Hi, seems to be Windows NT related? Maybe something Unicode?

https://www.geoffchappell.com/studies/windows … 2/api/index.htm

Was KernelEx with unicows.dll installed? It's the Unicode library for Windows 9x.
Another useful DLL is gdiplus.dll, which helps running GDI+ enabled Win32 applications (XP programs started to use GDI+ I think).

KernelEx must be disabled for any .NET program, or they will fail to start.

Jo22 wrote on 2026-05-19, 15:33:

Was KernelEx with unicows.dll installed? It's the Unicode library for Windows 9x.
Another useful DLL is gdiplus.dll, which helps running GDI+ enabled Win32 applications (XP programs started to use GDI+ I think).

I honestly don't know. I bought this PC with it all pre-installed. Is there a way to check? Can you install them individually?

Tiido wrote on 2026-05-19, 16:20:

KernelEx must be disabled for any .NET program, or they will fail to start.

Sadly disabling didn't fix it here 🙁

I honestly don't know. I bought this PC with it all pre-installed. Is there a way to check? Can you install them individually?

Hi! Oh, okay. I assume everything is already there then.
If not, I think the DLLs should simply be in C:\Windows\System folder.
Using Windows search should help checking for the DLLs.

Here's a short mention of unicows.dll, also:
http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/read.php?2,113768

Here are the details (which versions of files needed etc):
https://web.archive.org/web/20190210095412/ht … i/Help:Contents

Again, it's just a wild guess, though.
Because that error message mentions an API function that's used on Windows NT.
So things may or may not be related to Unicode.
Windows 98 has some NT features for compatibility, but I'm not sure if that's relevant here.

.NET 2.0 is supported on Windows 98. I'd uninstall dotnet9x and use the original redist from Microsoft.

torpedo wrote on 2026-05-20, 07:08:

.NET 2.0 is supported on Windows 98. I'd uninstall dotnet9x and use the original redist from Microsoft.

Where do I download a compatible exe? The ones I've tried just give me errors...

https://web.archive.org/web/20070217105206/ht … 5a/dotnetfx.exe

If it still doesn't work you'll need to talk to the people who created the packages that messed up your install. The above works fine on vanilla 98 and ME.

The reason why "Windows ME" is listed in the system properties is due to using the Unofficial Service Pack 3. You can try using the original file or hex editing it if you want to keep using the Unofficial SP3.

DosFreak wrote on 2026-05-20, 22:16:

https://web.archive.org/web/20070217105206/ht … 5a/dotnetfx.exe

This one worked, and now the programs in question start! Though they often crash when ran together. (But that's Windows 98 for you, I suppose)

Thank you so much 😁

Welp, I had to revert to a previous backup due to an unrelated install, and now I'm back to square one...

DosFreak wrote on 2026-05-20, 22:16:

https://web.archive.org/web/20070217105206/ht … 5a/dotnetfx.exe

I get this error now when I try to install this. It's complaining about a missing temp file?

I have no idea what's causing this. It worked before and the backup I restored is from just before I installed it successfully the first time.

You really need to install this on vanilla system to avoid issues. When KernelEx is installed you are most likely going to get an intermediate state that may or may not work. Also that Service Pack 3 is the last thing to install if installed at all. It contains lots of files from Win2k and XP and there will be compatibility issues afterwards.

Tiido wrote on 2026-05-22, 14:38:

You really need to install this on vanilla system to avoid issues. When KernelEx is installed you are most likely going to get an intermediate state that may or may not work. Also that Service Pack 3 is the last thing to install if installed at all. It contains lots of files from Win2k and XP and there will be compatibility issues afterwards.

Okay, I made a fresh Windows 98SE install, and used an update CD to ensure the PC had all of the components necessary. I spent several hours formatting the hard drive, also installing my graphics and anything else I needed.

...and it still won't install.

Oh, and this error caused it to "rollback", which caused the registry to be corrupt, and windows recovered it by basically undoing all of the progress I made...

What is going on? What could I possibly be doing wrong?!

Cobra! wrote on 2026-05-22, 22:37:

and used an update CD to ensure the PC had all of the components necessary.

Tiido said base windows. Don't install garbage like that. IF a certain component is needed, then install just that component.

That update CD already installs .NET 2.0

".NET Framework 1.1 and 2.0 (with updates)"

Probably one of the security updates. MSDN mentions a registry key to disable the feature https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/stan … -bypass-feature

1On 32-bit computers, in the system registry, create a DWORD entry with a value of 0 named AllowStrongNameBypass under the
2HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NETFramework key.

So quick update: I think I got it working again by first using the dotnet9x exe to install some components, then ran the .NET installer from the Update CD which gave me a successfully installed message. I rebooted it but the programs still didn't work.

I tried running the latter installer again to repair it and it seemed to work? Protonweb browser gave me an "unhandled exception" error but then it showed the browser with all of the buttons working, and a blank screen where the web page should be, so maybe the exception was because this install isn't connected online yet?

Either way, I'm making a hard drive image backup as we speak.

The only issue now is I'm getting no sound, and installing the drivers of my motherboard uding the installers from here didn't help, but that's for another topic.

torpedo wrote on Yesterday, 06:49:

That update CD already installs .NET 2.0 […]
Show full quote

That update CD already installs .NET 2.0

".NET Framework 1.1 and 2.0 (with updates)"

Probably one of the security updates. MSDN mentions a registry key to disable the feature https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/stan … -bypass-feature

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1On 32-bit computers, in the system registry, create a DWORD entry with a value of 0 named AllowStrongNameBypass under the
2HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NETFramework key.

Turns out the iso does have the installers but you have to run them manually, which I did above.

Also that registry change doesn't seem to do anything 🙁

eddman wrote on Yesterday, 01:31:

Cobra! wrote on 2026-05-22, 22:37:

and used an update CD to ensure the PC had all of the components necessary.

Tiido said base windows. Don't install garbage like that. IF a certain component is needed, then install just that component.

Well, I've tried the most vanilla/base install I could possibly do. I reverted to a fresh install of 98, and simply installed Internet Explorer 6 (as the .NET installer asked me to) and .Net 1.1 with it's updates. I literally can't get any more vanilla than this.

It still doesn't install...

I'm convinced this installer is just broken...

https://web.archive.org/web/20220507202331/ht … /dotnetfx20.exe

This is what I have used on all my installations