Petr

It was just IBM decision to put the BIOS to specific chip. CP/M 2.2, the predecessor of MS-DOS, has it's own BIOS loaded to RAM. Even earlier BIOSes support 137GB+ disks, I have BIOS dated 04/15/2002 in my GA-6OXE motherboard and it fully supports them, and I remember that it was not the first BIOS with 137GB+ support. Petr

Does anybody know any details regarding this fix? Is there any webpage with dscription? Is the author known? Is this the fix that was present in older versions of SESP? It means change from 81,FF,00,04,73,06,BE,04,00,E9,E7,FD,50,32,C0,86,06,5C,0F,0A,C0,58,74,EE,80,0E to: 81,FF,00,03,73,06,BE,04,00,E9,E7,FD,50,32,C0,86,06,5C,0F,0A,C0,58,90,90,80,0E or in assembler form: MOV SI,4 -> MOV SI,3 ..... JZ $-10 -> NOP, NOP What it exactly does? Petr

Just few comments - as I already mentioned, the correct copyright and license should be included for all programs. I think attrib.exe can be removed now, but find has the following license and copyright: FreeDOS Find, version 2.9 GNU GPL - copyright 1994-2002 Jim Hall <jhall@freedos.org> copyright 2003 Eric Auer <eric@coli.uni-sb.de> GNU GPL software has strict requirements regarding adding the license and distributing the source code. You also propose to add FDISK and FORMAT from FreeDOS, it is the same with them. And I already wrote that it may not be the best idea to owerwrite original Microsoft tools - they have cosmetical bugs, but are rather complex. Petr

Small bugfix: http://rapidshare.de/files/2723154/fesp201en-a2.exe.html SFV: 4DE59716 MD5: 0abf6d68a3582af75072481a1395c2c3 Changes: - negotiat.dll added - powercfg.cpl removed - kswdmcap.ax, joyhid.vxd, msmouse.vxd 1024 -> 1056 - esdi_506.98G removed - mqrt.dll from SDK folder removed - explorer without "Second Edition banner" - use HKLM,%KEY_RENAME%\IO.SYS,,,%30% - explorer.exe from ie4.01sp2 - wbemprox.dll update added - atl.dll 1028 -> 1056 - small correction of KB article numbers in SPUPDATE.INF Petr

Hi MDGX, I suppose it is too soon to sent this alpha version to the general public. I need more test results before this. Too many files are updated, not the same as in SE package. Petr

Q896358, Q888113 installs if SHDOCVW.DLL is version 5.50.4807.2300 and newer - i.e. IE 5.5SP2+ Q323255 contains HTML Help 1.4 (5.2.3644.0) and will install for SHDOCVW 5.0.2014.213 and newer, i.e. IE 5.0 (no SP) and newer. Q811630 contains updated HTML Help 1.4 (5.2.3735.0) and will install for SHDOCVW 5.0.2014.213 and newer, i.e. IE 5.0 (no SP) and newer. Q896358 contains HTML Help 1.41 (5.2.3790.309) and will install for SHDOCVW 5.50.4807.2300 and newer, i.e. IE 5.5 SP2 and newer. These are restrictions in the iexpress packages, but what is the reality? I also don't know how to verify Q891781 DHTMLED.DLL 6.1.0.9231 functionality with older versions of IE, iexpress package will install if BROWSEUI.DLL version is between 5.0.2014.200 and 6.0.2900.0, i.e. IE 5.0 (no SP) to IE 6.0 SP2. But will it work with IE4? And is it important? And how to verify Q888113 HLINK.DLL 5.2.3790.227 functionality? Q835732 - it is backported patch from NT Workstation 4.0, in the system requirements, mentioned in MS04-011, there is no information about Internet Explorer version. Is there any way how to verify the functionlity of updated files? In fact, I think IE4 is useless today anyway. It would mean much work with unknown result. As of FESP, I'm sure I won't do it. Several days I have put FESP to rapidshare and now there are 3 (!) downloads only - you, MDGx and maybe Gape. I suppose to fix the biggest problems and leave FESP as it is. Right, therefore all files are upgraded to Q323455 version. Maybe I should add also negotiat.dll, it is not in W98 bas install but if anybody has installed the old W2K client, it would be updated from 5.0.2195.1 to 5.0.2195.4784.Petr

From my point of view, BIOS a piece of software put into the flash chip or EPROM or ROM chip. I think we understand each other. There are other possibilities how to use the disk and even boot from it. I took 200GB HDD, put it as a secondary disk into 10 years old PC and it was correctly detected by ESD_506.PDR. It is always software - BIOS on the motherboard, BIOS on an add-on card, software BIOS, dynamic disk overlay, dos drivers, windows drivers, etc. Yes, but I suppose they are gone already.Petr

This is the file from http://ftp.mdgx.com/files/Q242941.EXE . Do you have any other? Petr

It's not hardware problem, you can use 137GB+ disks with any IDE controller since its's invention more than 10 years ago. It's really just software problem, please read my post in 137GB limit - ESDI_506.PDR and other limits thread. BIOS is also software :-) Award BIOS on my GA-6OXE-1 motherboard with i815EP chipset supports 137GB+ and it was produced in the first half of 2001. ESDI_506.PDR patch is all you need for your box made in 2001+ to let Windows 98 SE fully support 137GB+ disks - but just in case you don't have specific IDE controller drivers like Intel Application Accelerator for your board, in that case you need nothing. There will be some cosmetic errors with some tools, and partition size limited to 136GB if you want to use DEFRAG and Windows SCANDISK (It's memory allocation problem). But you can use any other tools e.g. from Symantec. Petr

Apart from Taskinfo which is shareware I can't recall any serious free Task/Process manager candidate (PrcView, Current Process or Process Explorer) that displays memory use, but almost any resident memory manager (without which in my opinion no 9x system can be run satisfactorily) will display memory use in the tray. PS : CoralSoft's Win9x/ME Task Manager (A free clone of Win 2000 Task Manager) does display memory use in the performance tab but is my opinion too poorly featured as it does not allow setting process priorities, it does not allow to view modules loaded by processes and it does not allow to dump any information to file. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I have bought Performance 95 7 years ago and it displays memory usage for each process but it is not free - and also rather old now. What do you mean by "resident memory manager"? I use none and had never problem with W98SE? Petr

Unfortunately it does not show memory usage. Petr

So I have checked internal timestamp of the files4.10.2000 (Q266772): 396BA333h -> 07/12/2000 00:44:03 4.10.2228 (Q266772): 395CAC8Ch -> 06/30/2000 16:19:56 4.10.2177 (dcom98): 36FC8E56h -> 03/27/1999 08:52:54 4.10.2177 and 4.10.2000 have exactly the same exports and imports, 4.10.2228 has 3 new exports: DecryptMessage EncryptMessage SspiLogonUserA These functions are not used by any other module. There is an interesting MSKB article 286261 - Conflicts between the Active Directory Client Extension and Windows 98 hotfix files. I will keep 4.10.2228 in the FESP. Yes, powercfg.cpl needsfunctions unsupported in FE versions:batmeter,dll: DestroyBatmeter pwrprof.dll: GetCurrentPowerPolicies Do you think that it safe to keep in fesp just the desk.cpl? I suppose it could be OK.

You are right that it works but it is available on Win98SE CD-ROM only - it would mean Win98SE license. Petr

Requuest for opinion: Q266772 contains: Date Time Version Size File name Platform ------------------------------------------------------------------ 7/11/2000 2:44pm 4.10.2000 25,600 Secur32.dll Windows 98 6/30/2000 6:19am 4.10.2228 59,904 Secur32.dll Windows 98 Second Edition Directory Services Client Update for Windows 98 contains just the 4.10.2228 version that is installed both on Standard and Second Edition. So what should be in the FESP - 4.10.2000 (with newer date) or 4.10.2228? Petr

Hi MDGx, OK, I will add ,32 not to show the dialog. It is installed by Y2kw98_2 update, maybe I could omit it. Thank you, my mistake, I think I will keep the original bitmap showing "Windows 98" only. I used this patched version just for compatibility with Gapes's SESP, I suppose it will be changed in the next release. Downloaded, thanks. Thank you for your review. Petr

... continuation Did I miss something? There are many registry entries in this patch, and in case of first edition, not all of them are present already. Please check 835732rg.inf file in fesp201en package, this is complete list. I recommend fesp201en or 98fesp201en.exe. I already used it :-)Thank you for your opinions. Petr

Whole update or just one file... What's the matter? I'm not sure what is better. Jet35sp3.exe installs more files - are they needed? And what if Office 95/97/2K/XP or other software is installed on the system? Could you check this link ? Hard to say. Selection of the right ASPI layer seems to be some kind of magic. Please, don't forget that bigger registry causes slower Win98. Maybe a few WinUpdate registries should not affect the system much, but generally Win98 users has low CPU and RAM resources. I will test the registry size difference but I think it will be below 1%.... BTW, more serious may be low resources for big font files - but I have no idea if it really is. Don't agree. Because if a program uses it (i.e. MSN Messenger), SP will update the Unicode Layer to the latest version. Yes, it this case it has sense. Agree. But, SE SP has complete packages, too. There seems to be some small differences, I don't know if they are important or not. Just try to install these packages over the SESP and you will see some differences. Again, I don't know if they are important.Petr

So here is the first test version of the Unofficial Service Pack 2.0.1 for Windows 98 Standard Edition (4.10.1999): Please keep in mind - this is the first published version, it has to be tested in all possible configurations - by you :-) Rapidshare: fesp201en-a1.exe MD5 Checksum: 09dbeac005e1105be90f19e015867939 SFV Checksum: 4A6C9110 Known install problem: Installer asks for location of Mrqt.dll file - just press enter, it will find it. Does any INF guru know where could be the problem? The same file is listed in two Copy sections, the first is OK, but in the second not? General characterstics: 1. This SP is based on Gape's SP 2.0.1 for SE. 2. Contains all available (to me) updates and hotfixes for Windows 98 Standard Edition including IE/OE4.01SP1 3. Added Windows Update Engine/Client 5.3.3790.13 4. Added updated fonts 5. New hotfixes common with SE: Q240896, Q896358, Q323708, Q314941, 6. Updated Jpegim32.flt, Html32.cnv, Msconv97.dll, Mswrd832.cnv, Mswrd632.wpc 7. Uninstall almost broken, similar to SESP. 8. Semi-slipstreaming should work, not tested 9. Preserving should work 10. Tested on W98 fresh install, W98+IE5.5SP2 and W98+IE6.0SP1, system appears to be functional. 11. I sure fogot something important :-) Please test and let me know, it could be possible that some hotfixes cannot be used for all possible configurations. Any success / failure reports are welcome. Petr

Hi Krick, I'm sorry, I have no experience with this. Long time ago we had Intel Zappa boards with this limitation and we've solved it by buying Mr.BIOS replacement BIOS - see http://www.mrbios.com/ . Petr

Does anybody know how to make very long list of "CopyFiles" in INF files? If I make very long line like: [DefaultInstall] SmartReboot = N CustomDestination = CustomDestination.Section CopyFiles = Copy.Boot,Copy.Cab, Copy.Command, Copy.EBD, Copy.Font, Copy.Grphflt, Copy.Grphflt2, Copy.Help, Copy.HT, Copy.Inf, Copy.IOSubSys, Copy.Machine, Copy.Media, Copy.MSADC, Copy.MSDA, Copy.msinfo, Copy.MUI, Copy.System, Copy.System32, Copy.SysBckup, Copy.TC, Copy.Triedit, Copy.Tvviewer, Copy.VMM32, Copy.KB891711(white spaces added not to break msfn page layout) I will get rundll/advack crash. Is there any known length limit? How to avoid this? I have only one idea - to chain 2 INF files, not very nice. Petr

I'm about to finish the very first alpha version and I'm still not certain what to add and what not. Here is the list with my current view: 1. Add new TTF fonts with Euro currency sign? YES 2. Add newest TTF fonts from 2K3/XP servicepacks? YES 3. Add Q272620/Q272621 sysdm.cpl 4.10.2224? YES The 272621USA8.EXE package has TargetWin9xVersion=4.10.2222, but it is recommended by Microsoft as for Standard version too, the download locations are: http://hotfixv4.microsoft.com/Windows 98/nosp/PKG11846/04.10.00.2224/free/5263_CSY_i386_zip.exe http://hotfixv4.microsoft.com/Windows 98 Second Edition/nosp/PKG11846/04.10.00.2224/free/7337_ENU_i386_zip.exe (files are password protected) Q272620 KB article applies to Microsoft Windows 98 Standard Edition too. 4. Add Q258680 desk.cpl 4.72.3717.300 and powercfg.cpl 5.0.3103.1000? YES KB article applies to Microsoft Windows 98 Standard Edition too, download location is http://hotfixv4.microsoft.com/Windows 98/nosp/PKG6586/04.10.00.2223/free/6611_ENU_i386_zip.exe but the 258680USA8.EXE package has TargetWin9xVersion=4.10.2222. 5. Add unimodem.vxd 4.10.2012 and unimdm.tsp 4.10.2016 from IBM supplied package? YES This fix is for users with Windows 98 in APM mode on the following systems: - ThinkPad 760C, 760CD, 760E, 760ED, 760XD, 765D with the Mwave chipset - ThinkPad 600, 600E, 770, 770ED, 770X with the internal ACP Modem Is this fix harmless for all other coputers? 6. What vfw update to install? There are two: Q192112 with file versions 4.10.2043 vfwupd.exe with file versions 4.10.2000 4.10.2000 files are more recent and also seems to contain more funcionality. I vote for 4.10.2000 7. Add just only one file from Jet35sp3.exe (msjet35.dll) or the wohole update? So far I added just one file 8. Add Recommended update: Active Accessibility 1.2? Not sure yet. 9. Add Recommended update: Registration Wizard update? Not sure yet. 10. Add Recommended update: Critical Update Notification 4.0? Not sure yet. 11. Add Recommended update: Euro Conversion Tool? Not sure yet. 12. Add Internet&Multimedia update: Agent 2.0? Probably not. 13. Add Direct X 9.0c? NO 14. Add .NET Framework 1.1? NO 15. Add Windows XP skin? Probably no. 16. Add WBEM 1.5? Probably no. 17. Add Directory Services Client? Probably no. 18. Add Remote Desktop Connection client? Probably no. Apparently needs XP license. 19. Add Windows XP ICS client? No, apparently license problem. 20. Add MS Virtual Machine rev. 3810 update? Probably no, depending on Gape. 21. Add security updates for Internet Explorer and Outlook Express 5.5SP2 and/or 6.0SP1: NO 22. Add security updates for Internet Explorer and Outlook Express 4.01SP1 (Windows 98 component): YES 23. Replace Adaptec ASPI 4.60 by ASPI 4.71.2? Probably good idea, 4.60 is recommended ASPI layer for Windows 95 only. 24. Add so-called msinfo registry entries for fixes that are not required by Windows Update? I suppose YES but I'm not sure if there is any situation when they are needed. 25. Add QFECheck registry entries? I suppose YES but not sure in which way, whether every fix separated or one big entry for all files. This is good to see whwther any componet got accidently overwritten by older version or not. 26. Add The Microsoft® Layer for Unicode™? Probably no, it seems to be useless alone. 27. Add complete vcredist.exe package from Visual Studio 6.0 SP5? YES 28. Add complete Visual Basic 5.0 Run-time Files? YES 29. Add complete Visual Basic 6.0 SP5 Run-Time Redistribution Pack? YES 30. Add complete Dial-Up Networking 1.4 package? YES 31. Add complete DCOM98 1.3 package? YES 32. Import all relevant registry entries from KB835732 patch fror NT4? YES 33. Add Jet 4.0 SP8 Database Engine? NO 34. 34. Add MDAC 2.8 SP1? NO 35. Add MSXML 2, 3, 4 updates? Probably NO 36. NUSB 2.2? NO, ME files. 37. USBMSD driver? NO, not many devices supported. 38. RKS (Polish sesp version)? Don't know. 39. NTFS Read Support (NL sesp)? Don't know 40. 137GB patch? NO, none free available 41. FDISK and FORMAT with better big disk support? None suitable found yet. 42. GUI Scandisk + Sefeag with 137GB+ support? None suitable found yet. 43. Add Microsoft Media Player patches? NO 44. Add some other Power Toys from Microsoft? And are they freely available? And useful? 45. Add patched UPDATE.SYS for newer processors? NO, 4.10.1998 version has space for 6 micocodes only. 46. Add Microsoft Global IME 5.02? NO, too big. 47. Add DiamondCS WNetEnumCachedPasswords Lock Patch? Any opinion? 48. Accelerator keys patch for Notepad? Good for those who don't like Metapad. Will see. 49. What about to add an Internet shortcut on the desktop pointing to list of useful software for Windows 98? What should be there? What unified name to use for Windows 4.10.1998 and the Service Pack? There are several variants: Windows 98: Not specific enough. Windows 98 Standard Edition: May be easily confused with Second Edition, SE abbreviation cannot be used. Windows 98 Gold: Used by Mirosoft Internally, probably not well known. Windows 98 First Edition: Absolutely Unofficial. And what name for the package? Second Edition has sesp201en, this could be sp201en, gsp201en, fesp201en.... ? I always supposed this SP to be close realtive to sesp, as close as possible, so many decision will depend on Gape too. Please let me know your suggestions. Petr

And just to add how it appears to be with the TargetFileVersion directive: Example is: TargetFileVersion=#A\IEXPLORE.EXE:4.70.0.1155-:%BrowserWarn%:OK #A means probably application #S means system file (located in %windir%\system) Maybe ther are other possibilities, I don't know. For version number(s) it the same as for TargetWin9xVersion, but versipn has 4 parts, i.e. it can look like: TargetFileVersion=#A\APPLICATION.EXE:1.2.3.4-3.4.5.6,5.6.7.8-6.7.8.9:%AppWarning%:OK I'm still not sure what means the "OK" at the end and what are other possibilities. BTW, some coder could write very simple tool that would just show the required OS version and FileVersion for given iexpress package. FileVersions are coded as 4 words (8 bytes total) is the following sequence: For version a.b.c.d the order in the file is b,a,d,c,, no limit = FFFFFFFF OSVersions are coded as 3 doublewords (12 bytes total) ordered naturally, no limit is FFFFFFFFFFFF. Petr

The problem is in the web server where these files are located - it declare them as text files and therefore some browsers change Unix <lf> to DOS <cr><lf> sequence. Here is the header sent by the server: C:\>graburl -h http://www.psilocybindreams.com/WIN98SELOGOS.rar HTTP/1.1 200 OK Date: Sun, 26 Jun 2005 16:24:28 GMT Server: Apache/1.3.33 (Unix) mod_auth_passthrough/1.8 mod_log_bytes/1.2 mod_bwlimited/1.4 PHP/4.3.9 FrontPage/5.0.2.2634a mod_ssl/2.8.22 OpenSSL/0.9.7a Last-Modified: Tue, 21 Jun 2005 23:14:00 GMT ETag: "664cf3-1e90a-42b89f38" Accept-Ranges: bytes Content-Length: 125194 Connection: close Content-Type: text/plainYou will probably see that the size of the file on your disk is bigger than 125194 bytes. What the server owner should do: If rar file type is not listed, then use default binary file type in config file - it is line: DefaultType application/octet-stream or better to add the rar file type to the list of know types, usualy it is /etc/mime.types configuration file. There is no standard for it, but here is what is sent by rarlab website: C:\>graburl -h http://files10.rarlab.com/rar/WinRAR_Jr_32x32.1_01.theme.rar HTTP/1.1 200 OK Date: Sun, 26 Jun 2005 16:09:08 GMT Server: Apache/1.3.22 (Unix) (Red-Hat/Linux) mod_jk/1.2.0 mod_perl/1.24_01 PHP/ 4.2.2 FrontPage/5.0.2 mod_ssl/2.8.5 OpenSSL/0.9.6b Last-Modified: Sat, 09 Apr 2005 10:17:00 GMT ETag: "625090-1b78e-4257ab9c" Accept-Ranges: bytes Content-Length: 112526 Connection: close Content-Type: application/x-rar-compressed What you can do: Try what browser/download manager does not change the file, my favourite command line tool is wget, it is originally for linux and Windows port is here: http://xoomer.virgilio.it/hherold/ . If you want to check what headers are sent by the server, very simple tool is graburl (output shown above), the original webpage http://www.kiraly.com/software/utilities/graburl is being reworked but you can download it here: http://www.cmdtools.com/files/graburl.zip Petr

Elementary, my dear Watson. Some deductive works and tests and here is the result: TargetWin9xVersion=aa.bb.cc-dd.ee.ff,gg.hh.ii-jj.kk.ll it means from version aa.bb.cc to version dd.ee.ff and from version gg.hh.ii to version jj.kk.ll. Can be simplified as TargetWin9xVersion=aa.bb.cc,gg.hh.ii (it means just versions aa.bb.cc and gg.hh.ii) TargetWin9xVersion=aa.bb.cc-dd.ee.ff (it means versions between aa.bb.cc and dd.ee.ff) TargetWin9xVersion=0 means version 0 only => never wil install on W9x TargetWin9xVersion= or no line at all: will install always on W9x TargetWin9xVersion=4.10.1998- means 4.10.1998 and above TargetWin9xVersion=4.10.1998 is the same as TargetWin9xVersion=4.10.1998-4.10.1998 Commonly used version ranges by Microsoft: TargetWin9xVersion=4.0.950-4.0.1212 - Windows 95 TargetWin9xVersion=4.10.1998-4.10.2222 - Windows 98 TargetWin9xVersion=4.90.3000 - Windows ME the same for TargetNTVersion Is anybody able to test it? Petr

OK, but what does exactly mean "better"? Are there any flaws in 4.10.2222 version? I'm now working on FE SP and there is setupx.dll version 4.10.2000 in Service Pack 1, this SP uses preserve mechanism too so I'd like to know if it is necessary to test or to avoid something. Petr