Auto-Patcher For Windows 98se (English)

[Eck]

About the 48bitLBA, well I don't know what will happen on a real system. As I mentioned I ran October FULL, updating to the latest RC2 afterwards. Both times the 48bitLBA was installed and no error or message about being already installed was displayed or in the log. It just installed it again.

Guess that's a loop?

And yes, I'd say go ahead and release it. The fixes, rolling back the Internet Explorer Cumulative to the one that doesn't cause problems with 98SE2ME Option 3 and/or Revolution Pack (not that I've ever tried Option 3 or Revolution Pack, but I think the coming Revolution version 8 and/or Uberskin looks like something I'll finally go ahead and play with as improving the look and feel of 98SE without interfering with other system files and having a small memory footprint is something I can finally sign on to) is more important than a couple of minor bugs.

After all, Windows Update would break a lot more things than Auto-Patcher ever would. It's already a more stable updater than Windows Update ever was. Interesting that a few folks working on whatever their specialties are can do a better job than hundreds of Microsoft software designers at updating their own operating system.

I'm going to shortly be putting a real Windows 98SE partition on my computer's hard drive and get away from using Virtualbox for it. That thing's just too slow when guesting 98SE. Can't stand using it that way. My first computer (AMD K6-2/300 with 66MHz FSB) was a speed demon in comparison! So I'm hoping the new Auto-Patcher comes out like, today or tomorrow, so I get all the new thingagabob's and fixes that come along with it. I'll be too busy watching the Election news today anyway so tomorrow looks like it'll be a good day to wipe that hard drive and get started. Gonna try to just keep the Linux hard drive as it is, as with Grub in the root partition my messing with the Windows hard drive shouldn't give me too much trouble if I just disconnect it and reconnect it once I get 98SE and Vista back on the first drive. I'll just unmount the Windows drive and delete the folder and fstab entry first and then recreate it with the new info once back in Linux. Guess I'll try to figure out the BCDEasy method of adding the XP boot files to the 98SE C: drive so Vista's boot loader can boot 98SE. That's one I haven't done yet. I already use Vista to boot Debian, but this looks a bit more complicated.

[Drugwash]

The only thing that puzzles me while passing by this thread is why would this release be called 'December' when we're already almost one week into February...

Oh and another question that just popped in my mind: approximately how many reboots would AP perform on a vanilla 98SE? Attached to my testing machine (166MHz CPU, 32MB RAM) I got a defective monitor that after a few hours of usage, once gone into off mode (temporarily during a reboot or low power mode) it will stay that way, unless powered off for minutes to hours.

[joe tweaker]

Add my vote for calling it the February 2008 release... it's less confusing that way.

[Eck]

It restarts the computer a lot. Then again, there are no user interactions once setting it up and telling it to go ahead. It just installs stuff, restarts the computer, waits for about 15 seconds for Windows to finish loading everything and starts again itself, rinse and repeat many times.

So if you don't mind not being able to watch its ms-dos window telling you what it's currently doing, it will just keep at things until fully patched and then at the end you just hit the any key (the space bar) and it exits, leaving the log file open so you can read it and save it (Save As...) wherever you like in case you uninstall Auto-Patcher and still want to keep the log (I save it as a txt file). No need to do that, but I like to have it besides its own .log in its folder. I print it out too.

It's possible this would be a problem on future runs because occasionally there may be a loop and it will need your interaction to proceed. If that happens on your first run you're in trouble if you can't see the question it asks you. In that case you'd need to get that monitor going somehow!

Hmmm. Maybe the name of the month Auto-Patcher uses is the month he started working on the next version? I'm just glad soporific makes it so I don't care what he calls this thing.

Funny that the last version didn't break anything on my virtualized system. Maybe that's because the Internet Explorer cumulative update doesn't effect things adversely unless using 98SE2ME Option 3 or Revolution Pack?

Whatever, I'll just use whatever the latest version is when I'm ready and not use the Explorer 5.5 included programs, like I never have anyway. I suppose when the new version comes out it'll patch things by going back to the older IE Cumulative so there won't be a problem installing that Revolution stuff after that. I don't think the next Revolution Pack is going to install that Windows Me explorer.exe anyway. Things are changing with that new Uberskin thing, thankfully.

[soporific]

re: the version name of Auto-Patcher -- my reasoning is thus: I want the name to reflect the date AP will get you up-to-date to. So, for those not following the progress on MSFN, i want them to be sure they know where they're up to with regard to updates. Right now, there's no way i can call it February 2008 because any updates released this month won't be a part of February and may give the wrong impression. I could call it January 2008, that satisfies my criteria - but December 2007 still is my preferred name because it gives a better impression of where you will be updated to.

re: the number of reboots -- i can't give an exact figure because its determined by the selection but generally its one reboot per module whatever that works out to be.

[Eck]

I was about half a day too impatient. I just used RC2.

What do you know? I was really impatient and lazy too. I did print out stuff from a thread over at the EasyBCD forum where they were discussing adding the XP boot files to 98SE and using Vista's boot loader for my triple boot with Linux and 98SE. But the idea of wiping things and going through all that when everything works now just didn't appeal.

I tried VMWare on Vista. And, this was the "what do you know," my goodness, VMWare is heads and tails better than Virtualbox when using a Windows 98SE guest. It's nearly the same as using a real computer. Not quite, but surely better than Virtualbox which made 98 run in a way that I would never use it even with the full audio and video drivers I had figured out how to get and use (SciTech and Realtek).

VMWare is real zippy! And Auto-Patcher did a fine job too (well, that always worked).

The audio works much better, with the Creative Ensoniq ES1371 a much better card to virtualize than that Intel AC97 chip that Virtualbox uses. Went through a few hoops with the Creative software cd I have as the VXD driver it installs first crashes and can't be used on the VMWare 6.02 like it could on earlier VMWare releases. I had to be patient and wait through the crash and blue screen until the rest of the Creative software (PlayCenter, Wave Studio, Recorder, Mixer, etc, but make sure to remove the check from the Dos Drivers as the WDM's won't work with them) got installed and then before rebooting upgrading manually with Device Manager to the WDM drivers on the same Creative cd. I went through a lot of experimenting and manually deleting all the Creative registry entries (find, find next) and driver files in the System folder until I figured out that was the way to do it. After a reboot it all works together. Even their EAPCI8M.ECW midi synth plays midi's nicely. And mp3's sound great. Video files play without all the herky jerky and missed synchronization of the same on Virtualbox.

Actually, 98SE on VMWare performs faster on Vista than Vista itself does. I know that sounds ridiculous, but on my hardware Vista really isn't a good performer so a virtualized 98SE is superior. Plus, no wondering why suddenly I need to wait 40 minutes here and there when Vista decides to thrash my hard drive for no apparent reason since I wasn't doing anything at the time. What the heck is that thing doing? It's not defragmenting. It's not indexing (nothing new to index). It's not Windows Defendering. It's just working hard at some mysterious process (all scanners active so it's not spyware, unless it's Microsoft spying on me). I haven't a clue but it makes me get the heck out of Vista and run to Linux after it's done. Who wants an OS that needs to use your computer for such great lengths of time with unknown, hidden activities and uses the hard drive so hard that the user can't do anything while it's doing it?

Maybe I will just wipe it (but, darn I spent so much money on it) and use the real 98SE instead.

In any case, GREAT WORK on the Auto-Patcher and thanks a bunch for it!

Edited February 10, 2008 by Eck

[thydreamwalker]

...All's Well, RC2 UPGRADE works great on older PC(PentiumMMX-233mhz-6.5gb-64mb)-<yet UBERSKIN RP8*???works ,though not as well as RP7 overall in comparison>,.....RevPack 7.11.5 works great..too!!!<ADDED NEW - SESP 3.03a update fixes problems from MDCU 2.50 for some reason > I also acquired a Chem PC(with PentiumIII-128mb-11gb-450mhz);added 98se with all clean installs of every update ever yet published -Works fine yet USB has problems for some reason with infra red update in APrc1,So just use ethernet connection instead....***Since adding AP-RC2&SESP3.03a..I can now use Qwest CD to solve connection problems ..(as this would NOT work before..for some odd reason??/ even Qwest was amazed as i could use MSN as I could do so before>>>Just Keep Up da Great Work As All helps!!!!thx,thydreamwalker 98SE survives!!!

[soporific]

...All's Well, RC2 UPGRADE works great on older PC(PentiumMMX-233mhz-6.5gb-64mb)-<yet UBERSKIN RP8*???works ,though not as well as RP7 overall in comparison>,.....RevPack 7.11.5 works great..too!!!<ADDED NEW - SESP 3.03a update fixes problems from MDCU 2.50 for some reason > I also acquired a Chem PC(with PentiumIII-128mb-11gb-450mhz);added 98se with all clean installs of every update ever yet published -Works fine yet USB has problems for some reason with infra red update in APrc1,So just use ethernet connection instead....***Since adding AP-RC2&SESP3.03a..I can now use Qwest CD to solve connection problems ..(as this would NOT work before..for some odd reason??/ even Qwest was amazed as i could use MSN as I could do so before>>>Just Keep Up da Great Work As All helps!!!!thx,thydreamwalker 98SE survives!!!

Just to let everyone know, i tried installing SESP 3.03a after using AP with most options installed. To my relief, hardly any new system files were installed meaning AP has most if not all of the updates Gape has included. But there is still a point in installing SESP 3.03a after AP in that you get some extra eye candy (boot screens) and there are some performance tweaks you will benefit from. Most importantly, the 2 projects seem to work well together. SESP 3.03a could also be considered a replacement from using AP at all as it will bring your Win98 machine up-to-date much like AP will. But AP has the benefit of containing EVERYTHING which means you can use it no matter what the state of your system is. SESP 3.03a can't do this, you need some stuff installed first. But, SESP 3.03a is looking really really good. Congrats to Gape.

[barbarien]

I installed AP Dez. Final on a new installed Win 98 Se

so these updates looped

service 9x , tools 9x ,ttfpack ,2 to 4 digit conversion tool ,unofficial html help ie 6 but newer file HHCTRL.OCX 5.2.3790.2847 is in windows / system ??????? so is it installed or not ?

after i installed these updates manually with no problem something is bad with the installation routine !

i suggest mdcupl for nicer icons like win me

[soporific]

I installed AP Dez. Final on a new installed Win 98 Se

so these updates looped

service 9x , tools 9x ,ttfpack ,2 to 4 digit conversion tool ,unofficial html help ie 6 but newer file HHCTRL.OCX 5.2.3790.2847 is in windows / system ??????? so is it installed or not ?

after i installed these updates manually with no problem something is bad with the installation routine !

i suggest mdcupl for nicer icons like win me

NEWS: firstly, 2 files were left out of the Final Upgrade installer -- NDP11sp1.exe and DCOM98Up.exe -- for those who wanted to install .NET Framework 1.1 or the Unofficial DCOM98 update should re-download the Upgrade package again. Sorry about this, i gotta lay off the cough syrup obviously. The link will be available as soon as 30 MB uploads, should be only a few more minutes at time of typing.

barbarien, could you run AP again using the same module options as before but use the VERBOSE mode (ie use START_DEBUG.bat instead of START_ME.bat to start AP) and PM me the debug text file. Also, give me your log file as well. Loops usually happen on a system that has been in use for a while, i'm quite surprised that you are getting so many on a new installed Win98 se.

[barbarien]

My Logfile

I_Result.rar

[thydreamwalker]

HEY UMMM...THE FILES"Final Upgrade installer -- NDP11sp1.exe and DCOM98Up.exe -- for those who wanted to install .NET Framework 1.1 or the Unofficial DCOM98"...SHOULD BE STILL IN A.P.RC1 COMPONENT FILES INSIDE THE UPDATER AS MINE WERE THERE BEFORE I DOWNLOADED NEWER UPGRADE FILES RC2(Maybe they were there to begin with from A.P.OCT.UPGRADE???...) thydreamwalker

[Eck]

Does one of the new updates change the way Internet Explorer reacts to Visual Scripting? Because I now have a weird situation where on almost any web page I get a box saying IE needs to download Visual Scripting support, and that it is available on my hard drive. I click to have it go ahead, and I notice the remainder of the web page is loaded, usually some picture boxes. If I browse to another page the situation repeats, I get the prompt to install Visual Scripting, give it the go ahead, and the page loads properly. It only takes a second or so but I would think that once it does this once it should stay installed, no?

Perhaps I need to reinstall something? I haven't messed with the Advanced Internet Options tab. All levels on the security tab are at the default levels.

I had thought that perhaps installing the WorksSuite 2005 and OfficeXP, and the SP3 and all Office Updates from Microsoft along with the Works update might fix it. That stuff installs some system type files related to Visual Scripting I think. But all that works but this problem hasn't changed. You think perhaps running Maximus-Decim's MDAC update pack might install something properly that I somehow have a mismatched version for now? The only updates I have now are those installed from Auto-Patcher, and I did toggle on those Visual Basic Runtime Library modules so I have all that installed too.

I was about to go on to the next step, which is running 98SE2ME, then 98MP10, then EXPLOR98.EXE. I toggled all that stuff off in Auto-Patcher including the ani fixes and the Explorer replacement module so I could run those things myself with the above packages. I kept the default of off for the shell98 and memory fix, copy large files fix too. I figure that if I have problems I can go back and run Auto-Patcher and toggle those unofficial patches to on but I'd try things first without them. All those Office installs worked fine and I haven't started copying huge amounts of things from my cdr's yet so I don't yet know if I can do without those fixes or not. I used to install them all the time but as you set them to off by default I figured I'd try things out without them.

[soporific]

Does one of the new updates change the way Internet Explorer reacts to Visual Scripting? Because I now have a weird situation where on almost any web page I get a box saying IE needs to download Visual Scripting support, and that it is available on my hard drive. I click to have it go ahead, and I notice the remainder of the web page is loaded, usually some picture boxes. If I browse to another page the situation repeats, I get the prompt to install Visual Scripting, give it the go ahead, and the page loads properly. It only takes a second or so but I would think that once it does this once it should stay installed, no?

yeah, i've noticed this too but i never did enough testing to see that it always asks you if you want to download 0 bytes in order to use scripting. I just assumed you said yes once and then that was it. A wild guess from me would point the finger at Java 6 Update 4 as i started to notice the issue around the time i decided to go with Java 6 instead of 5. But i haven't confirmed this theory yet. The other suspect would be the unofficial scripting update.

[RetroOS]

...

A wild guess from me would point the finger at Java 6 Update 4 as i started to notice the issue around the time i decided to go with Java 6 instead of 5. But i haven't confirmed this theory yet. The other suspect would be the unofficial scripting update.

I've been running Java 6 Update 3 and now Update 4 (BTW fixed a web page I had a problem with...).

I have never had the mentioned problem.

However, I'm not sure if I have the unofficial scripting update installed.

When did you include it in AP? - I've installed up to Dec 2007 RC1 but have not installed Final (or RC2) yet.