Jump to content

New ideas for the next version


Recommended Posts

High priority:

- Add new updates and hotfixes.

- Replace modified EXPLORER.EXE and SHELL32.DLL files with patchers and make optional Windows 2000 look.

- Better uninstallation support with batch files.

- Optional fix for IE 6.0 SP1 file deletion problem with IE 5.5 SP2 files.

- Install "MaxFileCache" fix on only 512+ MB of RAM systems.

- Petr's UPDATE.SYS work.

- 137 GB HDD limitation fix [with FDISK + FORMAT tools].

Low priority:

- Tweak: Change the Number of Simultaneous Connections.

- Add IPROP.DLL from DCOM98 [?].

- Add Q816093 MS Java VM update [5 MB!].

- Language checking for non-English systems.

- Checking of free HDD space.

- Add QFECHECK info.

They are only ideas, they are NOT certain features of the next version now.

Edited by Gape
Link to comment
Share on other sites


Maybe to add version check as suggested by eGo®Z on RU-BOARD half year ago for nusb project:

при создании sfx-cabа в sed-файл в секцию [Options] добавь ручками строчки в самом конце

--------

TargetWin9xVersion=4.10.2222

TargetNTVersion=4.10.2222

--------

и не нужно будет всех предупреждать о том что это только для winSE - в другое место просто не поставится

I'm only not sure how these options work - they seems to be completely undocumented. Or didn't I catch something?

It would be also very nice to be able to limit the installation to specific language version only too.

Petr

Link to comment
Share on other sites

TargetWin9xVersion=4.10.2222

TargetNTVersion=4.10.2222

I'm only not sure how these options work - they seems to be completely undocumented. Or didn't I catch something?

It would be also very nice to be able to limit the installation to specific language version only too.

This check is in the SP since the version 1.2, probably eGorZ saw it in the SP. They're undocumented, but I tested them, they works.

Language checking is a good idea, but it's not as easy as version checking.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This check is in the SP since the version 1.2, probably eGorZ saw it in the SP.  They're undocumented, but I tested them, they works.

Language checking is a good idea, but it's not as easy as version checking.

I'm sorry, I forgot to look into the SED file.

I just entered TargetWin9xVersion in Google and found one reference only - eGorZ's post on board.ru - nothing else.

Petr

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm sorry, I forgot to look into the SED file.

I just entered TargetWin9xVersion in Google and found one reference only - eGorZ's post on board.ru - nothing else.

:) Not problem.

Maybe I should make some web page about SED files and my INFEx tool. But there're many things to do (table for hotfixes, next version, forum, web page, school, work etc.) and I don't have time enough. :angry:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Gape,

just an opinion - I think that the Service Pack for Windows SE should not be collection of freeware applications.

I have no idea why you decided to add Metapad to the final release.

There are thousands of similar possible replacements and it may be created some option pack with selectred applications - but in Service Pack?

And for other freeware applications - they are used just during the installation, right?

Are they open source? Who is the author? Will they work reliable in all environments?

I know there were long discussions about recommened installation order. Was there any consensus what is recommended? SE SP 2.0 contains many components of various packages, but not full packages, and also hotfixes to them. Sometimes the hotfix has the same version number as the original file so the preservation mechanism will not work I suppose (Maybe to increnet the version number?)

And example of packages that could be installed before or over SE SP 2.0

dun 1.4, dcom 98, dsclient, direct x (various versions), ie (various versions), wmi, nusb2.2, mdac, jet3.5, jet4.0, odbc drivers, vga drivers, chipset drivers, disk drivers, usb drivers, audio drivers, media player, office, upnp, various runtimes... or projects like se2me or revolutions pack.....

It is easy to find some death end.

Petr

Link to comment
Share on other sites

just an opinion - I think that the Service Pack for Windows SE should not be collection of freeware applications.

I have no idea why you decided to add Metapad to the final release.

There are thousands of similar possible replacements and it may be created some option pack with selectred applications - but in Service Pack?

And for other freeware applications - they are used just during the installation, right?

Are they open source? Who is the author? Will they work reliable in all environments?

I know there were long discussions about  recommened installation order. Was there any consensus what is recommended? SE SP 2.0 contains many components of various packages, but not full packages, and also hotfixes to them.  Sometimes the hotfix has the same version number as the original file so the preservation mechanism will not work I suppose (Maybe to increnet the version number?)

And example of packages that could be installed before or over SE SP 2.0

dun 1.4, dcom 98, dsclient, direct x (various versions), ie (various versions), wmi, nusb2.2, mdac, jet3.5, jet4.0, odbc drivers, vga drivers, chipset drivers, disk drivers, usb drivers, audio drivers, media player, office, upnp, various runtimes... or projects like se2me or revolutions pack.....

It is easy to find some death end.

Petr, you're right about that SP should not contain any freeware product, but I think Notepad should be a exception. I don't want to add any other freeware product into the SP. This Metapad totally free and freely distributable, and of course it's optional, however, we can change it with another open source alternative on the next version.

As I said before, I don't want to modify any file, so this is one of the reasons to add a Notepad alternative.

About your comments on preservation and installation order, do you have any example? I'm not sure that I understand it. You know, this pack (2.0) has installed on LOTS of systems, and it has tested since October 2004.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with Gape that Notepad can be an exception.

Notepad comes with windows, after all. The original Notepad is realy out of age, and Metapad is very good choice as it looks very much like Notepad.

It should comes as an option however since some geek may have replaced their Notpad.exe file already.

And example of packages that could be installed before or over SE SP 2.0

dun 1.4, dcom 98, dsclient, direct x (various versions), ie (various versions), wmi, nusb2.2, mdac, jet3.5, jet4.0, odbc drivers, vga drivers, chipset drivers, disk drivers, usb drivers, audio drivers, media player, office, upnp, various runtimes... or projects like se2me or revolutions pack.....

Maybe you should add a warning at the end telling to check if all the devices and stuffs works properly and to reinstall the drivers if not.

With some explaination on how to do it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This Metapad totally free and freely distributable, and of course it's optional, however, we  can change it with another open source alternative on the next version.
Unfortunately is seems to be also totally unusable because of wrong display of accented characters. This is very good example of the non-tested behavior in all environmments I have mentioned in the previous post.

I still don't believe that it could be true.

This is the default setting:

http://www.ryston.com/x/metapad-2.gif

This is the same fon setting as default for notepad (Fixedsys)

http://www.ryston.com/x/metapad.gif

And this is how it should look:

http://www.ryston.com/x/notepad.gif

The problem is described at http://www.liquidninja.com/metapad/faq.html#Q20 - it means that it is well known and no chance for improvement. Contrary to the note in the FAQ upgrade to RICHED20.DLL (5.40.11.2212, Rich Text Edit Control, v4.0) from Ofiice XP did not help.

It means it is unusable for any language using Central European character set (codepage 1250) at least.

It is also 3 years old unsupported product.

As I said before, I don't want to modify any file, so this is one of the reasons to add a Notepad alternative.

About your comments on preservation and installation order, do you have any example? I'm not sure that I understand it. You know, this pack (2.0) has installed on LOTS of systems, and it has tested since October 2004.

So your opinion is that SESP2.0 can be installed at any stage - either immediately after fresh install of bare Windows 98 SE or on a system that is several years in use with many programs installed and all files will be in the desired state? If yes it would be great.

Petr

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And example of packages that could be installed before or over SE SP 2.0

dun 1.4, dcom 98, dsclient, direct x (various versions), ie (various versions), wmi, nusb2.2, mdac, jet3.5, jet4.0, odbc drivers, vga drivers, chipset drivers, disk drivers, usb drivers, audio drivers, media player, office, upnp, various runtimes... or projects like se2me or revolutions pack.....

Maybe you should add a warning at the end telling to check if all the devices and stuffs works properly and to reinstall the drivers if not.

With some explaination on how to do it.

I'm still not sure that I understand it. Can you and/or Petr try to explain it?

Also note that, preserving mechanism is mainly based on registry keys, not on the version number. If Windows tries to install anything from Windows' CAB files, firstly it looks at the preservation list in the registry. For example, it want to install HyperTerminal files, it will install them from SP2.CAB. (So this should be noted that this preserving mechanism replaces original CAB files only.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The problem is described at http://www.liquidninja.com/metapad/faq.html#Q20 - it means that it is well known and no chance for improvement. Contrary to the note in the FAQ upgrade to RICHED20.DLL (5.40.11.2212, Rich Text Edit Control, v4.0) from Ofiice XP did not help.

It means it is unusable for any language using Central European character set (codepage 1250) at least.

This problem exists on the most of Notepad alternatives that I've tested. This problem exists on FixedSys and Terminal fonts. However, there was not problem on my system (SP 2.0 installed) with Turkish characters on Metapad.

Do you know a small Notepad alternative which has similar look, and supports lots of languages, and doesn't have this problem?

What about Notepad2?

I should write that again: Metapad is optional, and is a simple NotePad product. It can be easily replaced. You don't have to add it into your localized version, too.

It is also 3 years old unsupported product.
Please don't forget that Windows 98's Notepad is an at least 7 years old product. :)
So your opinion is that SESP2.0 can be installed at any stage - either immediately after fresh install of bare Windows 98 SE or on a system that is several years in use with many programs installed and all files will be in the desired state? If yes it would be great.

I highly recommend that this pack should be installed on a freshly installed Windows 98 SE, if possible.

My opinion is that SESP 2.0 can be installed at any stage, too. We tested it on many systems, and on many cases. But I highly recommend that you should take a backup, if you have old Windows 98 SE installation.

Also we have a installation guide, we can improve it.

Edited by Gape
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can think of some users for whom the "unload dll's" from memory might not be so great. My grandmother, for instance, who only uses her computer for playing solitaire and checking email on AOL :lol:

Since thats all she uses it for, it speeds it up a little for her if the DLLs are already there next time she launches AOHELL

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd like to see some serious work put into some of OS/hardware limits we're bumping against, like getting 98se to accept 2gb of ram, 137gb hdd probs and such. I think this would help move 98se more into todays technology :D Gape & all involved, many, many thanks for the improvements in the OS you people have sweated over :thumbup

PS: I use notepad+, been for long time and know how to change out, so no prob to me which you use :)

Edited by randiroo76073
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think you should leave out all notepad replacements.

Everybody knows that windows notepad sucks but I don't believe that your service pack should install a replacement.

A lot of people think that Internet Explorer sucks. That doesn't mean that your service pack should install Firefox or Opera.

On my computer, I have UltraEdit installed. In order to get UltraEdit to be the default editor in applications that have "notepad.exe" hardcoded, I've installed a stub application (provided by the UltraEdit guys) called notepad.exe that just launches UltraEdit instead. I don't want this stub application overwritten by the service pack.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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...