SlimBrowser On Win98SE

[Wijono]

Today I started to try the SlimBrowser Version 4.07 Build 100.

True it is IE based browser, hence it launches as fast as IE 6 that I have, and in the contrary to IE it is highly customizable. It has pop-up blocker, tab browsing etc.

More importantly it works with Win98SE.

I am a person that like simplicity, talking about browser, what I like to have in the Tool Bar is just: Back, Forward, Stop, Refresh and Home. That I can achieve with SlimBrowser.

What I wish I could do is customizing the Menu Bar, like it is possible with Avant Browser. Does someone perhaps know the trick or hint on doing that?

BTW, the reason that I stop trying Avant Browser with my Win98SE are following 2 bugs:

1. It keeps on “stealing” the default browser status even when asked not to.

2. From time to time it brings up “Mprexe Caused an IPF in Kernel32.dll”

[Drugwash]

I happen to be an old user of SlimBrowser and also the official Romanian translator of the project. My opinion is that you could send an e-mail stating your request to support (at) flashpeak (dot) com and if reasonable and possible, it may be implemented.

A little trick to change the default search engine in the search bar:

Go to %appdata%\SlimBrowser\QuickSearch (note: Win9x users will find this file in %windir%\SlimBrowser\QuickSearch) and open menuorder.ini in any text editor. It's a hidden file, so you may need to modify folder properties to view hidden files, first.

Just cut and paste the different .qseg entries in the order you like, then save the file. On next start, SlimBrowser will show the first entry in the file's list as the default search engine and all others listed in the order you preferred.

Another trick for Win98SE users: unfortunately, SlimBrowser has an old issue that cannot be fixed - according to the author - because of a bug in Windows Explorer, all versions after IE6. I'm talking about the fact that SlimBrowser's skins are incompatible with the autohidden function of the taskbar: if you enable skins in SB and set the taskbar to auto-hide, this one will not be available when hovering the margin of the screen, while SB is in full-screen mode.

But, I found out that you can still have the two functions enabled at the same time, if - after installing/updating IE6 or any other component that upgrades Windows Explorer too - you put back the original explorer.exe from the Win98SE install CD to %windir%.

Obviously this has to be done in pure DOS mode, after you copied the original explorer.exe from the CD to a temporary folder on the HDD (for example, C:\Temp) and you backed up the current explorer.exe to a folder of your choice, for safety.

[Wijono]

Thanks Drugwash for your information.

I followed your advice and sent an email to support@flashpeak.com, no reply, not even an acknowledgment.

I tried to register to their Online Forum, the last webpage mentioned that an email has been sent to me for the account activation, but then few days have gone by and that email never comes.

What can we expect .....What a pity!!!

[Drugwash]

Don't take it so dramatically. Maybe they took some time off, a little vacation after the recent release.

Maybe it takes some time to process the request and offer a documented answer.

And maybe the forum registration data (your e-mail address) was not correct.

These are all assumptions, I know, but if you won't get an answer in a few more days, I'll contact them myself and link to this thread. Deal?

[Wijono]

Thanks a lot Drugwash, it is a deal, I will wait.

Cause Microsoft is not supporting Win98 anymore, I have a big hope that SlimBrowser will be one of browsers that we may rely on. As it uses system files, it starts faster then say Firefox or Opera.

[Drugwash]

I've been relying on SlimBrowser since my Win95 days, years ago. I had a 486DX @ 66 MHz IBM desktop with a 12in. monitor (640x480 fixed resolution) and I was the happiest man in the world for having a tabbed browser with FlashGet bar integrated into its toolbar, plus a multiple search engine at hand. Added to the extremely handy translation system, that was love at first sight.

[Wijono]

Hi guys …

I have sent a feedback to the publisher of SlimBrowser, with the request to enable a really slim, small and lean SlimBrowser Lite. Hopefully there will be a positive response.

Meanwhile I have found another IE based browser that already can fulfill my wish, i.e., I need only tab-browsing and pop-up blocker; it is called Maxthon Browser Lite Version 1.5.6 Build 42. It is fully customizable; I can remove items that I don’t need from Menu Bar, Toolbar and also Status Bar!! What’s more, with a plug-in I can hide the last tab, meaning when only one tab open, the Tab Bar will disappear, just like Firefox, cool!!