Win9x patches, batch install

Whilst I know 98 is out of date and I'm sure someone will want to type "why are you doing this?" but I'll ask anyways.

I've got a CD that automatically loads win9x (specifically working with 98se) and only stops to ask you the CD key. What I'm trying to do is include the patches and updates from windowsupdate into the install somehow. Has anyone attempted this in the past that can give me some insight?

The specific issue I'm looking at right now is actually creating a batch file to run the various patches I've already downloaded. Doing a /? to most of the patches tells me there are four parameters:
/q quiet mode
/t specify temp folder
/c extract files only to /t folder
/c:<command> override install command defined by author

So I add /q after the patch file name in a batch file and run it. It obvious runs them all without waiting for the previous one to complete. Most of them eventually finish but I don't like the idea of that many processes running at once, especially updates. So my first question is, how do I get them to wait till it's done before returning control the batch file process?

My second question is, how do I stop all the "You must restart" screens from poping up? I tried the /norestart options I've seen on some XP patch webpages but I get an error.

Thanks in advance...

Here's a list for older hotfixes and patches which might work: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/262841

Otherwise, MS is trying to apply the same standards across the board to all updates when it comes to switches now: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/824687/

Thanks for the links, those switches seem to work with a small percentage of the patches so it's helped me take a small step forward but still having issues with the older ones.

Your links have helped me locate a solution to one problem tho...

Here I found a description of some batch file commands with a example of the "start /wait filename.exe" command. So that should solve my issue with waiting for programs to complete.

I have to ask... and forgive me if you've already done it... ;)

Have you used the "/help" switch after those that are giving you trouble?

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Originally Posted by arch0nmyc0n

Your links have helped me locate a solution to one problem tho...

Here I found a description of some batch file commands with a example of the "start /wait filename.exe" command. So that should solve my issue with waiting for programs to complete.

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Great!

I have no idea how you got that from the links I posted... but hey, glad it helped. :p

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Originally Posted by Stalemate

Great!

I have no idea how you got that from the links I posted... but hey, glad it helped. :p

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Lol well the pages you gave me had a /wait command in them... searched around for that and found that page... :)

Now I just gotta figure out how to make all these old patches shut up and just install...

and yeah the /? gives me those four /slash commands in the original post.

Would this help? I have used it in the past and it worked great.

Unofficial Windows 98 SE Service Pack 1

Quote:

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Unofficial Windows 98 SE Service Pack 1
Microsoft has never released a service pack for Windows98 SE. But I made a Service Pack for Windows98 SE users. It contains all Windows98 SE updates from WindowsUpdate site and more. It is a self-extracting and self-installing pack like Microsoft's update files. Thus, you cannot choice files individually. Uninstallation is possible from Add-Remove Programs. Beta 2 users should install this pack without uninstalling the pack.
It is only for Windows 98 Second Edition English! It contains only operating system updates. It does not contain DirectX, Media Player or other similar products. Features:

* 52 hot fixes. (All of them are from Microsoft's WindowsUpdate.)
* 256-color tray. (Some icons on the tray like WinAMP's icon will be shown better.)
* Better Defrag. (Faster. It is from Windows ME. However, It works properly on the Windows98 SE.)
* Better Notepad. (Same Notepad with more key bindings.)
* Optimized swap file usage. (Windows will not to use the swap file at all until the entire RAM is used.)
* Better WDM/USB support. (Most problems about WDM drivers and USB devices are solved.)
* Windows Scripting Host 5.6. (It is latest version of Scripting Host which also contains VBScript and JScript support.)
* Visual Basic 6.0 SP5 runtime library. (To run Visual Basic 6.0 programs.)
* Windows2000 color scheme. (You should select it from Control Panel-Display-Appearance.)
* A few performance tweaks.

Unofficial Windows98 SE Service Pack is an updater for the Windows98(tm) Second Edition produced and licensed by Microsoft Corporation. Use of Unofficial Windows98 SE Service Pack does not supercedes or provides any remedy for guarantee or warranty that may be invalidated in you EULA. All liabilities from use or misuse of Unofficial Windows98SE Service Pack lie with the End User. This software is provided "as-is," without any express or implied warranty. In no event shall the provider be held liable for any damages arising from the use of this software.

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hmmm ?I remember that from a while back. I remember I had issues with it causing problems with internet explorer after installing it on a few computers. But thanks for reminding me about it, if I can't figure out how to get the "official" stuff working I'll probably resort to it. I was figuring I might be able to get away with running all the ones I can't "fix" all at once and then run the ones I can fix last and have the start /wait command on those so when the last one is done I can initiate a restart. I've seen reboot.exe and restart.exe around, does anyone know if they or something else can initiate a proper windows reboot from a dos window/batch file?

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Originally Posted by arch0nmyc0n

... I've seen reboot.exe and restart.exe around, does anyone know if they or something else can initiate a proper windows reboot from a dos window/batch file?

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I wonder if you could just call the standard Win9x shutdown?

RUNDLL32 SHELL32.DLL,SHExitWindowsEx n

Where "n" can be any combination (sum) of the following numbers:

0 Logoff
1 Shutdown
2 Reboot
4 Force
8 Poweroff (if supported by the hardware)



Otherwise, under DOS:

ECHO G=FFFF:0000 ¦ DEBUG

I Googled that last one - haven't tried it yet.

I may have found a solution here:
http://www.nwnetworks.com/96-02iesecurity.htm

I googled for "microsoft windows 98 updates cabinet 4.72 command line" and it was one of the results (obviously).

In that page it talks about some switches for a patch on March 13th 2000 which would seem to fall in an around the 4.72 cabinet version timeline I'm guessing. It shows the switches '/R:N /Q:A /N:V'

So googling the /Q:A switch and it brings me to:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=323455
Which details some of the switches found in the previous page.
It looks as though the /Q:A switch is what I'm looking for.

Yeah the /Q:A worked with a large number of the patches, only 4 left that are giving me trouble (for this batch anyways)

And thanks for your rundll32 restart advice, it worked like a charm!

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Originally Posted by arch0nmyc0n

...And thanks for your rundll32 restart advice, it worked like a charm!

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No problem.

You never know, I'm may be able to use all this later on. ;)

Ok got most of the patches sorted out, however, I'm having some more fun with the Dialup Networking patch (dun14-se).

I set it up to run just like the others and it works fine except, for some reason it asks for the Windows CD and has C:\WINDOWS\CATROOT as the location listed. I install windows from C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS and the sourcepath under Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup reflects that, but for some reason this patch insists or somehow adjusts the setting to the CATROOT one.

I've googled it and haven't found anything in particular about it. Anyone out there dealt with this thing?