Jump to content

How to run "welcome.exe" from Win98 on newer Windows?


MrMateczko

Recommended Posts

I want to run the all nice and beautiful "welcome.exe" in my Win7 x64(can try XP x86 as well if desired), but can't do it, does the EXE needs patching?

It simply does nothing when I run it. I do copy all the needed files...

Edited by MrMateczko
Link to comment
Share on other sites


Here's debug from Win98:

http://pastebin.com/2w4dLKdh

Here's debug from Win7 x64, I've tried to force it to use my integrated Intel, instead on NVIDIA's GPU (I have a laptop with two GPU's), but I don't know how:

http://pastebin.com/4URTSnJ4

Here's debug from XP:

http://pastebin.com/R3TnXVvX

Here's debug from XP without themes:

http://pastebin.com/0KS668vd

While there are errors in Win7 debug, due to NVIDIA stuff...I don't see anything wrong in XP...yet it doesn't work. Not even in compatibility mode.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...

It took over three years, but I've done it!

It works on Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit (created a quick VM to test it)

I've copied Windows 98SE files and made registry keys and folders as shown in the screenshot. (the .htm file was made while making the screenshot. Just like on real 98 system, it disappears shortly after launching the Easter Egg)

The window will glitch out at first, but just move mouse around inside of it and then move it out of the sight and back again to redraw everything and voila!

UDPF5DQ.png

All the buttons run their expected programs, except the Connect to the Internet button which does nothing.

The weldata Easter Egg works as well!

The tickbox for running at every startup does work correctly.

No compatibility settings required.

On my main PC running Windows 10 Pro 1803 the app closes after the window glitches. Bummer :(The weldata Easter Egg still works there.

Main thing is that WELCOME.EXE has a hardcoded path to Applications Data folder, so it will not look anywhere else. And it will differ in WELCOME.EXE from other locales.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
On 1/13/2019 at 9:09 AM, MrMateczko said:

It took over three years, but I've done it!

It works on Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit (created a quick VM to test it)

I've copied Windows 98SE files and made registry keys and folders as shown in the screenshot. (the .htm file was made while making the screenshot. Just like on real 98 system, it disappears shortly after launching the Easter Egg)

The window will glitch out at first, but just move mouse around inside of it and then move it out of the sight and back again to redraw everything and voila!

UDPF5DQ.png

All the buttons run their expected programs, except the Connect to the Internet button which does nothing.

The weldata Easter Egg works as well!

The tickbox for running at every startup does work correctly.

No compatibility settings required.

On my main PC running Windows 10 Pro 1803 the app closes after the window glitches. Bummer :(The weldata Easter Egg still works there.

Main thing is that WELCOME.EXE has a hardcoded path to Applications Data folder, so it will not look anywhere else. And it will differ in WELCOME.EXE from other locales.

Anyway you could share the files or the instructions with list of files needed? also the reg file. would this work also for the windows me welcome?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From what I know, Windows ME welcome works very differently, I haven't tested it.

All files you need are on the setup CABs in the CD of the system, I can't share them here. :)

I don't know if the registry is needed in the first place, but all the instructions are on the screenshot itself.

You also need win.wbm in the WELCOME folder, it got cut off in the screenshot, sorry :(

Even if you managed to get it working, the buttons don't do anything, it's just a useless show piece. :P

Off-topic - Welcome.exe also works on Wine on my Arch Linux laptop :P
welcome.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 6 months later...

I've discovered by accident, that this topic was featured by Andrea Borman in her video and on her blog (with detailed instructions)...I am as surprised as you are :o

Internet is a strange place :)

I wish Andrea all good in her life.

http://andreaborman2.blogspot.com/2019/09/windows-98-welcome-exe-on-windows-8.html

 

Edited by MrMateczko
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Mr Mateczko, but it was from you and this thread here that I learned how to do this. I saw the files that were needed in your screenshots. And I also looked in the folders of my Windows 98 that I have installed in Virtual Box on my Linux computer. But I could not copy them from there because Virtual Box and Linux does not let you do that. So I copied them from my Windows 98CD.

One more thing is you also need to copy the Hhctrl.Ocx from the Windows 98CD and put that in the System folder in Windows.And  also the Mstask.Exe and the Mstask.Dll must also be placed in the Windows folder as well as in the System folder. The other Exe files Tour98.Exe, Welcome.Exe, Tuneup.Exe, Defrag.Exe, Cleanmgr.Exe and Scandskw.Exe go in the Windows folder.

 

I was able to get the Welcome Exe from Windows 98 working on my Windows 8 laptop. I have Windows 8.0 not 8.1, but it simply did not work at all on Windows XP,Windows Vista or Windows 7. I don't know why that is. The funny thing is that the Weldata Easter Egg works Windows XP,Vista and 7 but the welcome exe doesn't. The Easter egg also works on 8 as well. You also need to run the Welcome Exe on Windows 8 as administrator for it to work but it does but only on Windows 8 or 8.1.

 

I have made an updated video on how to do this here and have also linked to this thread on here so people can get help here if they have any problems running it. But they should not have though it does not work on Windows 7 any of the other Windows. I don't know what the solution is for that.

Here is the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QiGXtExq4s

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello Andrea,

I can't really think of a reason why it would not work on Windows 7 for you. Try disabling User Account Control, it might help.

I haven't personally tested Welcome.exe on other operating systems like 2000/XP/Vista/8 or 8.1. Only on Windows 7 and Linux using Wine (which all worked) and Windows 10 (which did not work).

I'm currently quite busy, so don't have any time to make tests of my own, maybe in some distant future.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, MrMateczko said:

Hello Andrea,

I can't really think of a reason why it would not work on Windows 7 for you. Try disabling User Account Control, it might help.

I haven't personally tested Welcome.exe on other operating systems like 2000/XP/Vista/8 or 8.1. Only on Windows 7 and Linux using Wine (which all worked) and Windows 10 (which did not work).

I'm currently quite busy, so don't have any time to make tests of my own, maybe in some distant future.

I don't have User Account Control on Windows 7 or 8 because I have deleted it. And it was disabled anyway before I removed it. On windows Vista it is just disabled, turned off. But I am not using that Netbook with Windows Vistsa, it's only for testing software. I don't think it's anything to do with UAC why it does not work on Windows 7,Vista or XP.

It could be the video or graphics or Direct XP in those OS's is not strong enough to run it. Windows 8 I think has a higher version of Direct X. Also the Program Compatibility Assistant in Windows 8 is better at detecting problems with programs, and fixing them to run in compatibility mode for older Window,s than that of Windows 7 and the older Windows. It is true that I have been able to run a lot of programs from older versions of Windows before XP on Windows 8 that did not work in Windows 7 or XP because of this. So maybe that's it.

 

I am not surprised it did not work on Windows 10. Although I have not got it. I read some where that Microsoft have removed a lot of the older Windows source codes that made a lot of programs from previous versions of Windows work. Also it keeps updating with new builds every week or so. So you never know what build you are going to get next,since you cannot disable updates on there. This is one of the many reason I don't use Windows 10, everything I have heard about it I don't like. So I just stick with Windows 7 and 8 and will never upgrade to Windows 10. BTW I sent you a PM about this asking you how you managed it get it working on Windows 7.

Edited by andreaborman
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...