Windows 9X updates

[Joaquim]

i need some updates for win9x:
1 - instead using 'MS-DOS Sound Blaster Setter' is there another program for i get the Sound Blaster parameters?
i have installed the  https://retrosystemsrevival.blogspot.com/2020/06/modded-ac97-windows-95-drivers.html (manually) and i get the sound and sound blaster emulation drivers.... the doom 1 and 2, Heretic and others 3D games and the Jazz Rabbit have Sound Blaster sound... but the Commander Keen, Wolf3D, Prince of Persia and others use the Speaker...
i need a way for get, correctly, the sound blaster on all MS-DOS games without an emulator(DosBox).
PS: if i use the original drivers, i can't get the Sound Blaster emulation driver.

2 - on Windows ME, how i can get the Command Prompt(MS-DOS) on Startup menu(F8) and on ShutDown menu?
i tried the 'Real MS-DOS', but i damage the system

3 - for get the ACPIOFF working we must, first, update the system?(SP3 or other)

4 - after install Internet Explorer 6 SP1, i lose the 'Save Previous Folder'(when we shutdown the computer with an open folder, the system reboot without the folder open... how can i resolve it?)

Edited January 7, 2023 by Joaquim

[awkduck]

Are you trying to duplicate some of the progress you've made before? Or are you trying to get alternative strategies, to the ones you've previously received?

Edited January 10, 2023 by awkduck

[Joaquim]

honestly i must reinstall the Windows 98(yah... again)... so i win  more experience:
1 - we must install the IE6SP1, before the SP3 cores... even so we will get some bugs, so we must reinstall the IE6SP1;
2 - we must install the autopach too(have more updates);
3 - using both we must re-install, after the reboot error, the patch memory;
4 - i was getting problems on using\install the ACPIOFF.... the pre-requisits is intall thats updates;
5 - USB36a, sometimes, fail me.... so the best is:
    - install the ChipSets;
    - install the US36a;
   - we must install, manually, the USB 2.0 and USB Storage drivers... now we can use the pens;
6 - damn... again... i fail on installing the NTFS drivers  theres several of them... but, for now, i can use my external disks on Windows 98
7 - finally i get, manually, the sound blaster sound on DOS games... but not on Keen4, Prince of Persia's and others... but Doom and others 3D games works normaly;
8 - i love the Windows ME theme... so i use it on Windows 98 with SP3(only installs after the Main Core updates).
conclusion: i have learned too much from you and others... but sometimes, something, must fail
for now, i need fix the audio parameters for use them on autoexec.bat.... and the NFS

[awkduck]

1 hour ago, Joaquim said:

so i win  more experience

Sounds good.

I've forgotten the model number of your laptop. Could you share that again?

[Joaquim]

sure: acer aspire 1690

[awkduck]

5 hours ago, Joaquim said:

i need fix the audio parameters for use them on autoexec.bat

The SBlaster emulation automatically configures itself. You can run command.com and type:

Quote

ECHO %BLASTER%

On one of my machines I get "A220 I5 D1 T4 P330" as a result. Since some games check the autoexec.bat for this information, you would add it like this:

Quote

SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T4 P330

This only help for games and software that do not check the %BLASTER% environment variable.

Sometimes using a WDM driver provides better results for SBlaster emulation. It seems to just depend on the games and audio chip. On one of my machines the VXD SBlaster emulation provides no sound at all, with Wolf3d. Where the WDM SBlaster emulation provides me with sound effects, digitized sound, but no music. I can use Wolfdosmpu/wolfmidi to get the music. But no other sounds, unless I set effects to PC Speaker. But it will lag unless I disable everything but music.

The only way I have gotten everything to work, on that sound card, was by using VDMSound. There is an older version (1.3.3) of ECWolf that works fine with Win98. So you might consider that an option. However that only solves the issue for Wolf3d and SOD.

5 hours ago, Joaquim said:

i fail on installing the NTFS drivers

I haven't tried using NTFS yet. I plan to, if I can't get Win98 reading Ext3 partitions. Hopefully someone with provide that info. If I get a chance, I'll format a pendrive and do some tests.

[pangoomis]

Your laptop is too new for Win9x.

As for DOS sound, your only option to have good DOS sound in your laptop is to get a PCMCIA Sound Card compatible with DOS games, more info here: https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=30840

Though probably such sound card will be more expensive than a PC with ISA slots and an ISA soundcard 

[Joaquim]

MrMateczko it's a laptop... so i can't change it.
awkduck: i did that command and i add it on autoexec.bat. the keen4 continues with speaker

 i can try the VDMSound.. but i can't find a version less than  2.x

[awkduck]

You've tried before, on a previous install. You can read about it on Sierra Help.

After you've installed it, and followed the directions, you will need to run DOSDRV.BAT from a command prompt window. From that same window you can go to the directory of your game, and run the executable that starts the game. There is another batch file that disables VDMSound. But this will also disable any sound you normally had under Windows SBlaster emulation. You might be able to reset the SBlaster environment for your card, to enable normal emulation again. I've never tried. For certain, a reboot sets everything back to normal.

To fix the "Tip of the Day" issue, create a .reg file with this contents:

Quote

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Freeware\VDMSound]
"NextTip"=dword:00000000
"TipsFile"="C:\Program Files\VDMSound\VDMSound.tips"
"ShowTips"=dword:00000000

Then double click on it, and click yes.

 

[awkduck]

On 1/10/2023 at 7:34 PM, Joaquim said:

damn... again... i fail on installing the NTFS drivers

"Free Paragon NTFS for Windows 98" seems to work, for me.

[awkduck]

@Joaquim The "SET BLASTER=" command, in autoexec.bat, is only good for games that examine autoexec.bat for the settings. I personally, have never used one that needed it. But I have been told some do. Otherwise, both SBlaster Emulation and VDMSound set the values by themselves. Many games check the environmental variable %BLASTER% to find out what setting are needed.

When running in pure Dos, having "SET BLASTER=" in "autoexec.bat" is the only way the variable gets set.

So often, when running in Windows, the setting isn't really even needed.