IE4 upgrade to IE6; ?via IE5.x?

Hi

I would like to upgrade from IE4 (as shipped with W98 first edition), to end up with IE6SP1

is it better to attempt IE4 > IE5.x > IE6 or to try to upgrade directly from IE4 to IE6? or is there no significant difference between these methods?

thanks in advance, HJ.

 

Hugh Jarss--I am sure Christer's advice is good, but you won't be able to get IE5.5 from Microsoft anymore. You can, however, still get it here
http://browsers.evolt.org/

 

thanks Christer, one speedy reply there!

I'm off to have a good read, from a quick glance it looks highly relevant.

Welshjim, you're ahead of me, that was about to be the next question.

I'm trying to lose the customisation which I get trying to go IE4 > IE5.5 > IE6 using our ISP supplied customised IE5.5 - this route worked OK until I attempted the October critical patch. (you guessed this already perchance? - since October, complete chaos)

thanks both, & very best wishes, HJ

 

Welshjim,

that is one very useful link.

thanks again, HJ.

 

Hugh Jarss--You are most welcome. Glad I could help.

 

reporting back with results:

although it's a big download if you're on a dialup (84MB) it's very well worth upgrading IE4 to IE6 via IE5.5SP2;
I was getting a lot of troubles like those mentioned in the PC Buyer's guide article mentioned in Christer's post above - and others problems also - by trying to "leapfrog" straight from IE4 to IE6SP1;
FWIW, the "route" I took was:
- download IE6SP1 upgrade from Microsoft using option to save files for later use
- download IE5SP2 from the excellent evolt.org site mentioned in Welshjim's post (which took ~5 hours on this 56k dialup: I used Go!zilla as our ISP limits us to 2 hours, then we have to reconnect. So I had to resume the download somehow. No idea of the pros & cons of Go!zilla, first time I've tried it - but it seemed to do the job OK)
- format C: and install W98FE afresh from CD (custom install with as little as I reckoned I could get away with) **
- upgrade to IE55SP2 from the file downloaded earlier ( "typical" option) **
- upgrade to IE6SP1 from setup files previously downloaded from Microsoft site ( "typical" option) **
(note: the files go into a folder C:\WINDOWS\Windows Update Files when you get them from Microsoft. So you have to move them somewhere if want to hang onto them if you are going to format C: - it's very easy to end up with two (identical) copies of ie6setup.exe; one's in the folder with all the Update files, another you may have saved someplace else from your original downloading of the upgrade. If you've had to relocate the Windows Update Files folder, run the copy of ie6setup.exe which is in the folder at its new location rather than the other one.)
- make the DUN settings etc., install AV and firewall;
- finally, when all done, go online, get AV signatures, then pick up the critical updates etc at Microsoft.
(** = scandisk, reboot, quick checkover, reboot)
early days, but it's nothing like the unstable confusion I'd ended up with by trying to go straight from IE4 to IE6.

best wishes, HJ.

**edit - one little caveat concerning Go!zilla. It's "help" seems to be an online service - and when I tried it last night the web site wasn't answering. Several of the buttons on the Go!zilla UI try to contact a website(?s)...

...which is not really what you want when you are in the middle of downloading an enormous file with 4 connections already on the go "broadside" doing their best to melt the 'phone line. Take care! HJ.

 

early days and crossed fingers, Christer, but it's much better than the direct IE4 > IE6 route.

(4%CPU plays ~60% CPU; also, doesn't prang all the time)

I've just discovered a hassle though:

When I went to Windows Update to get patched, I declined the one for DirectX but took all the others.

Now I return to Windows Update, get scanned again expecting it to tell me about the DirectX, it had described it as "critical" - but it doesn't show that I need it any more. Neither does it show any of the 42 optional updates mentioned earlier, most of which I wouldn't be getting anyway (language packs etc) - point is, somehow it's missing them??

Yet I can view my installation history, and it shows that correctly.

I was aiming to evade doing the DirectX live online anyway, have found a download for DirectX9.0b which gives me a file I can save and do it locally (after taking a backup!!!)((trying very hard not to blow it this time)

Yet I recall from the earlier visit to Windows Update, it was offering DirectX9.1... but can't find a straightforward download link for that version.

rather puzzled and hanging fire - at least until I have a backup - will check back in ~30mins or so when that's done, to see if anyone has any ideas...

very best wishes, HJ

 

Hugh - I suggest you go to the Microsoft site and download DUN 1.4 (DUN = Dial Up Networking) to have the latest versions of all the network files. I believe it came along well after 98FE was released so you probably have older versions of TCP/IP and a few other essential items.

I even seem to remember that 98SE was released with DUN 1.3.

Information and download link available at
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;285189

 

Hugh Jarss--

I am going offline shortly, but wanted to comment briefly that, unless you have a fairly sophisticated video card, you do not want DirectX9. Version 8 will be quite sufficient. That offer on Windows Update probably was for a security patch. Originally WinUpdate offered it to everyone, but it really was a slick way to get you to install DirectX9. Several weeks later, MS finally offered just the security part of the patch for earlier versions of DirectX.
I will try to look all this up for you later. (Unless someone comes along earlier.)
Run a Find on DXDIAG.exe to see what version of DirectX if any you now have on the PC. DirectX8 is officially v4.08.01.0881. Maybe the lack of an offer on Windows Update means you have none!!
Earlier version of DX here
http://www.pacosdrivers.com/DX.html

 

Welshjim...

I find no file matching dxd*.* anywhere on C:\ (inc subfolders)

but, I find C:\Program Files\DIRECTX with nothing in it apart from the subfolder SETUP. Within SETUP are the files

DEVNODE1.DLL
DEVNODE2.DLL
DXINFO.EXE
DXTOOL.EXE

running DXINFO.EXE gives this:

DirectX version(Registry) 4.05.01.9800.0
Components incorrectly loaded in C:\WINDOWS none
Components correctly loaded in C:\WINDOWS
DDRAW.DLL: 4.05.01.1998 "4.05.01.1998" English Final Retail 20:01:00
...and a whole load more, request details if they are important.

?it looks from the version numbers as if many are from the original W98 CD... there are things which look very like the driver files in use by the video and sound cards etc listed here.

Does merely having these files on the PC constitute a "proper" installation of DirectX? Or are they more like the "toolkit" which DirectX would be using if I'd installed it?

==


this PC is only 100MHz early P1 with no MMX - but, thankfully a "true" Intel P1, without the bug of the very first ones.

your remark about the video cards makes me think that if I ever have to acquire/upgrade DirectX I might be seriously limited in the versions which would be appropriate or wise to install. Hmmm.

==

what worries me most though, is that when I return to Windows Update, the scan goes straight from 0 to 100%, and it doesn't offer me anything - the 42 odd non-critical updates for example(previous post) . So I worry the scan process is misfiring somehow? With the implication that it might not be detecting things which do matter...

Only just now discovering about this; I've tried two goes at the Windows Update site (reboot between just in case), same result. Have not as yet searched BBS, will do that next.

It would be a shame to lose this setup - which is a dream by comparison with recent nightmares. Using a non-customised IE5.5 as the "stepping stone" was the determining factor...

many thanks again for your valuable help and advice, HJ.

 

Newt

thanks for your reply, I'll go track down the DUN as you suggest. All backed up now, so no worries about trying things out.

Why did it scan me OK first time but not the second time? Or to put it another way, what's changed since the first scan?

I installed PaintShopPro7; SoundForge5; FTP Explorer. All these have been on a previous incarnation of this computer without affecting the Windows Update process - and when running IE6SP1 too (only of course it was the customised one back then)

Nothing has been uninstalled.

Will report back later...

best wishes to all, HJ.

 

Hugh - try using BigFix to manage your updates. The consumer version is free and I've had great luck with it. I never visit the M$ update site these days. BigFix does and gets the updates all ready for me then says they are there with a brief summary of each. Install the ones that apply to you. Mark the others as "I don't want this one and don't want to hear about it later ".

 

Newt,
I tried the DUN upgrade but it misfired; so I've restored from the backup
it did give me an idea of what may be wrong though... but I want to have another crack at it before reporting back...
...and need some kip! (late night : coffee ratio is a bit ) it's OK while I'm doing things, but sitting watching the restore progress bar I waszzzzz
Thanks for the other link, will check that out soon too.
best wishes all, HJ