alexanrs

What are you using to render the graphics? GDI+? If so, I believe it has good rotation functions. You could just have a PNG with the horizontal arrows and rotate from there.

I beg to differ... The fact that there is no toolbars in the taskbar (like the QuickLaunch toolbar) annoys the hell out of me.

Have you tried other caching software? Perhaps you'll get better results with UIDE (search for it as UDMA on www.freedos.org, the alternate site might still have it, since it has been removed from the main page) or something like that. Notice that UIDE is also a CD/DVD driver, as far as I remember, so you should remove OAKCDROM.SYS from config.sys if you decide to try. (Btw, why are you using MSCDEX.EXE? Doesn't the Windows ATAPI driver override that? Besides, wouldn't using SHSUCDX be better, conventional memory-wise?)

I must admit, though, that the color schemes are nice. There is this "eXperience Blue" scheme that I saved to a .REG file and use it untill today, even on Windows XP (I like the classic interface better than skins)

RP is MUCH more advanced than this pack (I used it way back in the past, but I read the changelog before posting), here is a list of disadvantages: No skinning No 32-bit alpha blended icons support XP icons instead of Vista ones (this depends on personal taste, though both look HORRIBLE without support for 32-bit alpha blended icons) Explorer/IE toolbar images are not modified and more...

Actually, Win3.11 is a bit out of question, since it doesn't even support Win32 out of the box and even Win32s won't be enough for most libraries and such.

Probably not. If you can, boot using a Win98 boot disk and the delete the Windows folder, then, using the same boot disk, install. This should be better. Also, if I were you, I'd find a linux live CD and use it to back your data up.

Do some research about MSDOS cdrom drivers, shouldn't be hard, and install one (try searching for VIDE-CDD.SYS). Then boot to the Command Prompt Only, and type "win /d:m" and Windows should start in safe mode, but with the DOS CD-ROM drivers loaded.

Several developers have more expertise on determined areas. Perhaps most of them have more knowledge of kernel-related stuff? Or perhaps they just find programming the kernel more interesting? I'm a hobbyist programmer (but nowhere near their level) and I know how desmotivating it is to program something you are not thrilled about. I'm not a lawyer or anything, but wouldn't that be illegal? Even if it isn't, the ROS team seems obsessed about securing ROS legally, to the point I've seen discussions about whether using FAT is legal or not in their forums. Yeah, and I doubt any of them has a backup of the old Free95 project. True

Have you tried finishing the setup in safe mode? I never tried myself but I think that it might work.

Then, besides coding the whole OS itself, the few programmers in the project would also have to code drivers for just about everything? I think they'll just use NTFS3G to create the FS driver when they decide to work on this. Giving the fact that its compatibility with Win32 software and drivers isn't quite there, I don't see this as a big loss. That is the problem: if it becomes more popular, tons of "n00bs" might start using it just for the heck of it and then complain in the forums that "ROS did't run program X! It is a piece of ****!!!!!!!" because they do not seem to understand the concept of alpha software. Of course, many people would be smart enough to understand this, but those "n00bs" alone would probably annoy the hell out of the developers and desmotivate them, possibly slowing down ROS' development. Interesting, didn't know that. Yup, the problem is getting them to work (well) in ROS right now.

The best way to learn is doing it. Start by learning how to create a simple application with a window that closes and start evolving from there. Btw, here are a few tips in accomplishing that first program: Register a window class with RegisterClassEx(...) Make sure the main window's class procedure calls "PostQuitMessage()" when destroyed Create the window with CreateWindowEx(...) Create a loop that keeps getting messages and dispatching them. Take a look here, there is an example in that page and some nice information. If your compiler doesn't ship with Win32 help files (I know Delphi, C++ Builder and Borland C++ 5.0 do), you might want to keep that MSDN site in mind. Hope this helps

True, although ReactOS also borrows tons of code from WINE. Honestly, I agree with them. Whithout good driver support ReactOS will never be stable and fast, specially when it comes to gaming. Also, file systems are implemented via drivers, so without a good driver support, it might get complicated to implement something as complex as NTFS. Also, with NTFS they would have to start dealing with complicated stuff like implementing security, multiple user accouts and so on. The problems is, most people seem not to understand the concept of beta software, they install it and then expect it to run well. If ReactOS was more widespread, I think it would get a bad reputation due its instability and compatibility issues.

Well, they are developing an OS based on NT and, unfortunately, they have a point. It took ReactOS a great amount of time to get where it is now, and they still alpha. By the time an OpenSource Win9x clone managed to do anything useful without any binaries from Microsoft, finding 9x drivers for anything would be a nightmare as horrible as it is to find WfW 3.11 drivers nowadays. Not only that, Win32 would probably be obsolete by then and most newer Windows software would have 64-bit versions only, and there is no miracle that would make them run, AFAIK.

Nope: "GDI+ is a new graphics subsystem for Windows and provides a new set of graphics APIs for rendering 2D graphics, images, and text. GDI+ is the only API for drawing in the .NET Framework, but in Delphi it is a complement to the current GDI to provide more advanced rendering capabilities." Take a look here: http://www.progdigy.com/modules.php?name=gdiplus http://lummie.co.uk/?page_id=13

Perhaps using gdiplus would make things easier?

Can't the video recording software just split the file? I know some video editing tools like VirtualDub are, and I think VirtualDub is also capable of capturing video.

Unpatched command.com/io.sys will start win.com instead of wll.com, so no, it can't be used. What you can try doing is to open these files (after backing them up and creating a bootdisk, of course) in a Hexadecimal Editor and replace every instance of "WIN.COM" with "WLL.COM" and test.

Try uninstalling your graphics card's drivers and see if you still have problems. If it still crashes, try uninstalling the sound card's drivers and keep testing.

Or you could restart the system in safe mode and defragment it from there.

GeForce 6-series still supports NT4, AFAIK, but 7 and above do not, but who knows? Windows 9x can use 8-series boards through one of NVIDIA's drivers with modified INFs... Btw, if everything fails: VBEMP x86 Project - Universal VESA/VBE Video Display Driver for Windows NT-family operating systems

Without UDF.VXD you'll probably have issues with UDF-formatted CDs/DVDs Without VFAT.VXD you'll probably lose file caching, slowing the system down QEMMFIX.VXD is probably unnecessary, since it is probably related to the DOS 3rd part memory manager QEMM Without VMOUSE.VXD something must happed to the mouse, and since you stated the system works perfectly I'll assume it is responsible for something like mouse for DOS boxes Without VCOMM.VXD I assume your COM ports won't work or something like that (at least not being able to access the in DOS boxes?)

It is not meant to show anything, because the disk is blank. Also, since Win9x doesn't have built in CD/DVD burning, you'll have to use 3rd-part software for that. Just FYI, the size limit applies to files only, not CDs/DVDs or anything like that

Edit SYSTEM.INI to limit your memory to something like 512Mb (MaxPhysPage=20000 under [386Enh]), install all updates, patches (including this ) and then try removing that line. You'll probably need to keep playing with SYSTEM.INI for your system to work properly again.

AFAIK, you could extract the INFs you need to modify from the CABs, edit them to include references to your drivers and new files, save it (in the install folder) and copy everything there. It is not exaclty trivial and you'll face problems slipstreaming IE, MP and others, which would probably deny you the possibility of slipstreaming the Unnoficial Service Pack (I think it requires IE 5.5, at least) but it is the only way I know. Honestly, if I were you, I'd just burn a CD with the Windows 98 setup in its folder (Win9x), and then, in another folder, copy everything you wish (Auto-Patcher, IE, MP, drivers, etc.) and install everything manually whenever needed.