The Windows 98 OEM (full) iso appears to be missing some critical dll files
This is concerning the Windows 98 SE OEM (full) iso listed near the top of the windows 98 releases page on this site.
The installation process runs fine without any problems, but then when it tries to load the desktop for the first time it pops up with an error message saying "the SHELL32.DLL file is linked to missing export SHLWAPI.DLL:tFileAttributesA.". Pressing ok to dismiss the alert then causes explorer to say it performed an illegal operation and will be shut down. Since explorer is shut down before I can actually access the desktop, it is impossible for me to try fixing this from within the OS, so any solutions that require the os to be running are unusable.
Searching for the details of the illegal operation performed by explorer (which was "EXPLORER caused an exception 6d007eH" if you're interested) revealed that it is caused by the OS missing something called ole32.dll, and the provided solution was to copy a fresh version of this file from my windows 98 cd, which obviously would be the iso I downloaded from here. However, the iso provided on this site does not contain any file called "ole32.dll" when I look at its contents.
So I guess my question is, just how many dll files are missing from this site's iso, where can I find them, and how would I add them to my virtual hard drive without having access to it from within virtualbox?
If these dll's were never included with windows 98, then why am I having an error referring to them from a fresh install? Where would my Os installation be expected to get its files from other than the installation media? This is really infuriating because I haven't done any crazy power user stuff, I'm literally just following a tutorial to install the operating system, following the exact steps that are shown, and I'm just... getting errors that the guy doing the tutorial doesnt get. The same sequence of actions provides a different result for me than everyone else. What do I even do in this situation?
Comments
I have the same ISO ("Windows 98 Second Edition.iso", with a modification date of 2009-04-05 08:40, right?) and I found ole32.dll in WIN98_38.cab.
I did have some weird issues with Windows 98 SE Retail Full when I installed it on my ThinkPad T41. I'd be missing win.com, dblhlp.sys and two other files after installing Office 2000 or accidentally installing the XP version of WindowBlinds 4.7. I'd copy the files from the cabs back into the WINDOWS and SYSTEM folders but I'd get a registry corruption BSoD on bootup. Installing win98 directly over the old install worked for one session before the files disappeared on the next boot-up.
You'd have to replace the files from DOS (since the issue only affects the Windows environment). Use the extract command for the applicable cab file, provided that you copied them to the HDD or loaded CD-ROM drivers, then copy the missing files to the WINDOWS and/or SYSTEM directory.
Yes, thats the ISO. I'm going to be totally honest, I'm pretty new to learning the inner workings of operating systems, and I didnt know what a cab file was until just now googling it based on your answer. I will try what you suggested.
If I am having multiple files missing from the install for some reason, is there some way to find them all out or would I have to fix each one individually and then see if any further errors occur after each reset?
If they're drivers to be loaded at startup or files needed to start Windows then they'd be referenced in the corresponding error at boot. Otherwise you'd encounter them only when you do something that requires them.
You'd have to look for them in the WIN98_XX.cab files in the win98 folder. You can apply the missing files simultaneously. Hopefully you've got a search tool that looks inside cabs, because Windows 7's built-in search doesn't (even though the explorer can access them).
Well at least I know where the things are. The extractor I use can handle cab files, so I guess I'll just have to sit down and search for the appropriate missing file for each error as it appears
Ok, no, that's not the problem. all the files being referenced are present. The SHLWAPI.dll and ole32.dll are both in the system folder on the os's c drive. I'm out of ideas then, what could possibly be causing these errors if the files in question are actually there?
Nothing in this thread makes sense. You have a mismatched version of SHELL32.DLL or SHLWAPI.DLL. Probably you installed some software that "updated" one of the files to an incompatible version. It is also possible you may have secondary, incompatible, copies floating around in locations other than the system folder.
Either way, I would strongly suggest just starting completely over with a blank hard drive.
The ISO file should be fine.
How do I start from a blanker hard drive than creating a brand new virtual hard drive in virtualbox? I haven't installed anything, this is literally me just trying to install windows 98 for the first time in a brand new virtual machine? what software would I be installing when I can't even access the desktop for the first time upon a fresh os install?
This has been my entire day. I delete everything, start over from the beginning again, and the same thing happens. I have no clue what is causing this, but if it's not the iso providing incorrect dlls than the only other factors at play are the brand new virtual hard drive which I create from new each time, or virtualbox itself.
Also, no shit this thread doesn't make any sense. The problems I'm having don't make any sense. That's why I made the thread.
Well, I double checked the ISO and it installs perfectly for me.
That, however, means that something very serious is going wrong with your virtualizer. Virtualbox isn't the perfect choice for running Windows 98, but it should install and run.
Off hand, a few things to check, limit the amount of RAM you assign to it - 64MB to 512MB should work. Win 9x only uses one CPU core, so don't assign more than one to the VM. Keep the size of the hard disk reasonable - do not go above 127GB. Disable any CPU acceleration features listed (not sure what the current VirtualBox has) or enable compatibility features.
What CPU speed is your host system? Since virtualbox runs code directly on the CPU that means some things may run too fast, causing odd problems. I have not heard of any with Windows 98 (Windows 95 is full of them), but if it something very new then who knows.
"A required .DLL file, .DLL is missing."
Can anyone help, please?!
Copy the Windows setup folder to a folder on the hard drive. Either use a boot floppy with CD support or a virtual machine file manager.
Boot the machine, to a DOS prompt, then run setup from the folder on the hard drive.
If you don't do this, then setup may fail to find the CD-ROM to copy additional files during the second phase setup.
It is not the ISO fault, but Virtual Box acceleration setting being buggy.
Solution: Settings > Acceleration > Disable all checkboxes
Windows 98 doesn't seem to be compatible with this mode, so disabling this solved the issue for me.
Now its running stable, fast and zero issues, and I can play Simcity again.
Hope I helped out.
Some time last year, I installed Windows 98 SE successfully using this same ISO.
I did this using an Acer laptop running VMWare Player.
I archived this working installation, and have unzipped the archive and reused it successfully last year.
I am now using a newer laptop (a Surface Pro 7). It runs faster than that old Acer I had. I tried to run this on the newer machine and got all kinds of missing dll problems.
I tried to install the ISO fresh and got a "This program has performed an illegal operation" message before the install even finished.
For some reason, I am able to successfully install Windows ME on this same machine without these issues, same settings and such.
Now, here's a funny thing.
I also installed using the windows 98 se iso using an emulator (DOSBox-X) and Windows 98 installed successfully. It runs slow on this machine, but, it did actually work with the same .iso file.I also downloaded the preconfigured VM of Windows 98 which appears in the library. Last year, on that Acer, it ran without a hitch. On this new machine, same pre-configured VM, it also did not work on VMWare Player, and it had before.
Maybe Windows 98 doesn't like something going on on this machine.
I don't know why these things are happening, but, there are others on other Websites who are suddenly reporting the same thing over the past 2 or 3 years.
As for VMWare player, I'm running other things on it, and am having no major problems.
Go figure.h
Again, I wish I had an answer, but, I do not.
Perhaps your Surface Pro 7 has a more recent VMware version than your old Acer.
Typical error message is "The SHELL32.DLL file is linked to missing export SHLWAPI.DLL tFileAttributesA", but many other messages are displayed for missing dll.
A workaround consists in disabling all 32-bit protected mode disk drives (Control Panel/ System/ File System/ Troubleshooting/ Disable all 32-bit protected mode disk drives) [source].
By applying this workaround, you'll loose cdrom support in Windows 98 and you'll have to rely on DOS support through cdrom drivers + mscdex.exe in config.sys and autoexec.bat.
I'm just experimenting with this workaround and still not sure the VM will be reliable.
Wish this may help you.