http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb762 … 28VS.85%29.aspx

"Remarks

The Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 Desktop Update must be installed for this function to be available."

Basically this is a Microsoft issue with erratic updates. GetSpecialFolderPath is listed as "supported" in NT4, but only on installs that have Active Desktop, which apparently came as part of the install for IE4 (!). Modern IE installations don't update shell32.dll so it can happen that an NT4 machine won't have this function.

The only way around it from the DosBox side would be to GetProcAddress on the function in the first place and see if it comes back null, and if not use a function pointer afterwards to execute the function (instead of explicitly linking it). That's a lot of work for an operating system that Microsoft has official declared dead five years ago.

Thanks for the prompt response. Installing the Desktop Update fixed the problem.

For those few who might have the same issues, IE4 with Desktop Update will not install if you have a newer version of IE already installed, and having newer version of IE doesn't mean you also have Desktop Update. I had to uninstall IE5, then install IE4 with Desktop Update for it to work.

I performed the following a couple of months ago (and did the same years before that but couldn't remember how)

I also remember that you could include the Desktop Update with IE as long as you used the IEAK. Dunno if you would be able to do so nowadays since I doubt the IEAK would be able to download the appropriate files.

Taken from ERPMan's Computer Tips

Method 3 - Using a batch file (*.bat) to install or upgrade the Desktop Update [requires IE 5.x or IE 6.x already installed] <> […]
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Method 3 - Using a batch file (*.bat) to install or upgrade the Desktop Update [requires IE 5.x or IE 6.x already installed] <>
1. Open the ie4shl95.cab or ie4shlnt.cab file in Winzip or any archiving utility and extract all the files inside onto a
temporary folder (for example 'c:\temp\ie4shl95' for Win9x; 'c:\temp\ie4shlnt' for WinNT4).
2. Create a batch file in Notepad with the following lines:
@echo off
start /w RUNDLL32.EXE ADVPACK.DLL,LaunchINFSection ie4shell.inf,DefaultInstall
cls
3. Save the file as an 'install.bat' file and place it onto the temporary folder where you store the IE Desktop Update
setup files.
4. Double-click on the INSTALL.BAT file to install the Desktop Update. Do NOT restart the computer yet!
5. Go to the Control Panel, click on Add/Remove programs, click on Internet Explorer and Internet Tools and choose the
option to Repair Internet Explorer and click on OK to repair IE. Then click on OK again to restart the computer and the
Desktop Update should work properly after reboot.
<> Caution: This method may require repairing Internet Explorer 5.x/6.x on Win95/NT4 systems after performing this method
of installing the Desktop Update; the Start button, when clicked, may not display anything; so that means the Desktop Update
was not functioning properly. To repair IE, double-click on the My Computer icon, then double-click on the Control Panel icon,
double-click on Add/Remove Programs, select the Internet Explorer and Internet Tools entry, choose the option to Repair Internet
Explorer and restart the computer. This will create some missing Quick Launch icons & register the Desktop Update. Now
the newer Explorer interface should work under Win95/NT4. This problem happens when installing the Desktop Update on top
of the old Win95/NT4 Explorer-Shell interface. Using this method will cause the loss of the ability to remove/un-install IE as
some of the un-install data for IE will be missing. You will no longer have the ability to un-install Internet Explorer and the
Active Desktop Update.