Firefox 24 - 52 for ME and 98

[Goodmaneuver]

Desktop window manager DWMAPI was used in several programs one being Opera12, another being WinMergeU. I have used DWMAPI 5270 and it works with my 4.5.2 build but will have 4 missing APIs with OPERA. With OPERA.dll DWMAPI APIs will be called and the module will stay loaded. Opera explicitly loads OPERA.dll then explicitly loads DWMAPI of which ROS/BWC's version has 2 missing APIs and DWMAPI 5270 has 4 missing APIs. DWMAPI is explicitly loaded from MFC90U and has no missing APIs with WinMergeU.

https://iso.reactos.org/bootcd/

The above URL shortcut contains bootcds from 2008 onwards, it is a big list. Download and extract ISO say 64900 then open reactos folder then extract reactos.cab.

On 5/13/2023 at 8:41 AM, jumper said:

Redirect it to LZ32 and let the new resolver handle the dependencies

A bit unrelated to the quote but some applications use compression in their modules like Volumouse and Alcohol120 to name a few. These compressed modules will show as purple highlighted when viewed in Process Explorer.

Edited May 19, 2023 by Goodmaneuver
explicitly loaded instead of delay loaded

[jumper]

Still waiting to hear what happens when Dwm.dll is redirected to LZ32.dll. The new resolver should handle any missing dependencies or and tell us exactly what to do.

 

Edited May 15, 2023 by jumper
or -> and

[schwups]

I have no useful results so far with the resolver. I'll make more tests over the next days.

[Chris46]

 

I read most of the 40 pages of posts and didn’t find this subject: I use Avast 4.8 and can’t get it to work along with Firefox31.8.  I installed the download posted early on in this thread.  I use KeX 2016.25

 

If any of the Avast shields are enabled, opening FF31.8 results in error beeps but no notices.  Then the OS locks up.   If you boot with all shields disabled, FF31.8 works OK.   However if you disable the shelds after boot, then you get the above errors. 

 

System Information lists 26 32-bit Avast modules (DLLs) loaded in memory whether the shields are enbled or not.  Enabling any of the shields, not just the file shield, causes the error beeps.

 

I’ve tried various Kernelex settings for the Avast files to no avail. I haven’t changed any Kernelex settings for the FF31.8 files.

 

Is there any way to get notices when I get the error beeps so I can find out the sources of the beeps?

 

I do get an error beep whenever FF31.8 is closed. And, I get a notice:  There was an invalid instruction.  This error seems to do no harm to the OS. 

 

Other browsers and apps work fine with Avast 4.8 enabled

 

My Win98SE machine is Pentium 3.  And, I know there have been no virus definition updates for Avast 4.8 since 2017, but some antivirus is better than none in my opoinion.

 

For anyone who likes Bookmarks instead of Favorites, I’ve found a workaround.  Install FF31.8 on a Win2K or WinXP machine, edit/create bookmarks. Replace the Win98 build profile with the entire Win2K profile. Once run, the profile will be adapted for Win98 and the bookmarks will work.

 

[schwups]

Hello Chris46, this has probably not been noticed until now, because apparently no one uses Avast here anymore. I had removed it years ago. ClamWin has newer definitions.  I scan on suspicion. I also still have AVG 7.5 (defs 2018), Antivir (defs 2012) and Spybot 1.6.2 (latest defs) installed. These are disabled and I use them seldom for file scan only.

5 hours ago, Chris46 said:

For anyone who likes Bookmarks instead of Favorites, I’ve found a workaround.  Install FF31.8 on a Win2K or WinXP machine, edit/create bookmarks. Replace the Win98 build profile with the entire Win2K profile. Once run, the profile will be adapted for Win98 and the bookmarks will work.

I'm aware of that possiblity and I use bookmarks, too. It is on the first page under issues. "The History and the Bookmarks created on XP can be used on ME/98."

[schwups]

In all honesty, the antivirus programs had detected few viruses in all those years, and if so, then mostly false positives here.

[schwups]

On 5/14/2023 at 11:23 AM, jumper said:

Still waiting to hear what happens when Dwm.dll is redirected to LZ32.dll. The new resolver should handle any missing dependencies or and tell us exactly what to do.

Sorry for late response. I had partly little time and was away, too. I had not made any progress with Firefox 54+. For details I need more tests and have to repeat some. I have too little notes.

Other Trials: XomPie files are loaded, but do not bring any progress, if forwarding to them. Maybe there are just stubs only. I'll see, if I can load BCW wrappers with the help of Kext.

[jumper]

11 hours ago, schwups said:

I had partly little time and was away, too.

Same here. I've made good progress with many ReactOS files, and with my main build and testing systems back online, should have more to report soon.

Xompie 0.4a is worth a try; mainly stubs, but most of the files load.

 

[schwups]

I have Xompie 0.6a here.

@Chris46, I installed Avast 4.8.1368, but I couldn't reproduce this issue. Have you tried to reinstall Avast?

https://www.avast.com/registration-free-antivirus#pc

Maybe Avast logged something specific - see Menu>Log Viewer. Changing the logging level might also reveal more.

Edited June 9, 2023 by schwups

[Chris46]

OK schwups

I'll try a re-install for Avast4.8

ClamWin since a couple of years ago was too slow.  My Pentium 3 machine is only 550Mhz and is limited to 256Mb RAM.   It was taking over 20min for ClamWin to initialize before scanning when the virus defs database reached over 250Mb

And, yeah, even before Avast4.8 stopped new virus definitions, a monthly scan found no threats.  So Win98SE was not a target for viruses.

[schwups]

Yes, ClamWin slowed down with growing Definition files. Really slow to load the defs and understandably unusable with a P3 machine. My last def update is from April, sizes 166 & 60 MB.

[schwups]

Running RT'S uxp based browsers like NewMoon 28 or Serpent 55 on ME or 98:
I think I already mentioned "Second chance exception 0x406D1388 (Thread was named) occurred in "MOZJS.DLL" at address ..." somewhere here in this forum. Older versions couldn't have this module, so it happened in Xul.dll here. The corresponding API is RaiseException.
Raise Exception is supported by Kernel32, but it fails in this case somehow.
The best workaround I found is to replace this API by GetLastError with a hex-editor. There is also no consequential error when closing the program.
Note that Serpent 55 requires ordinal 327 [Oleaut32], too, otherwise you get the known xpcom message on start.
You can start Serpent 55 with the help of "APIlog". On Kex prompt the message appears "Xul is linked to missing Oleaut32.dll:327". Confirm with yes.
On my main machine I've the ordinal functioning in the Kstub.ini, so there is no need to use Apilog here. I set the exe to XPSP3 and maked them portable using RT'S portable-loader. I'm not quite sure about the exact requirements yet. My KernelEx is expanded by jumpers Kexvista module, too.
I recommend the program settings mentioned on the first page, like AzureContentBackend Skia. Have fun!

[schwups]

I've Mypal68 still not running (I'm able to run it in background without GUI). The problem with RaiseException exists here, too. Faultlog: "MYPAL caused an exception 406d1388H in module XUL.DLL at 0177:0b0715b0." (corresponding API RaiseException) Noticeable is that this exception occurs twice in a row on start. The replace by GetLastError (or ResumeThread) doesn't work. Then the browser also can't start on XP.

NewMoon: It has a quite high consumption of GDI resources on ME like Mypal 28/29. I recommend the extension FreeMemoryButton-1.1.2. Serpent 55 isn't or is affected comparatively little..

Edited August 31, 2023 by schwups

[woi]

Thanks! Now I can run Serpent 52 and 55 on my Windows ME and Windows 98 (VM). The good thing is that for those who stuck on Firefox 48/45 ESR can use this browser by downloading the IA-32 version from https://o.rthost.win/basilisk and replace RaiseException with GetLastError on mozjs.dll and xul.dll (don't forget to add XP dlls and change dependentlibs.list).

Also, github.com works! (meaning that you can download files, etc). Not sure if it works on Serpent 55, if it's not then you can try Serpent 52 (because it is more stable than Serpent 55).

Edited September 3, 2023 by woi

[woi]

However, some website that used to work on Firefox 52/Mypal 29 now doesn't work (example: whatismybrowser.com). Not sure if this is a issue from Serpent/KernelEx.

Edited September 1, 2023 by woi
Typo