xp replacements for win98 freeware

[Spacey Spade]

I'd like to know from those who have moved from Windows 9x to Windows
2k or XP, what freeware you had to replace that wouldn't work on 2k or
XP (or if you even found replacements). I'd also like to know when it
was that you changed to 2k/XP, or if you are still using 9x as your
primary OS (is it a trend among certain die-hard acf'ers?).

My examples:

Button Boogie by PC Magazine, which allowed shuffling of the open
applications in the taskbar, I replaced with DM2, where I now organize
extraneous running applications into floating transparent icons (they
disappear from the taskbar when you make them icons). Also nice
because I keep certain slow loading programs that I use frequently
running all the time as icons. Or my cd burning application, for
instance, while it does its stuff.

I could only find shareware that worked like Quick Folders (access to
recent folders in which you save or load, from the save or open
dialogs). I know there is freeware out there that kind of works like
Quick Folders on XP, but not really (A thread on this topic already
exists in the archives). I hope DM2 also comes thru for this (the dev
said it wasn't on the todo list, but it was something he wanted).

 

[Josh Randall]

I'd like to know from those who have moved from Windows 9x to Windows
2k or XP, what freeware you had to replace that wouldn't work on 2k or
XP (or if you even found replacements).

I was a diehard 98SE user since, well.........since 98 I re-installed that
sucker so many times I could do it drunk on my butt. After installing, and
deleting a zillion programs, I had to wipe it to get off all the junk. That,
and some not user friendly programs that wouldn't remove themselves
politely.

I went to XP kicking and screaming, but I'm glad I did. All the freeware I
used to use works fine. Some of my old programs ARE acting up, though. The
ones written for Win95 especially (Day-Timer Address Book). This is due to
my decision to format using NTSF instead of Fat32. If you really need an old
program, you can use Fat 32. Not as stable as NTSF, but it works ok. Haven't
seen a BSOD yet, and I play with stuff everyday!

JR

 

[old jon]

I'd like to know from those who have moved from Windows 9x to Windows
2k or XP, what freeware you had to replace that wouldn't work on 2k or
XP (or if you even found replacements). I'd also like to know when it
was that you changed to 2k/XP, or if you are still using 9x as your
primary OS (is it a trend among certain die-hard acf'ers?).

My examples:

<snip>

Some older programs will work in XP by using `Make backward compatible`.

 

[REM]

I was a diehard 98SE user since, well.........since 98 I re-installed that
sucker so many times I could do it drunk on my butt. After installing, and
deleting a zillion programs, I had to wipe it to get off all the junk. That,
and some not user friendly programs that wouldn't remove themselves
politely.

I went to XP kicking and screaming, but I'm glad I did. All the freeware I
used to use works fine. Some of my old programs ARE acting up, though. The
ones written for Win95 especially (Day-Timer Address Book). This is due to
my decision to format using NTSF instead of Fat32. If you really need an old
program, you can use Fat 32. Not as stable as NTSF, but it works ok. Haven't
seen a BSOD yet, and I play with stuff everyday!

Same here Spacey... diehard 98SE to kicking and screaming to XP to
delight.

I would probably be still using 98SE, but I had a coding class in .NET
which required XP. After toying around with it and getting it to look
and display as I wanted it rocks! It is able to fully utilize all of
your ram.

If your computer is an older one it might need an investment before it
can rock. Consider a 7200 rpm drive with 8 megs of cache (or better)
and up to 1 gig of quality matched main ram for the best results.
Depending on your processor speed (mine is 2.4ghz), drive, and main
ram I think that you will be as happy as I am with XP.

There are programs galore out there and I have not had any problems
running the older programs.

 

[Spacey Spade]

I'm still using FAT32 instead of NTFS. FAT32 is so much more
accessible with almost any apps. I don't like the permissions stuff
with NTFS, which complicates file sharing on my network for certain
folders. As long as my partition sizes aren't too big (I have 3) on my
hard drives, I will stick to fat32.
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/file/ntfs/implFAT-c.html
There are some other arguments, but FAT32 has been good enough for me.

 

[Spacey Spade]

I'm running swift on a P3 650Mhz with 512Mb RAM laptop. I have a lot
of services and startup stuff disabled or non-existant after black
viper and jdeboeck (now nlite has taken foreground... read all about it
at unattended.msfn.org). I can have XP run just fine for web browsing
and email on a P200 with 128Mb (not kidding).

 

[Spacey Spade]

I guess I should add that the web browser is kmeleon.org and the email
client is roundabout.sourceforge.net

 

[REM]

"Spacey Spade" <[email protected]> wrote:

I'm running swift on a P3 650Mhz with 512Mb RAM laptop. I have a lot
of services and startup stuff disabled or non-existant after black
viper and jdeboeck (now nlite has taken foreground... read all about it
at unattended.msfn.org). I can have XP run just fine for web browsing
and email on a P200 with 128Mb (not kidding).

What happened to Black Viper?

Nice find!

http://unattended.msfn.org

 

[Spacey Spade]

Maybe Microshaft got him for making their operating system too
efficient. God forbid anyone keep people from buying new computers
with Windowz cause their's does what they want already. Oh... I'm just
kidding around, we all know what high virtue lies in corporate
Microsoft. Really he probably couldn't afford all the traffic his
website was getting.

 

[Michael R. Copeland]

I'd like to know from those who have moved from Windows 9x to Windows

Some older programs will work in XP by using `Make backward compatible`.

How does one do this? TIA

 

[old jon]

How does one do this? TIA

Right click on the exe file, and select properties. you should see a
compatibily
tab. bw..J

 

[Frank Bohan]

I'd like to know from those who have moved from Windows 9x to Windows
2k or XP, what freeware you had to replace that wouldn't work on 2k or
XP (or if you even found replacements). I'd also like to know when it
was that you changed to 2k/XP, or if you are still using 9x as your
primary OS (is it a trend among certain die-hard acf'ers?).

My examples:

Button Boogie by PC Magazine, which allowed shuffling of the open
applications in the taskbar, I replaced with DM2, where I now organize
extraneous running applications into floating transparent icons (they
disappear from the taskbar when you make them icons). Also nice
because I keep certain slow loading programs that I use frequently
running all the time as icons. Or my cd burning application, for
instance, while it does its stuff.

I could only find shareware that worked like Quick Folders (access to
recent folders in which you save or load, from the save or open
dialogs). I know there is freeware out there that kind of works like
Quick Folders on XP, but not really (A thread on this topic already
exists in the archives). I hope DM2 also comes thru for this (the dev
said it wasn't on the todo list, but it was something he wanted).

I changed from W95 to XP without many problems. A Windows Explorer
alternative called ExploreCool would not work, but I now use Tracker3 which
is better. For a few programs I had to use the compatibility feature in XP
(click on the program's exe file > Properties > Compatibility). In some
cases I had to get updates for XP.
Running DOS programs was more of a problem, but many of them worked ok. The
only major failure was a word processor called Protext but I just had to
re-educate myself.

===

Frank Bohan
¶ Where there's a will, there's a beneficiary.

 

[David]

[snip]

I changed from W95 to XP without many problems. A Windows Explorer
alternative called ExploreCool would not work, but I now use Tracker3 which
is better. For a few programs I had to use the compatibility feature in XP
(click on the program's exe file > Properties > Compatibility). In some
cases I had to get updates for XP.
Running DOS programs was more of a problem, but many of them worked ok. The
only major failure was a word processor called Protext but I just had to
re-educate myself.

Another Protext user! Wow I thought I was the only one around. I
started using Protext on the Amstrad CPC and got free PC versions from
Magazine disks after I started using a PC. Brilliant and very powerful
program.

 

[Starlord]

I used to have protext on my Atari TT030 until they dropped our platform,
then I dropped it and still use some other WP's on that trusty old machine.

[snip]

I changed from W95 to XP without many problems. A Windows Explorer
alternative called ExploreCool would not work, but I now use Tracker3
which
is better. For a few programs I had to use the compatibility feature in XP
(click on the program's exe file > Properties > Compatibility). In some
cases I had to get updates for XP.
Running DOS programs was more of a problem, but many of them worked ok.
The
only major failure was a word processor called Protext but I just had to
re-educate myself.

Another Protext user! Wow I thought I was the only one around. I
started using Protext on the Amstrad CPC and got free PC versions from
Magazine disks after I started using a PC. Brilliant and very powerful
program.

--
David
Remove "farook" to reply
At the bottom of the application where it says
"sign here". I put "Sagittarius"

 

[Frank Bohan]

I used to have protext on my Atari TT030 until they dropped our platform,
then I dropped it and still use some other WP's on that trusty old machine.

[snip]

I changed from W95 to XP without many problems. A Windows Explorer
alternative called ExploreCool would not work, but I now use Tracker3
which
is better. For a few programs I had to use the compatibility feature in
XP
(click on the program's exe file > Properties > Compatibility). In some
cases I had to get updates for XP.
Running DOS programs was more of a problem, but many of them worked ok.
The
only major failure was a word processor called Protext but I just had to
re-educate myself.

Another Protext user! Wow I thought I was the only one around. I
started using Protext on the Amstrad CPC and got free PC versions from
Magazine disks after I started using a PC. Brilliant and very powerful
program.

I used it on the Amstrad 8512 and then someone gave me a copy for PC, which
worked fine on W95, but I gave up trying to put it on XP. I had to convert
all my Protext text files and I still use the .ptx filetype for some files
instead of .txt. Can we Protext users apply to someone for inclusion on
the endangered
species list, or maybe we might be in line for a lottery grant?

===

Frank Bohan
¶ Via ovicipitum dura est. (The way of the egghead is hard.)

 

[David]

I used to have protext on my Atari TT030 until they dropped our platform,
then I dropped it and still use some other WP's on that trusty old machine.

[snip]

I changed from W95 to XP without many problems. A Windows Explorer
alternative called ExploreCool would not work, but I now use Tracker3
which
is better. For a few programs I had to use the compatibility feature in
XP
(click on the program's exe file > Properties > Compatibility). In some
cases I had to get updates for XP.
Running DOS programs was more of a problem, but many of them worked ok.
The
only major failure was a word processor called Protext but I just had to
re-educate myself.

Another Protext user! Wow I thought I was the only one around. I
started using Protext on the Amstrad CPC and got free PC versions from
Magazine disks after I started using a PC. Brilliant and very powerful
program.

I used it on the Amstrad 8512 and then someone gave me a copy for PC, which
worked fine on W95, but I gave up trying to put it on XP. I had to convert
all my Protext text files and I still use the .ptx filetype for some files
instead of .txt. Can we Protext users apply to someone for inclusion on
the endangered
species list, or maybe we might be in line for a lottery grant?

LOL. I still, on the odd occasion, use Protext on my Win98 Machine
mostly to convert Unix lf files to DOS cr/lf termination of lines.
Since I use Open Office for most word processing these days and other
conversion programs are available (EditPad Lite) the number of times
is dwindling. I liked the ability to execute script files and still
stand in awe at Protext Office and Filer which were merely script
files yet the programs had the power to handle many tasks for small
office accounting and database needs.

I did some technical writing for a local council in the late '80s and
early '90s. They had a GE mainframe/mini and I used to dump the screen
shots to an ASCII file on a floppy (360KB 5.25"), take it home,
transfer it to an Amstrad 3" 40 track disk and thence to a 3.5" floppy
formatted to 800KB using ROMDOS on my Amstrad CPC. The resulting file
was then imported into Protext and merged into the ever-growing text
file. From one file I was able to print three different versions of
the manual with correct paragraph, page and index numbering all in a
copy-ready form.

When I finished with them I had to upload three separate files to
their mainframe so that they could further maintain it. Each file was
over 100KB made by using Protext's print to file function. The first
"improvement" they made was to remove my name from the Copyright
paragraph.