(Request) CJK filename support under English win98SE...

[Joseph_sw]

i'm a English win98SE user.

1. on my system, i can create a directory succesfuly with name like this:
   ティンクルベル
   or the ansi equivalent:
   ƒeƒBƒ“ƒNƒ‹ƒxƒ‹
   ...
   
2. however when i tried to create a directory like this, it would be failed:
   巫女一番-麻雀編-インテグラル
   or the ansi equivalent:
   ›Þ—ˆê”Ô-–ƒ•Ò-ƒCƒ“ƒeƒOƒ‰ƒ‹
   

above are example of what installer, archiver, torrent downloader, or other application would do.

sometime it met with success as #1 example,

but most of the time, it will failed as #2, and the whole process become incomplete and failed.

i wonder if there any patch / (un-official) service pack to fully enable the Far East Character (China, Japan, Korea) for usages into filenames / directories on English win98SE?

UPDATE #1:

i just checked wether certain (high) ansi character can be accepted as filename or not.

The result as follow:

english win98SE rejects directories or filenames creation/changing if it contain folowing chracter keystroke (from character map):

• Alt+0129
  
• Alt+0141
  
• Alt+0142
  
• Alt+0143
  
• Alt+0144
  
• Alt+0157
  
• Alt+0158
  

the test was done by copying a character from character map, then tried to rename a file/directory with it using windows explorer, character from Alt+0128 to Alt+0255 were tested throughly.

I also tried by saving a new file using such character (from mspaint, notepad, word, etc...). The result was perfectly the same.

modifed image from ChracterMap.exe:

character marked with red were denied, while other character was accepted.

which module that define such behaviour on English win98SE?

is it possible to patch/fix it?

UPDATE #2:

today i decided to do another test about restricted (high) ansi character, using example above.

if i not allowed create file/directory with name using that characters from windows,

what-if i directly (low-level) rename it?

reboot into dos mode, start-up DISKEDIT.EXE, editing the LFN so it'll contain troubled character, finally i come up with this:

• 
  or if viewed without any C.J.K viewer apps:
  
  

so far seems good, but when i tried to double click it this message pop-up:

• 
  or, if viewed with any C.J.K viewer apps:
  
  

if i tried to delete it on explorer, it will complain with:

Cannot delete file:  File system error (1026)

i can still delete it via command prompt using it 8.3 filename though.

why can't english win98SE use that characters in file name?

is there something special about it?

i believe if that characters can be enabled for usages in filename,

that might the key to fully enable the Far East Asian filename supports for english win98 SE.

any help on this matter would be very appreciated.

Edited October 20, 2008 by Joseph_sw

[Drugwash]

こんにちは！

Briefly put, Asian characters are represented by 2 to 4 ASCII characters (so-called WideChars). An English 9x OS is not designed to manage these WideChars throughout; the most one can have is using such characters in web content, helped by CJK translation/helper applications (personally I use JWPce).

To fully understand the depths of the matter, you will have to get documented about the ANSI vs. Unicode differences. Personally I'd be pleased if WideChars could seamlessly be used throughout the 9x OS family, however I strongly doubt anyone would have the time and will to completely overhaul the system.

[Joseph_sw]

i'm understand about wide character, however theres problem with english win98SE system.

to demonstrate the problem, i have created a .rar archives. (see attachment)

files on that archives may be extracted on winXP system (or perhaps non-english win98SE), but extraction will fail on english win98SE system.

• 
  no, they all have different filename (blame the underlying font), none of that files can be extracted on english win98SE system
  

so the problem why certain wide-characters can be used as file names in English win98SE system or while the others were not, is wether the 2-to-4 ASCII wide-character representated contain such character that depicted in archives above.

i wish that english win9x filename characters limitation may somehow removed ...

Invalid_Characters_for_filenames__english_win9x_.rar