Alright when I double click on mabinogi I get to the start up screen. When I click game start it says error starting program and says The EXL.DLL file is linked to missing export SHELL32.DLL:SHCreateDirectoryExW. Even if you don't play or know anything about mabinogi please try to give me a solution. I don't think it is mabinogi's problem it might be my computer. My OS is Windows 98 and I have all of the system requirements. Windows 98 is alright to play mabinogi with. So please tell me how I can get rid of this error. Thank you. Oh wait I almost forgot I have the SHELL32.DLL and EXL.DLL files on my computer.

Edited June 3, 200818 yr by slangdriver4

looks like you've asked this on multiple boards, but I'll bite. It's saying that their .dll file, exl.dll, is attempting to use an API that is exported by shell32.dll (SHCreateDirectoryExW) and that the .dll doesn't seem to have this export. According to the MSDN page for this API, it seems this wasn't introduced until Windows ME and Windows 2000.

So their claim of Win98 support is bogus, because the API they call was not introduced in Windows 98 (as a matter of fact, most "wide" functions, ending in W, were not as per this KB article).

So there is no other way to get that API for shell32 besides getting Windows ME or Windows 2000? Because I found shell32 version 4.72.3812.655 and its copyright is Microsoft Corp 1981-2008. So that means that version was made in 2008. So would that API be in shell32 version 4.72.3812.655? The shell32 currently installed on my computer is copyright Microsoft Corp 1981-1997 and that is version 4.72.3812.600. If I replace version 4.72.3812.600 with version 4.72.3812.655 that I will be able to play the game? Oh and please tell me how to replace shell32. Thank you. Oh wait version 4.72.3812.655 is compatible with Windows 98.

So there is no other way to get that API for shell32 besides getting Windows ME or Windows 2000? Because I found shell32 version 4.72.3812.655 and its copyright is Microsoft Corp 1981-2008. So that means that version was made in 2008.

No, MSDN specifically says it was introduced in version 5.0 of shell32. Doesn't matter the year, those are version 4.x, so it's not gonna be in there.

is there anyway to download the API instead of getting a new version of shell32 or any other way? Besides getting a different OS?

what about Shlwapi.dll? Are they the same? There is a version 5.0 of that. Oh can you answer both of my posts please?

Alright to play this game i needed a shell32 version 5.0 or over. The version that my system is currently using is version 4.72.3812.600. I used rp7 to get shell32 version 5.50.4134.127. The thing is, I cannot get my computer to start using the latest version instead of the old version. I tried to delete version 4.72.3812.600 and it said cannot delete shell32: The specified file is being used by Windows. Please give me a way to for me to replace shell32 version 4.72.3812.600 with version 5.50.4134.127. Remember my OS is Windows 98 SE so don't give me a solution for any other OS's. If you can try to give me the easiest way to replace it. Don't give me a solution that involves having to put some disk in my computer. Thank you.

I don't know, honestly. I'm running Vista, and I haven't ever tried to hack in 5.x versions of .dll files on Win98. I have no experience in this, although we probably do have people in the Win9x forums that do.

Edited June 5, 200818 yr by cluberti
Merging posts and moving to more appropriate forum

there is an updated version made by members of this forum see this thread

http://www.msfn.org/board/KernelEx-v034-released-t71476.html

you can download the latest stable release from this website http://x86.neostrada.pl/KernelEx/

this kernel should support the SHELL32.DLL:SHCreateDirectoryExW function.

Well.... can someone actually tell me how to replace shell32 with a higher version of it? It always says it is being used by Windows or something. I have a version over 5.0 it's just that I don't know how to replace the older version with that.

Edited June 6, 200818 yr by slangdriver4

If i'm correct, that shell32.dll is updates by the unofficial service pack from these boards. Additionally, you might want to install the KernelEX project as it patches in unicode API's into some files.

Long ago, mabinogi worked just fine for me really back when I was playing on the JP servers before it went international.

Edited June 6, 200818 yr by Chozo4

kernelex isn't working that well for me. I used rp7 to get a shell32 version that was over version 5.0. Now I just need to get Windows to start using the new shell32 rather than the old one. And it will work for sure. I just don't know how to replace the old one with a new one. Can anyone give me a step by step process on how to do this?

Edited June 6, 200818 yr by slangdriver4

Look into tryin' 98SE2ME and Kex0.3.4 as it adds more WinME and 2000 files to 98SE;and it works better for simplest solution rather than RP7 issues with Kex0.3.4

kernelex isn't working that well for me. I used rp7 to get a shell32 version that was over version 5.0. Now I just need to get Windows to start using the new shell32 rather than the old one. And it will work for sure. I just don't know how to replace the old one with a new one. Can anyone give me a step by step process on how to do this?

The easiest way I can see this being done is to have your shell32 you want to use somehwere such as C:\replace.

Then goto start -> run -> sfc-> select 'extract file from installation disk' and type in 'shell32.dll'

and click start. In the restore from path, enter C:\replace and save file in C:\windows\system . it may then ask if you want to make a backup, go ahead and do so. Then OK. It will likely ask you to restart to apply the changes so do so.

The version that my system is currently using is version 4.72.3812.600. I used rp7 to get shell32 version 5.50.4134.127.

What do you mean by "used RP7", Slangdriver4? If you have installed RP7, then Shell32 version 5.50.4134.127 must have already been available in the System folder for you to use. If you haven't installed RP7, just getting the new Shell32 from the extraction and wanting to replace the old one with it, I don't think it will work. I mean after you replace it, maybe your computer can't boot at all.

As for replacing a file that is running, try CopyLock (if you are an advanced user).

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/copylock.html