Microsoft braces for user backlash over downloads

The Journal Gazette (Ft. Wayne) | Toronto Globe and Mail ^ | 8/01/05 | Simon Avery

[js1138]

The reason gamers would dislike SP2 would be related to the firewall, and possibly some security software.

Firewalls slow down network traffic -- not enough for internet browsers to notice, but not having one might give you an edge in a networked game.

[paulat]

All of this from the same company that promised all of their problems would be taken care of with the release of Windows 98.

All of this from the same country that thought all of its problems were over on 9/10/01.

...stuff happens....

[Redcloak]

Once you've had Slack, you can never go back.

[VeniVidiVici]

Online games would make sense. However, the games we play would probably not overtax the local net (Age of Empires, Empire Earth, Rise of Nations).

Although his Athlon 1200 gets cranky slow from time-to-time since it's Win98 days.

I should quit talking about this. He's looking over at my boxes and licking his chops.

[postaldave]

"No copying of CD's, DVD copy software refuses to load etc."

this work around works for XP, see if it works for that OS

http://brandon.fuller.name/archives/2004/06/10/09.46.44/

[BigSkyFreeper]

All of this from the same country that thought all of its problems were over on 9/10/01.

Yep. There ya go.

[LibLieSlayer]

I'll talk with him Sunday, and pass along the fix! Will report back when I know something.

Thanks!
LLS

[melbell]

"details on the flow of data between the operating system and other hardware, such as printers."

Last I checked, Microshaft doesn't run on my PRINTER, so why do they feel the need to find details on it?

[FraudFactor.com]

"Wait until you see the Draconian security of the new Windows Vista. I have a friend running beta, and it has security verification on every boot-up. No copying of CD's, DVD copy software refuses to load etc."

Thank you for the excellent info and warning about Microsoft Windows Vista.

If enough users switch from Windows to Linux (e.g., Debian or one of the Debian-based distributions), then Linux will have a larger market share, attracting more software developers and companies to support Linux.

[GregoryFul]

I have two roughly equal machines at work. One runs Win98 - to support some old labs, the other runs XP. The Win98 machine has 3-4 times the performance of the XP machine on downloading over the internet.

I used Win98 at home until I broke down about a year ago and got XP. On Win98, I had been experiencing ever increasing problems, crashes, hangs - and one most irritating, no shutdowns, necessitating a power off, and the half hour scandisk - because I didn't shutdown properly, LOL. I kept updating frequently in hopes to rid the OS of these problems. XP has been working fine on the same HW. My Win98 machine at work does not have problems - company does not permit updates from MS, only through their distribution.

On Win98, I used a winmodem for years, and typically got 56kb connections using Win98. With XP I could not get anything over 28kb. A computer support person at work told me I'd have to go with a modem with an internal DSP to get the speed back up. I did, and managed to get speed up to 48kb. XP definitely is a performance drag over Win98.

[js1138]

On Win98, I used a winmodem for years, and typically got 56kb connections using Win98. With XP I could not get anything over 28kb.

No modem can get a connetcion faster than 53k over a standard phone line. Your actual connection is not necessarily what is reported by your dialer, because under some setups, the modem will report the actual connection speed, and under others it will report the rate between the modem and the computer. It depends on the brand and on the initialization string.

Windows tried to make the modem setup automatic, but unbranded internal modems often get get generic initializations that limit them to 28k. Beyond 28k, you have to send a brand specific setup to the modem to make it connect at at the highest possible speed.

Modems that work beyond 28k also have dynamic speeds. They adjust the transmission speed according to the amount of noise on the phone line.

[GregoryFul]

No modem can get a connetcion faster than 53k over a standard phone line.

Well, that's what the dialer said - connected at XX kbps, or speed: XX kbps. Now under XP the device manager reports that Conexant Systems SoftV92 Data Fax Modem uses the Microsoft driver. I don't remember whether or not I had a custom driver in Win98. Device manager reports that the Zoom V.92 PCI Voice Faxmodem uses a custom driver from Zoom, but in each list under driver details, I see MS modem.sys, and other common .dlls, and unique .dlls.

Anyone else have experience with a "Winmodem", or one without a DSP on board, under XP?

[js1138]

When I google your modem I get this:

20. Posted Oct 3, 2004, 2:18 PM ET by jd
modem issues (PCI HSF etc..) after SP2 installation

after SP2 installation XP fails to recognize your current modem driver and starts to recognize it as softv90 and installs the necessary driver. connection goes from the usual 52-56k down to 31.2-33 kbps.
I have resolved this issue by doing this:

1. control panel- phone and modem options
2. under modem tab click properties
3. Diagnostics- note the hardware ID value
and write it down
(e.g. PCI\VEN_14F1&DEV_2014&SUBSYS etc...)
4. now go to C:\windows\system32\inf
5. look for mdmcxsf2.inf
!!!IMPORTANT!!!- backup this file before doing anything in case u need to put
it back!!!
6. open with notepad
7. look for the value you noted it step 3
8. delete the line
9. save
10. go to control panel again- phone and modem options- modem- this time click REMOVE- yes
11. then click ADD-(DO NOT put a check mark on the lower field- then click NEXT
12. WINXP will now automatically choose the driver before SOFTV90 or the next closest driver matching ur hardware.
HOPE THIS HELPS to those concerned. good luck!

http://microsoft.weblogsinc.com/entry/3238014134623324/

[js1138]

You might also investigate this link

http://www.radarsync.com/Computer_Drivers/System_Device/CXT_Drivers.html#54205