Windows 98 SE: i need some patches\hotfixes...

[awkduck]

9 hours ago, Joaquim said:

so theres no patch for usb flash drive on startup?

I know you can "sometimes" fix this by using the Grub2 bootloader. You initialize Grubs USB drivers, before boot; rather than boot with bios drivers, still enabled. But I've had this actually cause the issue, you are trying to fix, on machines that booted fine (with USB drives still inserted). On one machines it fixed the issue, but prevented USB audio devices from functioning correctly. This same trick has fixed, and caused, USB drives being detected incorrectly (type[thumb drive seen as a super floppy or zip drive]/geometry).

There is a painful workaround. Set your machine to boot directly to MsDos. Then remove the pendrive, and type "win". This is only useful if you keep forgetting to remove the drive before you boot/reboot. It might help to echo a reminder in autoexec.bat, about removing the drive.

Grub2 can be a real trip to wrap your head around. It may not be your best option; especially with the risk of failure. But It has worked, from time to time.

An even more tedious possibility, is modifying MSR registers to alter the state of the USB devices. You could end up with the same set of problems I've mentioned with Grub2. But it would give you a more direct control over it. But finding the data sheets, for you machine, might be hard. And your data sheet may offer no options for adjusting the USB device state.

[Joaquim]

so i must forget that patch\hotfix...

the Nero 6 give me the Virtual Drive

now i need an update for 'send to ', for context menu, with removal drives.... is there any update for that?

Edited August 18, 2024 by Joaquim

[schwups]

On 8/17/2024 at 8:23 PM, Joaquim said:

is there any patch for add 'send to...' on context menu?(inlued the removal drives)

Do you mean, that you don't have "Send To" in your context menu or do you only need "Unplug or Eject Hardware" inside SendTo?

The start order of "Unplug or Eject Hardware" is "RunDll32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL hotplug.dll".

Maybe somebody here can write you a simple bat/cmd file.

 

[SweetLow]

On 8/17/2024 at 4:32 PM, Joaquim said:

i add the file

1. It's definitely problem with this device.

2. OS is loaded successfully really.

3. Does this devices work correctly if you hot-plug it in running OS?

4. Is this device visible in DOS (Command Prompt Only)?

[Joaquim]

- these problem don't happens with XP or above;

- these wasn't tested with MS-DOS.. only on Windows 98 SE;
- these device make the OS freeze, only on startup(slash image)...
- the rest works normally correct

[awkduck]

You should try the painful workaround, I mentioned earlier. If it works, it identifies the issue more clearly.

Disable booting to Windows, from MSDOS.SYS. Reboot the machine, with the pendrive in. Once you are at the Dos Prompt, unplug and then re-plug in the USB drive. Then type win, and see if you boot normally. If you do not freeze, as before, then it can be "loosely" called a USB hand-off issue. Although, similar behavior (between two or more different machines) doesn't mean it is the exact same issue; it has to do with the BIOS USB drivers being released.

Being unplugged, in MSDos, releases the drivers. Then windows can boot normally.

I want to clarify, I am saying BIOS drivers; but this is really misleading. I just haven't taken the time to give a full on description. It has more to do with BIOS/firmware design. Some may consider this issue a bug; since other systems boot just fine, with a USB drive inserted. But often the machines with this issue were never meant to be used with Win9x. So you really can't call it a bug, but rather lack of backwards compatibility. It isn't always 'entirely' a hand-off issue. BIOS may have assigned the wrong geometry or drive type, to the device. BIOS my have detected a USB thumb drive, as a USB supper floppy or zip drive. With the different variables in BIOS design, there are different behaviors and fixes.

There is probably a Dos tool, to 'potentially' configure the state of your USB device (and other settings). I just haven't looked. A person could boot to Dos, then autoexec,bat could run the tool, and then load Windows.

But, I've gone on awhile about this, risking the part of a fool. Should wait and see if this is actually the problem or not.

I wouldn't mind being "thumbs down" wrong about this. Especially, with my own machines. Even more especially, if it meant I could fix it differently.

[SweetLow]

11 hours ago, Joaquim said:

- these wasn't tested with MS-DOS.. only on Windows 98 SE;

I didn't talk about MS-DOS. Read the whole statement, don't skip some part.

 

 

[SweetLow]

4 hours ago, awkduck said:

If you do not freeze, as before, then it can be "loosely" called a USB hand-off issue.

1. With high probability this device handled by BIOS. There is driver that remove such devices.

2. We have EHCI controller. There is driver with forced EHCI hand-off.

 

[awkduck]

19 hours ago, SweetLow said:

We have EHCI controller. There is driver with forced EHCI hand-off.

So, unless I am wrong about the cause, this is what Joaquim should try. It would be a nice clean fix.

[SweetLow]

4 hours ago, awkduck said:

It would be a nice clean fix.

Two fixes, I suppose now. Every one should help, but using both even better.

[Joaquim]

can you share?

[awkduck]

20 hours ago, SweetLow said:

Two fixes, I suppose now. Every one should help, but using both even better.

You are right. Both need to be addressed/understood.

[SweetLow]

11 hours ago, Joaquim said:

can you share?

1. You didn't answer my previous question is BIOS handling your USB drive. It's crucial for direction of debugging.

2. https://github.com/LordOfMice/Tools/blob/master/rmmremove.zip

http://sweetlow.orgfree.com/download/usb20_win9x.zip

[Joaquim]

1 - i think not.. i must use the floppy application for get all drivers...;
2 - thanks for all... i will try it in time.. thank you.. the second link, usb20_win9x.zip, isn't working

Edited August 23, 2024 by Joaquim

[awkduck]

4 hours ago, Joaquim said:

the second link, usb20_win9x.zip, isn't working

It is probably something to do with your browser. The link worked for me, but I got a warning about the link not being "https", while using Firefox. An older Seamonkey browser downloads it right away. So, the link is alive.