg/restore' will fix - NOT. The fix was actually easy after wasted time. Seems killing then resuming the process changed some sound settings. Control Panel -> Multimedia -> MIDI tab, changing 'single instrument' from the new default 'A: SB Live! MIDI Synth' to 'Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth' fixed the issue. Lesson learned, Windows 98 may not always handle killing processes gracefully. This put the fear in me for this beloved Windows 98 (Super Edition) install. To guard against potential future registry issues the C:\WINDOWS\SCANREG.INI entry for MaxBackupCopies was increased from 5 to 10. Trivial extra drive space is used and it may save your system from a catastrophic failure and Windows reinstall. Plus i will continue to regularly back up to other media all C:\WINDOWS\SYSBCKUP\rb00*.cab files and periodically the entire Windows install.

Thanks for the good news @creepingnet, like your setup! Updated this afternoon, runs well. The first post was edited to reflect: - New Links release - New Changelog link - Screenshot changed to hyperlink for non JavaScript users - Footnote [1] links Lynx web browser alternative

Finally got fed up with the failing power switch on the case of my primary Windows 98 system. It was dismantled and cleaned numerous times with little benefit. Lately it's been taking 5-20 attempts to get the system to power on. Getting the switch to fire electricity for one second is hard enough, when the system locks up requiring holding down the switch for 4 seconds, it's now easier to toggle the power bar. Probably not the correct name, i call these 'micro-switches', they are very small. This electical component behind the fancy plastic power on button is just a simple spring loaded switch with some cheap electrical contacts that eventually wear out. The plastic tabs of the actual switch can be pried apart using a jewelers screwdriver, then the contacts can be inspected and cleaned. The electrical leads are 'springy' and can also be gently pried out so they rub against the electrical contact a little firmer. For anyone who likes to salvage parts, most VCRs have lots of these spring loaded switches on the main board, mechanically linked to the front facing 'Play', 'Stop', 'Rewind' type buttons. The broken switch wires were cut, leaving as much wire as possible. A salvaged electrical switch from a dead popcorn maker we owned forever was re-used. This switch was stamped 'Made in Mexico' and 'May 1982'. The switch was wired together, quick solder, electrical tape. There was no appropriate screw hole for mounting to the case so precision duct tape was used. Eventually i may fabricate a proper mounting bracket. Since this is a toggle on/off switch, not a spring loaded switch, just turn the switch on for a second while the system powers up, then turn it off again manually (your finger action minimcs the spring action). This particular case was nicknamed 'skeletal' long ago. It's pretty ugly. The covers were discarded years ago. Everything is open and it breathes and cools really nice. It would be a shame to get rid of the tower just because of a broken switch. Even the power on and hard drive activity lights still work.

Thanks for your input RainyShadow. Yes too much stuff and not enough time here too. Your BMM-3111 looks very retro. FTA television is long gone here too. Shame, it helped bring the country together, especially the oldest generation. RetroBright is fascinating, never used it either. Floppy disks under the bed in 2021 - you have my nomination as geek of the year :) Just cleaned up my new (old) 15" SyncMaster CRT. The inside was clean for it's age, unlike my high use monitors. So either stored well or wasn't used much, probably explains the crisp colour and image quality. There was corrosion on the three-pronged electrical plug, carefully scraped with a utility knife and cleaned with lighter fluid, similar to cleaning the flame sensor of a gas furnace. Much better electrical contact now, previously there was an electrical arc when plugging in to a live socket. Took a minute to clean the VGA contacts too. Vacuum and dry paint brush to clean the inside, minimal dust. Remember one of my old high use televisions, which was very dusty inside, had paper manufacturer's stickers that dried up and fell to the bottom of the inside case. Thankfully they fell to the side of any heated electrical components. Interestingly there were no screws to remove the plastic cover, most monitors have four screws. Just pinch two-pronged plastic clips so the main tabs can be pushed down for the cover to slide off. I had to pry more than desired with a screwdriver on the plastic upper case tabs. This caused some plastic damage, gently filed down with a fine wood file. Just hold the file at the proper angle so the visible horizontal case surfaces don't get scratched. Plastic model maker tools or an emery stick would probably work better. Nonetheless i got a decent result, no burrs and the damage is barely visible. Quick monitor retest, still runs like new. Now i don't need to worry about excess overheating or fire hazard. Will probably never need to take it apart or clean it for the rest of my life. Switching between 15" and 19" monitors is a shock on the eyes. Makes me realize how spoiled my eyes have become. Will go back to my vision exercises. Chores around the house without glasses helps, get back to the monitor with glasses on and everything looks crisp (and large) again. Avoid using larger fonts as you age as much as possible. Most of us are now addicted to screens, remember the 20-20-20 rule.

Picked up a free CRT monitor recently. The ad provided little information other than a picture of it sitting on the ground of a dirty patio. I requested more information and the response was terse, only that it could be found in the front yard by his plow. True, he had a nice antique plow. I'm no spring chicken so yes the seller was hiding something. Well it was free, sort of on my way doing errands and my annual spring cleaning run to the recycle centre is coming up soon. So i picked it up, it was dark, the monitor was sitting on the edge of a flowerbed, it felt light. Took it home, it's only 15". Disappointed, was hoping for at least a 17" CRT. Gave the monitor a nice exterior clean and let it sit for a couple days (die COVID die). It has several scuffs on the case but the screen is immaculate. Finally tested it today, runs nice, all buttons and controls work, extremely crisp image, very good colour, no flicker. Samsung SyncMaster 550s, the default Windows 98 driver provides max resolution of 1024x768, not too shabby. Ran it in Windows and DOS. Running DOS applications in 80x25 and 80x50 is superb with Gopherus and Lynx web browser. If i live long enough this monitor will eventually sit on my desk with a new (old) PC build - my slowest hardware available running Windows 95 primarily for DOS use. I'm spoiled and have a large corner desk (back desk edges 6' x 6') with a two tiered monitor stand (6" tall central stand, two 5" tall side stands). Will set this small monitor up beside my main CRT. Will open up this monitor case later in the week and clean out the inside. Was on a real hardware cleaning kick this summer and went through all of my monitors, televisions, etc. Of note from this experience, old CRT monitors and tube televisions are definitely worth cleaning out, the deep horizontal cases and cooling slots collect a lot of dust over the years. Don't bother taking apart and cleaning more modern flat screen monitors, they are sealed quite well and do not collect dust in the same fashion.

Thanks again for the Wiby tip @Gansangriff, it was added to the RetroZilla Search Engine Collection. That awesome search engine confirmed DOS never dies, wanna play some newly developed games, pretty cool. http://www.doshaven.eu/ Finally got MPLayer's on screen display (OSD) working properly when launching videos via Cygwin-Lite (9xweb script or whatever script you create). This is using old MPlayer from SMPlayer v0.6.7 install. When launching videos via Windows the default MPlayer 'config' file pathway is C:\Program Files\SMPlayer\mplayer\mplayer\. When a Cygwin-Lite script launches MPlayer it creates a configuration directory in C:\cygwin\home\your_computer_name\mplayer\. In order to get the OSD to work (toggle letter 'o' key), copy the 'subfont.ttf' file from the SMPlayer install into Cygwin-Lite's MPlayer configuration directory. Also copy over any custom 'config' file. The configuration below is used here with both Windows and Cygwin-Lite. It is efficient, opens videos top left corner with nice OSD output (for my eyes and monitor). MPlayer 'config' file: really-quiet=TRUE framedrop=TRUE hardframedrop=TRUE geometry=0%:0% osdlevel=3 subfont-osd-scale=2.5 Performance tip: never launch SMPlayer, configure videos to use mplayer.exe directly.

The RetroZilla Search Engine Collection was updated, linked in the first post. Use whatever search engine(s) you want, easily accessible via F9 key. For day to day use DuckDuckGo-Lite is very good, efficient, nice layout, provides Zero-click info for many queries. All search engines work with JavaScript disabled though some render results better than others. Note Startpage requires an updated user agent string, install the User Agent Switcher extension and use it's Internet Explorer 7 Windows Vista user agent for example (see RetroZilla Extensions Collection). Changes: Removed Twitter legacy search as Twitter no longer provides this accessibility and full-featured Twitter can't be accessed in RetroZilla. Added Wiby 'Search Engine for the Classic Web', thanks for mentioning @Gansangriff. https://wiby.me/about/ Removed YouTube search as the site no longer displays in RetroZilla.

Thanks for your insights Gansangriff. The search engine is nifty, definitely provides some old school hits and information, very nice. For anyone who wants to test drive: https://wiby.me/ Thanks also for the Wikipedia image link, shows off all that channel stuff nicely. Windows 95 was installed briefly here many years ago but i don't recall the channel bar, must not have been memorable. Seems there are always going to be users who don't want to 'upgrade' (bloat, extra effort, don't fix what ain't broke, run old hardware/software, increased telemetry, less tweakable). This is also evident in non-Windows environments where software tends to get dumbed-down, more bloated and less configurable. Agree Microsoft loaded install CDs as much as possible, already apparent in Windows 95. I reviewed my Windows 95 install CD in some detail a while back. https://msfn.org/board/topic/177106-running-vanilla-windows-98-in-2020-and-beyond/page/31/?tab=comments#comment-1186323 Unrelated to computing but in the spirit of keeping electronics alive, wanted to share. Buttons on cordless phones, calculators and remote controls often fail to work properly after a period of time. It can usually be fixed by taking the item apart (pry plastic if no screws) and using Isopropyl alcohol to clean both the circuit board and underside of the 'silicone' (whatever it is) button contacts. If the black conductive material on the silicone pad is too worn then conductive paint can be applied. I'm too cheap and just apply aluminum foil with double-sided tape to the underside of the silicone pad buttons. Depending on the size required a hole punch gets a nice round button contact. There are lots of alternative materials available, such as copper tape or a conductive pen. Whatever you have around the house is usually easiest. The fix lasts quite a while before repeating. Almost all of my 20+ year old calculators and remote controls have required some of this maintenance and continue to perform well.

Hi RamonUn. Just reviewed your patch.txt. In a previous life i spent too much time compiling in Tiny Core. Submitted extensions were to always use either -O2 or -Os flags to ensure compatability with other systems. Noticed you're optimizing with -Ofast. This was new to me so looked it up. According to a limited documentation review, -Ofast disregards strict standards compliance and enables optimizations that are not valid for all standard-compliant programs. https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc/Optimize-Options.html Further documentation indicates 'The -fast option is unsuitable for programs intended to run on a different target than the compilation machine'. AFAIK you're compiling with MinGW on Windows Vista with different hardware than utilized here. https://northstar-www.dartmouth.edu/doc/solaris-forte/manuals/c/user_guide/cc_options.html Not knowing what configure commands you used for all of these recent MPlayer tests, just wondering if trialing -O2 instead of -Ofast may be beneficial for your next build, whenever that may be. Maybe just grasping at straws. Regardless i'll keep testing your new builds as they become available. Thanks for considering.

Thanks for reporting @roytam1 and your contributions to Windows 9x. Been patiently waiting, unfortunately no new build on github based on merged changes. Last official release is still February 2019 and a freshly downloaded installer still has the same md5sum. This RetroZilla build occasionally shows it's age with protocol errors. I will keep monitoring github or eventually just over-zip @roytam1 contributions as described earlier in the thread. Reference md5sum for February 2019 build: 9ce54791efc6f80e6b41eb3d84b9a970 retrozilla-2.2.en-US.win32.installer.exe

Might not be long before a new thread gets cluttered too or members spend more time searching for threads than actually reading posts. Hate to admit but Google still appears best for archived data. Append the domain in the query, be very specific with keywords and quote wrap words or phrases that must be present. AFAIK case is ignored (eg 'Encarta' vs 'encarta'). Example Google search (https://www.google.com) to find almost anything desired on this forum: 'Encarta' site:msfn.org