minf - minimize an INF file

[jumper]

minf (minimize INF file)
latest beta: minf.04.exe

Done:

• Convert UTF-16 (Unicode) to UTF-8 (ASCII)
• Abbreviate lengthy section names
• Remove comments and white space
• Minimize variable names

To do:

• Minimize section names
• Remove non-9x sections
• Create 9x sections from 2k/XP if missing

Why?

• To fix poorly tested Win9x installer information (INF) files.
• Enable 2K/XP WDM drivers to possibly work in 98/SE/ME.
• Addresses issues raised by jds and jaclaz in:← Driver compatibility issues for W9X

Suggested usage:

Create a shortcut to minf in your Windows SendTo folder
and send INF files to it using the right-click context menu.

---

minf.01.exe implements these first two features:

• Convert UTF-16 (Unicode) to UTF-8 (ASCII)
  If the first two bytes of the file are FF FE or FE FF, those two bytes plus every other byte thereafter are removed.
• Abbreviate lengthy section names
  All section names are checked for length. Any over 28 characters are abbreviated to 10..16 and all references patched.

minf.02.exe adds support for:

• Remove comments and white space
  All comments and (non-quoted) white space are removed and new-lines reduced to a single line-feed.

minf.03.exe adds:

• Minimize variable names
  All variable names are reduced to the range A-Z,A0-ZZ and references patched.
  A 75KB test file was reduced to 50KB!

minf.04.exe adds:

+ If any section names are squashed to 28, the original size is now reported.
- Files not terminated with a line feed are now handled successfully.

To do:

• Minimize section names
  It should be possible to do something similar to variable names, but decoration parsing will be required.
• Remove non-9x sections
  Once I fully understand section naming and decorating conventions, it should be possible to completely remove sections not needed by Win9x.
• Create 9x sections from 2k/XP if missing
  If no Win9x sections exist, an attempt could be made to adapt a 2K or XP section.

Edited July 23, 2013 by jumper

[PROBLEMCHYLD]

This tool will come in handy converting WinXP inf to Win9X. Thanks jumper

[TmEE]

Whoa, this is some nice stuff

I wonder if its worth to try it on some 2K/XP graphics drivers.....?

[loblo]

I wonder if its worth to try it on some 2K/XP graphics drivers.....?

I don't think so as display drivers aren't WDM drivers AFAIK and they require vxd and 16bit drv files for working on a 9x system, both of them being non-existent in 2K/XP only drivers.

[TmEE]

But 98 does support WDM... ? or it won't work for video cards ?

[maximilliangreat]

Create 9x sections from 2k/XP if missing

jumper, I'm really waiting for this feature. Keep doing a good work!

[loblo]

But 98 does support WDM... ? or it won't work for video cards ?

Display drivers are kernel mode drivers not WDM ones and this applies to 2K/XP as well. AFAIK there is no way to use 2K/XP display drivers on 98/ME.

[TmEE]

aha

...the more you know ^^

but sound stuff is still applicable for the most part I would guess

[loblo]

but sound stuff is still applicable for the most part I would guess

Yeah, soundcards drivers and USB devices drivers are candidates I can think of but there is no guarantee all will work just because it has become possible to install them, some may and some other may not.

[maximilliangreat]

Yeah, soundcards drivers and USB devices drivers are candidates I can think of

Network cards probably should work too.

[MrTCNC]

Absolutely incredible! I can't wait to try this for the UAA HD bus > many thanks and kudos to all those wonderful, brilliant folks who develop software like this so that people like me can use it to perpetuate Windows 98

[submix8c]

Absolutely incredible! I can't wait to try this for the UAA HD bus > many thanks and kudos to all those wonderful, brilliant folks who develop software like this so that people like me can use it to perpetuate Windows 98

??? Not gonna happen! No drivers for that will EVER work on 9x! AFAIK, that's the case so you HAVE to disable OnBoard Sound and insert a an add-in card (NOT HD, of course).