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Pretty sure MS-DOS 5.0 was rock-solid enough. It only faltered because things running under it had bugs that overwrote random bits - the kernel itself would be stable.

Here are some known MS-DOS bugs in 5.0 and later (the last one is amusing in its own way):

* DriveSpace (DoubleSpace, a.k.a. what was intended to compete against Stacker) bugs in anything earlier than 6.20: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DriveSpace#Bugs_and_data_loss
* FDISK bugs of several types across several versions: http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/159631-testing-ms-dos-limitations/
* SCANDISK bugs in 6.20 and earlier (Cirrus Logic IDE controllers, when used with VERIFY=ON, resulted in erased drives): http://www.mail-archive.com/survpc@softcon.com/msg01557.html
* INT 21h AH=30h (Get MS-DOS Version function) bug: returns AL=$06 AH=$14 (i.e. 6.20) on 6.21 -- fixed in 6.22 (AL=$06, AH=$16): http://spike.scu.edu.au/~barry/interrupts.html#ah30

http://www.msfn.org/board/topi...

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection]
"AllowTelemetry"=dword:00000000

apparently that's the key enterprise sets when you disable telemetry in group policy. the key appears to work on home and pro since it does disable, greys out, the data and usage box. it will also set what ever telemetry setting you have to the lowest one, basic, which it too does on enterprise.

3. There are going to be endless registry hacks to turn things off or change the way they work.

Here are a few to start with. Doing it on my machine right now: http://www.msfn.org/board/topi...

buying ad-free Solitaire for the five years that you plan to use the laptop. Or what am I missing?

Buying ad-free Solitaire won't fix any other system ads, user data collection, etc, that are the actual reason not to use the OS. Solitaire's basically completely beside the point; there are free versions of the game anyhow, so problems in Microsoft's version are moot. The info in this link ought to give you more of an idea of the security issues that a lot of people are talking about here.

The reason why so many people stick with XP, or Vista, or even Windows 2000 is because it just works.

BTW there is a Japanese guy who has made a improved version of Windows 2000 KERNEL32.DLL, making it possible to run some software that should work on XP only.

The second method I've seen work is to take a molex connector cable to serial, it attaches to the four little pins on the back of the drive and allows firmware access through a terminal program like hyper terminal or minicom. I've seen drives corrupt there firmware and this is really the only way to get into the settings and play with it, you can sometimes unlock a drive and get it spinning up, however copy the data off ASAP and swap the drive, it's at it's lifes end.

Other than the infamous Seagate 7200.11 firmware problem where instructions were eventually posted for the unwashed masses http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/128807-the-solution-for-seagate-720011-hdds/, how would one know what commands to send and what data to provide with such a serial connection? It's not like the HD manufacturers' support folks will give you the info when you call them up and break into tears.

Apart from all the garage hacks I just talked about there is alway the manufactures tools, they usually will allow you to download a disk image full of apps that can talk to the drive and try to recover it.

Seagate's SeaTools won't do that. Western Digital's DataLifeguard won't do that. Hitachi's DFT won't do that. I'd love to find some software from those guys that will allow attempts at data recovery but all I see these days is that they are touting their own data recovery services. Where did you find these tools?

First of all, PROVE your "anecdotal b.s." here:

(And, if that happened via malware code? No biggie: I showed a preventative method for THAT TOO, right here, days ago, vs. invalid installation turn off by an app's code -> http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2282088&cid=36740882 )

U FAIL AGAIN!

(LMAO!)

"Once again, you're wrong. I've seen patches like this happen, and WFP did not fix it. The problem is, once the file is patched, and the hostile code loaded into memory, WFP can be disabled by that hostile code, even if only for that file." - by cbiltcliffe (186293) on Tuesday July 12, @10:29PM (#36744054) Homepage

First of all - Windows File Protection would reject it, just like is seen here:

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/84128-windows-file-protection-popups-when-installing-drivers/

AND, the ONLY WAY you can get around a hassle like that, is to disable WFP, period...

Now - unlike yourself, & your "I've seen it" anecdotal b.s.?

Well - I can actually produce a result for a tool that shows that done (WinPCap driver, to use it, you have to ALLOW IT to disable the WFP protection)...

QUESTION FOR PROOF: Can you produce something that does it on its own proving it does via its own code??

Funny you omit any proofs, as per your usual!

So much for your usual b.s.!

* Once again, the "amateur" tries his best, has only "anecdotal b.s." as is cbtcliffe's usual, & FAILS!

APK

P.S.=> AND, if you do manage to produce a valid result of that as I have in WinPCap installations, or an actual malware that does it?

Again - SEE my FIRST link above @ the start of this reply, it will stop it by turning it on again... AND?

Then, guess what saves the day once again??

You guessed it - The Windows install media - it has the original files

OR

You can get latest service packed versions of them by manually extracting out the latest valid models from MS using the switches on Service Pack patch files OR open them with say, WinRAR, then extract them onto another form of media, preferably a CD (read only) & load them from a bootup into Recovery Console, flipping to the copy you have on CD!

(Again - using a CD is preferred because of read-only access AND, by default, unless you change it? RC only allows you to access the Windows ROOT folders %WinDir% & %SystemRoot% iirc)

AND... There you go...

All fixed once again (IF need be too in the case you're proposing!) - because, face it:

There's nothing "the likes of you" can *THINK* of, that I can't fix easily in a second's moment of thought!

SO, as usual for myself, vs. you? This?? This was just "too, Too, TOO EASY - just '2EZ'", lol...

... apk

You're probably talking about that specific failure in barracuda family, 7200.11. I had one of those, and had the typical problem (logic board dies). Exchanged it on warranty, they sent back a similar size 7200.12. No problems with that one either.

There's nothing actually wrong with the logic board when a 7200.11 fails. The drive, for lack of a better word, just gets confused when it encounters a specific edge case (see "Root Cause" on that page) .

To unconfuse the drive, you hack an adaptor that permits you to use the drive's built-in serial port (Yes, the bare drive itself features a real serial port. You could do this with a VT100 dumb terminal!) to wake it up. Seagate 7200.11 fix The hardest part of the hack is building the RS-232C adaptor.

...except that IE7 won't install. We'll have to limp along with unofficial IE6 patches unless that changes.

iTunes without QuickTime Get iTune Not necessarily. I don't own one, but a few of my friends have iDevices and the only way I'll support them is if they let me install itunes this way!

On another note, projects like this (well, not exactly like this, but "hard hack" or bottom-up projects) tend to rely on what is now obsolete hardware. While reading through the "Will the serial port ever die" article the other day, I kept thinking about how useful the serial port is for people interested in microcontrollers or any kind of custom made hardware. Back in high school, I built the serial "black cable" to hook up my TI-86 to the computer. Later, I used it to program Basic Stamp clones and PIC microcontrollers.

Synchronicity. At the same time you were reading "Will the serial port ever die", I was thinking about RS-232 serial ports on modern hard drives.

Then this nut shows up on Ask Slashdot, wanting to go one level even deeper down the rabbit hole of abstraction layers :)

Install it with the quicktime alternative and without all the crap. Linky from my post earlier -> These guys have been doing just that for ages.

It would have been an "Opt-Out" option, which is nearly as bad as the common theme for windows apps and damn toolbars or other "partner" software. If a friend desperately needs/wants iTunes and I know for a fact they will install it against my advice anyway, I use this method. iTunes, without full quicktime, no updater, no bonjour, updater etc. I stipulate that I won't fix their machine if they choose to update it themselves. It works, keeps them happy and saves me the effort of diagnosing a slow computer.

Why an F'ing music syncing application needs something like 8 persistently running services is absolutely beyond me.

Except everything you list, is doable with Nlite. THe Menu options for MyComputer are in Nlites "Tweaks" section. And irfanView et al, is just a matter of including SilentInstaller apps, i.e one of Nlites subforums: Application Add-Ons

This can also be done with HFSLIP, though not guified, and would require you to include the .REG files for the rightClick options. Or create a Win2K install without any trace of Internet Explorer with HFSLIP +FDV's Filesets.

FWIW I actually spent a LOT of time getting Windows XP to the state I like

You might be interested in building a custom XP install disk with your registry changes integrated into the install.

That said, I'd love to figure out how to slipstream IE8 and WGA and so on, as the process I mentioned above *does* leave a few things out.

You could include the updates manually in the $OEM$ distribution folder. Of course this isn't true slipstreaming as the updates will be installed afterwards.

Tools such as RyanVM's Integrator and nLite also can provide an easier, automated way to slipstream updates and customize Windows installs. nLite also supports addons that people can create for things like WGA and IE8.

A good source of information and downloads for custom Windows installs is the MSFN forums,Unattended Windows install guide, and WinCert.net forums.

That said, I'd love to figure out how to slipstream IE8 and WGA and so on, as the process I mentioned above *does* leave a few things out.

You could include the updates manually in the $OEM$ distribution folder. Of course this isn't true slipstreaming as the updates will be installed afterwards.

Tools such as RyanVM's Integrator and nLite also can provide an easier, automated way to slipstream updates and customize Windows installs. nLite also supports addons that people can create for things like WGA and IE8.

A good source of information and downloads for custom Windows installs is the MSFN forums,Unattended Windows install guide, and WinCert.net forums.

That said, I'd love to figure out how to slipstream IE8 and WGA and so on, as the process I mentioned above *does* leave a few things out.

You could include the updates manually in the $OEM$ distribution folder. Of course this isn't true slipstreaming as the updates will be installed afterwards.

Tools such as RyanVM's Integrator and nLite also can provide an easier, automated way to slipstream updates and customize Windows installs. nLite also supports addons that people can create for things like WGA and IE8.

A good source of information and downloads for custom Windows installs is the MSFN forums,Unattended Windows install guide, and WinCert.net forums.

For just installing software:

http://wpkg.org/

For installing windows over a network with applications and drivers preinstalled:
http://unattended.sourceforge.net/

I have yet to try wpkg, but I've been messing with unattended off and on for a while now, and it's pretty good. There are scripts that will automatically download most of the open source applications and place them in the "repository" you create on a samba share that also contains scripts that help install them automatically. The hard part is actually configuring windows from a script. For example:

Enable Status and Address Bar In Explorer
http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/registry/57/

Change My Computer Name
http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/registry/35/
(here I can "read" the ascii, but I don't know where "20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D" is coming from.

I run into similar problems when trying to make "details" the default view for directories in explorer. I don't have time to look that one up right now, but I had to create it by setting it manually, then doing a diff on the registry, but the config option was for "local user" and I still haven't found where to place it in the "local machine" section.

But anyway, this is about the closest that I've seen to something that is similar to apt for windows. BTW, even though unattended is for installing windows, you can use it to just install applications, bypassing the installation routine.

For just installing software:

http://wpkg.org/

For installing windows over a network with applications and drivers preinstalled:
http://unattended.sourceforge.net/

I have yet to try wpkg, but I've been messing with unattended off and on for a while now, and it's pretty good. There are scripts that will automatically download most of the open source applications and place them in the "repository" you create on a samba share that also contains scripts that help install them automatically. The hard part is actually configuring windows from a script. For example:

Enable Status and Address Bar In Explorer
http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/registry/57/

Change My Computer Name
http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/registry/35/
(here I can "read" the ascii, but I don't know where "20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D" is coming from.

I run into similar problems when trying to make "details" the default view for directories in explorer. I don't have time to look that one up right now, but I had to create it by setting it manually, then doing a diff on the registry, but the config option was for "local user" and I still haven't found where to place it in the "local machine" section.

But anyway, this is about the closest that I've seen to something that is similar to apt for windows. BTW, even though unattended is for installing windows, you can use it to just install applications, bypassing the installation routine.

You can install KernelEx http://x86.neostrada.pl/KernelEx http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?act=ST&f=91&t=130936 and install some (not all) 2K/XP applications under 95/98. You certainly can install and run FireFox 3.

I have some educational games that only work under 98 so I have an old notebook that runs that. It would be nice to have the latest version of FF running but it's good enough that cygwin runs and I use ssh as a thether to the network.

"If you can reflash it" is also subjective: does that mean via a normal IDE/SATA interface, or does it extend to a direct JTAG connection, or do you have to desolder the ROM to flash it?

Not even JTAG. Plain old RS-232.

(The drive's internal diagnostics don't have an obvious way to reflash it via RS-232, but it wouldn't surprise me if there were a command to do so. Meantime, that link will "unbrick" a drive that failed due to the initial firmware problem. Doubt it'll unbrick a drive due to a failed firmware upgrade. Still, pretty fucking cool that you can talk to a hard drive, unplugged from any computer, and get it to play tricks by using nothing more than a 30-year old VT-100 dumb terminal.)

You're talking about this, right?

Sadly, seagate forums won't let us discuss if it is a functional solution (for those with the experience necessary to do it) or not.

Perhaps you could at least say if that works or not, and maybe let us know if it is a 3.3 volt or 5 volt TTL interface.

Any pointers to the 7200.11 RS232 console location/pinout/baud ?

You talk to it at 38400 8N1. Here's the Seagate 7200.11 fix, including pinouts and every command required to solve both the BSY problem and the LBA 0 problem.

What's the statistical risk of a Barracuda 7200.11 not coming back up after a power cycle? Any external factors that increase the risk?

No idea, but now that there's a DIY fix, people can actually start trying to replicate the bug. w00t!

That's a lot more than they're required to do and more than most companies would do.

Considering the mounting evidence, stalling, and potential class-action lawsuit. I'd say your "required to do" would have quickly turned into, "we have to".

I agree. And yes I own two Seagates and I've also owned IBMs as well so I'm familiar with HD failure. My issue isn't so much the failure although the "death without warning" isn't reassuring. The way Seagate handled the matter is why I question wither people can ever trust them again. Hardware can be replaced. Trust not so easily.

"...if not to produce 100% failure-proof designs, then to do everything they can to fix the problem and make it right by the costumer."

Then you might want to read this link in it's entirety since it's obvious the person who modded me couldn't be bothered to. Seagate made right, but the arm twisting that it took shouldn't have happened.

Don't buy Seagate!

'nuff said.

Informative?

Err... Of course you can?

http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/web/36/

The Vista DVD pretty much does that. It contains the files for all 5 versions and the key you enter when you install determines which version of Vista will be configured. So you can install Vista Ultimate from the Vista Home DVD, if you use an Ultimate key. This also allows you to perform the "anytime upgrade" to a higher version if you buy it.

The server components are not present however because Windows Server is configured a lot differently. For example, Windows XP is version 5.1 and Windows Server 2003 is version 5.2. Although they contain many of the same features their configuration is a lot different (ie. Windows server has no themes service or system restore and is set to prioritize background processes over foreground). Some people have configured Windows Server as a workstation but there are a lot of steps involved just to get it to XP style functionality. The kernel and services are also different to optimize the system for serving or workstation tasks.

I remember the people bleating about how they'd never put XP on their machines. How they were sticking with 98se forever.

I'm still using w98se you insensitive clod!

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; Disable Themes: Provides user experience theme management. (one less thing that has to load)

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Themes]
"Start"=dword:00000004

You can then use a command like regedit /S disablethemes.reg in a batch file have it auto-magically disable it as matter of course during windows install.

As for the other settings I discovered I it's possible to:

1. Create a new user and log into it.
2. Make all settings adjustments, extensions, "adjust for best performance" in system properties/advanced etc. and then open reg edit.
3. Select the HKEY-CURRENT-USER key and export it as HKCU.REG.
4. Then you can import the whole current user key at once, either after logging in or in an automated way during a windows installation using the method above. (Of course if someone out there can tell me a reason NOT to import an entire HKCU like that I'm all ears.) Look up the RunOnceEx key in the registry. It's very useful when re-installing windows.

Here's some links:

Best way to learn automated installs:
http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/sitemap

Best set of registry tweaks I have found in one place:
http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/page/list/registry/

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; Disable Themes: Provides user experience theme management. (one less thing that has to load)

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Themes]
"Start"=dword:00000004

You can then use a command like regedit /S disablethemes.reg in a batch file have it auto-magically disable it as matter of course during windows install.

As for the other settings I discovered I it's possible to:

1. Create a new user and log into it.
2. Make all settings adjustments, extensions, "adjust for best performance" in system properties/advanced etc. and then open reg edit.
3. Select the HKEY-CURRENT-USER key and export it as HKCU.REG.
4. Then you can import the whole current user key at once, either after logging in or in an automated way during a windows installation using the method above. (Of course if someone out there can tell me a reason NOT to import an entire HKCU like that I'm all ears.) Look up the RunOnceEx key in the registry. It's very useful when re-installing windows.

Here's some links:

Best way to learn automated installs:
http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/sitemap

Best set of registry tweaks I have found in one place:
http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/page/list/registry/

I'm aware there are third party ways to update fresh builds of XP in a more straightforward fashion (or integrate the updates in to the install disc), but where is mighty Microsoft on this? Where is the value here?

Ummm, you don't need a third-party tool, microsoft provides lots of information on how to slipstream patches into xp before you install. This documentation has been available for years, and it is the same technique as win2000 and win2003 (dunno about vista).

You can also script your install (search google for winnt.sif or unattend.txt) so you just turn on the system and come back in 30 minutes with everything installed the way you like it. Go look at www.msfn.org.

How are you Gentlemen!! Perhaps you would be interested in my comparison of memory footprints The results may surprise you. Windows 2000 with SP5 has a slightly larger memory footprint than Windows XP without any service packs or updates installed. Due to the vastly larger memory requirements for Windows XP I always assumed that this would not be the case. It is only the service packs and other updates that make windows XP into the memory hog that it is. In the beginning it was (relatively) lean and mean. This threw me at first.

Actually it is mainly Asus's own lack of motherboard drivers for windows 2000 for my new motherboard that finally forced me to 'upgrade' from windows 2000 to XP. Although Razer has also dropped the ball by not supplying win2k drives for my new Diamondback 3G mouse. It seems that is really these vendors and not microsoft that truly force upgrades to their newer operating systems.

I am surprised no one has mentioned nlite or the torrents available for pre nlited versions.

...caching the width of the space character across font variants so SmoothText will render text properly.

you can always use the slipstreaming feature of the xp patches or use nLite to create an updated XP cd.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/828930
http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/web/23/

*If* you go the Server 2003 road - http://win2k3.msfn.org/ has a great starting point for tuning the OS for work/play too. XP64 apparently is based off of the Server 2003 codebase (much like Server 2008 sounds like it might be sharing a codebase with Vista). If if works on one, it will probably work on the other.

As another bit of anecdotal evidence - Vista64 compiled my project in 17 seconds, XP64 in 15 seconds on the new hardware. The old AMD3800+ with XP (x86) took 47 seconds. YMMV. Good luck!

"What the other AC said."

(I'm the guy that said the reason Win9x was restricted to 128GB hard drives was totally artificial, and by implication that if Microsoft had simply released a version of ESDI_506.PDR that supported over-128GB hard drives, we'd have been happy to use it. They didn't, so it got patched by hand. Closed source == planned obsolescence, and the only ways out are either (a) cheap hacks or (b) migrating to an open OS. Migrating wasn't an option for the Windows-based gaming rig in question.)

Another funny binary patch story -- the patch to get DOOM 3 and Quake 4 to run on Win9x is two bytes. Seems that only one function name (GlobalMemoryStatus / GlobalMemoryStatusEx) got changed. Replace "Ex" with NULs and the friggin' game runs just fine under 9x.

http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/web/15/

Man, learn to Slipstream.

See Unattended_Windows. eg: HFSLIP.

Let the computer do the work. You can still charge $85 for inserting the disc.

Man, learn to Slipstream.

See Unattended_Windows. eg: HFSLIP.

Let the computer do the work. You can still charge $85 for inserting the disc.

After countless wipes and rebuilds of my Windows XP Pro OS.... I got tired of installing my applications and tweaking windows to my liking. I'm working (mostly done) on building an unattended install CD (Soon to be DVD/USB Memory Stick/Network Boot...whichever I find most clever). At this point in the game I've got SP2 slipstreamed on the CD, as well as all the critical hotfixes and drivers for my system. I've also configured silent installs for most of my applications. For those applications I am unable to install silently w/ switches I am using http://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/ to create scripted installs.

I recommend checking out the guide at http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/ for more information. As well there are many helpful forum trolls to give you advice on issues you might come up against.
It takes a bit of time/effort to get it working. But it is worth it in the end to be able to slip in a CD or a DVD and coming back to a fully functioning system tailored to your liking.

Good luck.

You could in at least 2000 and forward. I never had experience doing this in 95 or 98 but it still might have been possible. You will need to create an unattended installation answer file. This file will allow you to selectively choose what feature you want to install. It was also the preferred way in XP to move the Documents and Settings folder to a different drive other than C without using registry hacks.

You can read about doing this with Microsoft's guide at: http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsVista/en/libr ary/88f80cb7-d44f-47f7-a10d-e23dd53bc3fa1033.mspx? mfr=true and there is also a user forum where people are discussing this and you can ask questions if you need help at: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showforum=149.

Setting up an unattended installation isn't child's play. I recommend doing test installs in a Virtual Machine first to make sure everything is working as you selected. Do note that you will need to perform multiple installations before you get everything setup as you want. This is because you'll aways forget something and need to go back.