For Windows experts => Some problems to solve; please, help :)

[DomainEmpire.com]

I've a couple of doubts and I'm opened to any suggstion to solve them:

1- I'm thinking to buy a Pentium 4 2800 but I'd like to install Win98 SE on it; please, don't comment my choice because I've already heard many negative opinions in all computer shops I visited.
They say I might have several problems, Win98 might not work with an HD of 120Gb and might not reknow some peripherals ...
Considering I HATE Win 2000/XP & C. ... how may I attempt to solve, at least in part, my problem ? Any suggestion on new software and applications I might add to adequate it to a Pentium4 would be very appreciated, thanks.

2- A totally different and less serious problem.
I like storing various kinds of data and addresses by sharing them into multiple txt files so I'm looking for a second extension which would generate files similar to txt with icon of diff. color to store there "a second kind of data" and to avoid confusing them with the first kind.

I know my explanation is not very clear but an example might explain better the concept: even if inappropriate, I'm currently storing my data part in txt files and part in ini files (I opted for ini only because their icons have a diff. color). Is there another similar format with icons of diff. color to use in alternative to ini ? No matter what the main purpose of the other format should be, I can do what I want with it but I'd prefer avoiding to store my files in .ini

Thanks in advance for helping or, at least, for trying to be useful.

 

[aguss]

Windows 2000 looks like windows 98 and runs faster/smoother if you have enough memory... why dont you like it?

I am sorry Luigi I cant help my hands... :-D
Goodluck in finding the right solutions...

Cheers
Agus S

 

[DomainEmpire.com]

I'm thinking to buy a second external hdisk too so I think to install win98 e win2000 at the same time to test both of them but, honestly, I want that my 98 works ...

Thanks for trying to be of help aguss

 

[aguss]

Luigi I forgot to mention this... WinXP is much faster than windows 2000 and you actually can set it to look like classic windows....


cheers
agus s

 

[DomainEmpire.com]

Problem is I'm reading many bad feedbacks regarding several programs which gave problems on xp and works fine on 98 but I'm still investigating on this matter ...

 

[aguss]

You should really use windows 2000 then...

 

[DomainEmpire.com]

 

[Spider]

Use Windows XP man and just set it to classic view. It looks almost identical to 98.

Just do it. It's more stable and I am pretty sure any program you run in 98 can be run on XP. You can always right click your program and change the compatibility to run in a virtual 98.

 

[.biz]

I've been using microsoft product since ms dos 3.0 with 10MB hard drive to Win 3.x, 95, 98, 2000, XP. I wouldn't recommend anyone to go back to 95 or 98. Windows 2000 had been running very stable for me, but Win XP works much faster like aguss said. Now I'm using Win XP and won't go back to those Wins.

Win XP separates it OS core from application space, so theoretically when an application freezes, you just kill it and Win XP is still running. But Win98 will freeze with the application most of the time.

In terms of hardware, you will find it easier to install new hardware on XP than 98. Some new hardware may not design to support 98 any more. And 98 is going out of support cycle.

Unless you are in the old environment, with old equipment and old application that force you to use 98, then use it. Otherwise, try to stay way from it.

I can't help it either.

.biz

 

[DomainEmpire.com]

Maybe I'm wrong in something so I'm continuing to investigate but I heard some generic noises about:

1- A spyware MS uses in XP to monitor user's activity;
2- Some programs can be easily removed in 98 but not in XP (even if they should teorically support XP too)

I read tons of feedbacks on this matter and I found many happy people with XP as well as many unhappy who met many troubles with it ... I'm a bit confused so I'm thinking to install both on 2 dif. Hdrives to test them personally.

Just a question: what do you mean with "just set it to classic view" ? I didn't test it a lot ... Would I get something nearest to Win98 aspect in this way ? How doing that ? So I'll know in advance how proceeding always supposing it might not be so intuitive applying such change, thanks.

 

[livetronix]

You can set it to classic in the control panel.

In my opinion, it is your mindset. If you are looking for a good experience you will enjoy XP. If you don't like M$ you might not like XP, because you won't give it a chance. I didn't like the new GUI at first, but I figured, if they made it like this, it's probably better.

Before you know it, I like the new interface, just because I forced myself to use it. A couple programs don't work, but more do, and it's fast, and never freezes. I have 5 programs (and 17 internet explorer windows) open at once and restart maybe once a week, just to give the ram a chance to rest.

 

[DomainEmpire.com]

Thanks livetronix and ok ... within few days I'll have the new Pentium and I'll test xp

 

[Bionic]

As for the 2nd Q, just save your file as qwerty.mytext
it gets a windows icon
then double click on it
you get a dialog box on what program to associate with .mytext
select notepad or some text editor
the icon i get is a white rectangle with a small notepad in the middle,
different to normal text icon but works just the same!

 

[DomainEmpire.com]

Thanks Bionic, I'm trying now but renaming a txt with something.mytext it remains a txt, no difference in my win98 or am I wrong in something ?
I tried also with .text but nothing to do ...

No problem, thanks anyway for your suggestion.

 

[Bionic]

Watch if it saves it as something.mytext.txt

you should be able to rename it to get rid of the .txt
it asks "are you sure you want to change the extension?"

Use quotes around the filename or Save as type : All types
if you tried to make the file from notepad.

If you can't change the extension there's an option
in Explorer to hide recognised file extensions you can uncheck.

 

[DomainEmpire.com]

Known extensions have been already hidden as default in my Win98 so now I tried "Save as - All files" but it continue to generate a common txt file.

Reasons might be many but I found a solution to my problem remembering of .diz files ... They've a diff. icon and they're associated to wordpad as default (at least in my Win) so I solved all my problems.

Thanks again for helping.

 

[Bionic]

cool, the All Files only works after you've
associated the extension with a program.
the 1st time using notepad you have to
use quotes, save as "qwerty.mytext"
anyway, i'd just use a different directory!

 

[DomainEmpire.com]

Ahhhh ok, with " it worked now, I didn't do it before even if you told me to do

 

[DomainEmpire.com]

New final question regarding win98 SE: I'm once again on the point to order the new Pc with it enclosed but ... they say it will never support a Ram of Gb, no way to solve this problem ?

 

[sicomp]

Heres some info from Crucial regarding Windows OS's and Ram: http://www.crucial.com/kb/answer.asp?qid=3743