98SE WU Ending So How About IE 6 SP1 Updates?

[PROBLEMCHYLD]

I think its a good idea to have a SP with IE6 and all updates.

1 have to consider some people don't have the internet meanin they can't

keep they machine in top shape.But if 1 have a SP with all updates maybe 1 can save it to

a cd or usb drive.But I support u guys 1000% on whatever u do.

[CLASYS]

I think its a good idea to have a SP with IE6 and all updates.

1 have to consider some people don't have the internet meanin they can't

keep they machine in top shape.But if 1 have a SP with all updates maybe 1 can save it to

a cd or usb drive.But I support u guys 1000% on whatever u do.

I agree with you. However, there are some factors to make everybody happy:

1) Not to make the SP much larger. This is handled by making the IE portion an option, say in a .CAB file optionally present in the same directory when you run the SP .EXE package.

In fact, doing this way, the SP becomes SMALLER if you remove the current built-in support for upgrading IE 5.0 and handling that as the same optional external .CAB package. [Clearly the file sizes of what the scripting adds to accomplish this is smaller than what IE 5.0 support is already in there now. Also, this is a moot point since it's not very big currently. The main point is that adding in IE support adds little to none to negative space in the package depending on how it's done, etc.]

1a) By modularizing the package this way, the notion of upgrading the SP and upgrading the IE module become independent. Thus, assuming one changes more slowly than the other, one need not download nearly redundant stuff. [This probably especially applies to versions before IE 6.0 SP1 where in some cases there will be no more foreseeable changes.]

This concept could conceivably apply to other subcomponents of the SP, such as optional add-ons like metapad or logo files or whatever.

I don't mind either one big monster file or a collection of smaller ones. What I do mind is loss of functionality falsely serving the notion of file size economy when it's clearly demonstable that features such as IE updates can be added on without enlarging the overall package either incidentally or even at all [such as when it makes it smaller!].

2) Not everyone agrees with you about which version of IE they want. I generally do, but I must admit there are some problems past IE55's latest and greatest. IE 6.0 and up *break* things.

Can anyone post the current status of just how good can we "repair" 98SE after installing IE 6 or 6 SP1? I hear stories about hanging on large file transfers of transfer of many smaller files or both, or related instability. And ever newer replacement files to try to fix it.

Personally, I find that if I do more than a few cut and paste explorer file manipulation, an open window or two hangs and can be killed by the task manager, but new windows will then always crash until a reboot. Also, the faster the machine suggests the more error prone the problem is?

Unfortunately, a lot of what we use is starting to demand IE 6.0 regardless of what we mainly browse with. Unfortunately, unlike Opera and Netscape/Mozilla/Firefox, you can only have one version of IE and must choose. [While you may not want to, you can run Netscape 4.79, Netscape 7.2, Mozilla 0.99, and Firefox 1.5 for example, on one system all simultaneously installed.]

But this still qualifies as above as a potentially "external" IE .CAB file. Conceivably the .CAB can come in various one-off and does-em-all versions that are used only to the extent it matches the base IE version already installed. For those who like all things in one place, a one-stop-shopping whopper .CAB file could even have all of the install files for all of the IE versions as well, since this would be ignored by the properly designed SP.

In any case, there are theoretically afficionados of IE 5.01, 5.5, 6.0 and 6.0 SP1 out their, as well as perhaps all of the various betas and SP levels.

But it should be relatively straight-forward to make everyone happy over this!

cjl

[erpdude8]

btw CLASYS, there is a Netscape Communicator 4.80 browser. um, you do know that dont you?

Netscape 4.8 was released in mid-August 2002; about nine months after Netscape 4.79.

FireFox version 1.0.8 and 1.5.0.2 have just been released. fixes new security problems.

Microsoft has extended support for Win98, 98se and ME until July 11, 2006. it's been noted here:

http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifean18/

[MDGx]

All current Netscape, Mozilla [a.k.a. Seamonkey] + Firefox 32-bit browsers for Win32:

http://www.mdgx.com/toy.htm#NET

+ Opera + MS IE, inclusing IE 7.0 Beta 2.

... Or if any1 wants 16-bit browsers for Windows/WfWG 3.1x [Win16]:

http://www.mdgx.com/w31toy.htm#3IE

Hope this helps.

[CLASYS]

btw CLASYS, there is a Netscape Communicator 4.80 browser. um, you do know that dont you?

Netscape 4.8 was released in mid-August 2002; about nine months after Netscape 4.79.

Actually, I stumbled upon it much later than that, well into the 6.x-7.x era, and I wasn't sure if was official or perhaps a joke? [What, if anything did it do beyond the 4.79 we all loved/hated?]

cjl

[CLASYS]

We really need to do the IE 6 updates.

cjl

Edited June 7, 2006 by CLASYS

[erpdude8]

We really need to do the IE 6 updates.

cjl

SWEET!

[CLASYS]

I apologize for the hard-to-read characters in the graphic post, but Ihad to post a 38K .jpg instead of a 470K .bmp for some forum-specific reason. In any case, here is the verbiage without the graphics:

Microsoft

Internet Explorer

Version: 6.0.2800.1106

Cipher Strength: 128-bit

Product ID:55736-841-2185302-04900

Update Versions:; SP1; Q313829; Q328970;Q331923;

Q329919; Q324929; Q811383; Q810847; Q813503;

Q813451; Q813951; Q330994; Q813489; Q816362;

Q816868; Q331488; Q818529; Q820369; Q822925;

Q824463; Q827057; Q828750; Q826940; Q824145;

Q832894; Q831167; Q837009; Q833989; Q823353;

Q867801; Q871260; Q883586; Q885258; Q834707;

Q873377; Q887797; Q889293; Q889669; Q891781;

Q867282; Q890923; Q893627; Q896156; Q883939;

Q903235; Q896727; Q905495; Q896688; Q905915;

Q911567; Q912812;

[erpdude8]

I think its a good idea to have a SP with IE6 and all updates.

1 have to consider some people don't have the internet meanin they can't

keep they machine in top shape.But if 1 have a SP with all updates maybe 1 can save it to

a cd or usb drive.But I support u guys 1000% on whatever u do.

if only somebody can create an EXE installer that will automatically install IE6 SP1 and its updates [if IE6 SP1 can be a selectable option in the SP] all in one stroke while installing the 98se SP, that would be great!

[PROBLEMCHYLD]

I agree this is what us 98SE power users need.

All updates unattended

It would be like installin a whole nother Operating System

without a million reboot

Edited June 7, 2006 by PROBLEMCHYLD

[eidenk]

if only somebody can create an EXE installer that will automatically install IE6 SP1 and its updates [if IE6 SP1 can be a selectable option in the SP] all in one stroke while installing the 98se SP, that would be great!

JEEZ, erpdude, why don't you read this forum more carefully ?

[CLASYS]

My "automaton" toy for the IE 6.0 sp1 updates install is just about done. It created the stuff I posted above. Here's a list of notable features/misfeatures:

1) Reboots and continues after the installation of every update. Avoids the problems where some updates cannot install unless a prior one has been installed AND followed by a reboot [limitation of hotfix installer], but is totally stupid and ALWAYS reboots even when not necessary. [Takes about 45 minutes to install typically, YMMV.]

2) Includes the VERINST.EXE utility to correct various cosmetic mistakes, such as:

a ) Omission of update version [unofficial updates].

b ) Wrong case of update name [q313829 instead of Q313829] in a small few cases [limitation of hotfix installer].

c ) Wrong update name/number installed by hotfix package because number is supplied for wrong IE version. [Limitation of hotfix installer.]

d ) Will cosmetically correct update name for KB313829 if already installed. (Look at b ) above.)

3) Installs all known IE 6.0 SP1 updates (49 total now, thanx guys!) and then installs URLMONFX.EXE after the fact [in preparation for the need to perhaps include an update past 912812 that doesn't fix the problem].

4) Uses a freeware rebooter program [Rebut95A]. It supports various levels of agressiveness to get Windows to shut down. [The middle level works best for this thing.] One unfortunate feature: Does not support a timer to shutdown, but instead an exact time to shut down. Have to Use fake TIME commands to get the job done. As a result, when finished, needs to ask user to correctly reset the current TIME.

5) Need only set its volume and directory in a single place within the .BAT file. [Note: Needs to be at the front of the file, not for cosmetic purposes, but because it needs to be reset after every reboot!]

6) All updates are installed in the time-stamp order of their digital signature [Note: The unofficial updates are assumed to be the time-stamp of the official XP SP1 version.]

7) Is a crude example of a "state machine" written in batch.

8) Completely cleans up after itself [future considerations might change this, if it uses \WINDOWS\TEMP].

Some open issues if someone can give explicit directions:

1) Is there a way to force the driver letter/volume from an existing environment variable? I can get the directory to perform a CD command, but how do you get the drive volume without a hardwired F: or whatever command? [This would make it easier to run the thing from a directory such as \WINDOWS\TEMP which wouldn't need to be stated within the .BAT file if it can be created on the fly, and eliminates what's mentioned in 5) above.]

2) What should be done, if anything, other than installing URLMONFX.EXE with respect to the 812912 problem assuming it won't get fixed [status quo]. Any registry settings or regsvr32 issues or whatever?

3) Two of the updates are unofficial. They seem to get confused about the need to access one or more of their own internal files, force up a browse window that starts at A:\. A browse, typically to \WINDOWS\TEMP\IXP000.TMP will get the thing moving again, but it would really be nice to have it unattended.] Is there some better way to run these two avoiding the problem? [Perhaps some form of rundll solution on the .inf file from the unpacked innards of the updates?]

Any help appreciated in getting these last few issues solved.

But it DOES work

cjl

[eidenk]

My "automaton" toy for the IE 6.0 sp1 updates install is just about done. It created the stuff I posted above. Here's a list of notable features/misfeatures:

1) Reboots and continues after the installation of every update. Avoids the problems where some updates cannot install unless a prior one has been installed AND followed by a reboot [limitation of hotfix installer], but is totally stupid and ALWAYS reboots even when not necessary. [Takes about 45 minutes to install typically, YMMV.]

2) Includes the VERINST.EXE utility to correct various cosmetic mistakes, such as:

a ) Omission of update version [unofficial updates].

b ) Wrong case of update name [q313829 instead of Q313829] in a small few cases [limitation of hotfix installer].

c ) Wrong update name/number installed by hotfix package because number is supplied for wrong IE version. [Limitation of hotfix installer.]

d ) Will cosmetically correct update name for KB313829 if already installed. (Look at b ) above.)

3) Installs all known IE 6.0 SP1 updates (49 total now, thanx guys!) and then installs URLMONFX.EXE after the fact [in preparation for the need to perhaps include an update past 912812 that doesn't fix the problem].

4) Uses a freeware rebooter program [Rebut95A]. It supports various levels of agressiveness to get Windows to shut down. [The middle level works best for this thing.] One unfortunate feature: Does not support a timer to shutdown, but instead an exact time to shut down. Have to Use fake TIME commands to get the job done. As a result, when finished, needs to ask user to correctly reset the current TIME.

5) Need only set its volume and directory in a single place within the .BAT file. [Note: Needs to be at the front of the file, not for cosmetic purposes, but because it needs to be reset after every reboot!]

6) All updates are installed in the time-stamp order of their digital signature [Note: The unofficial updates are assumed to be the time-stamp of the official XP SP1 version.]

7) Is a crude example of a "state machine" written in batch.

8) Completely cleans up after itself [future considerations might change this, if it uses \WINDOWS\TEMP].

Some open issues if someone can give explicit directions:

1) Is there a way to force the driver letter/volume from an existing environment variable? I can get the directory to perform a CD command, but how do you get the drive volume without a hardwired F: or whatever command? [This would make it easier to run the thing from a directory such as \WINDOWS\TEMP which wouldn't need to be stated within the .BAT file if it can be created on the fly, and eliminates what's mentioned in 5) above.]

2) What should be done, if anything, other than installing URLMONFX.EXE with respect to the 812912 problem assuming it won't get fixed [status quo]. Any registry settings or regsvr32 issues or whatever?

3) Two of the updates are unofficial. They seem to get confused about the need to access one or more of their own internal files, force up a browse window that starts at A:\. A browse, typically to \WINDOWS\TEMP\IXP000.TMP will get the thing moving again, but it would really be nice to have it unattended.] Is there some better way to run these two avoiding the problem? [Perhaps some form of rundll solution on the .inf file from the unpacked innards of the updates?]

Any help appreciated in getting these last few issues solved.

But it DOES work

cjl

Oh my, another of your kilometric posts.

[CLASYS]

Oh my, another of your kilometric posts.

And almost as long as your reply to it, which included it in its entirety.

cjl

[eidenk]

Oh my, another of your kilometric posts.

And almost as long as your reply to it, which included it in its entirety.

cjl

Really ?