Correct way to shutdown Windows 98 · PURE

Libretro Cores
#1

What is the correct way to shut down windows 98 emulated through dosbox pure? I tried these steps

  1. Start menu, shutdown, then shutdown computer
  2. Once it says “it is now safe to shut down your computer” I hit F1 and go to quick menu (I used to close retroarch at this point but it told me I didn’t shutdown my computer correctly
  3. I choose “close content”
  4. I shutdown retroarch

However when I restart windows 98 I often get messages that my computer wasn’t shutdown correct and it needs to either start in another mode like safe mode or it runs recovery options and sometimes it even says it had to go to a previous backup (I wasn’t even aware I was backing up my computer).

What am I doing wrong?

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#2

The shutdown issue was a problem with original Win98SE too, from what I can read. I had this problem a few times in Dosbox Pure too, but mostly it doesn’t happen anymore. Not sure if this is connected in anyway to another problem, where installed games disappeared and had to install them again, because of following behavior of savefiles: https://docs.libretro.com/library/dosbox_pure/#save-file-handling So what I always do before shutting down is, just waiting a minute or so. Waiting that everything “in the buffer” is written to disk, especially after lot of changes and installation of big games. And after shutting down and the “is safe to” message appears, I wait another time 10 seconds or so at least and then close content, shutdown Retroarch. (Sometimes even without close content option, just hit ESC twice at that point, which closes RetroArch directly.)

Normally I don’t get this safe/recovery mode anymore, but can’t point with certainty to any specific solution; other than maybe to wait a while before actually closing RetroArch or the core. Do you actually use Windows 98 Special Second Edition? Which is recommended version of Win98 to install.

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#3

I think I have the special edition, is there a way to find out?

#4

Lol I meant Second Edition, in my last reply, not Special Edition. Not sure why I typed that. Run Windows 98, right mouseclick on My Computer to open System Properties. The top most information says for me System: Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition 4.10 …

#5

I do have the second edition

#6

Install Windows 98 PLUS! for that hot Garfield theme:

Actually, I might have to figure out how to get Win98 PLUS! installed in Doxbox Pure so I can record a video of this Sonic Adventure theme I used to use back on the family Compaq Presario. I couldn’t find it for the longest time, but someone uploaded it to Archive:

Edit: Uploaded the video :smiley:

#7

The shutdown problem occurs in all editions of Windows 98.

If that problem occurs in Windows 98 SE, then Windows 98 SP1 would be ideal. Then disable fast shutdown; Windows 98 has fast shutdown disabled from the start.

Personally, I find Windows 95 OSR2.5, which has a longer shutdown, to be more stable.

Also, please try not to reboot Windows 98 after any kind of installation or other reaction. This will not save the situation in RA, and if you reboot, you may lose installed files or corrupt the E drive.

A fast restart while holding down the SHIFT key is probably okay, though. Shutting down is not.
If it is 95, “Please wait a moment”
If it is 98, “Windows is exiting”
If these screens only appeared for a moment, then wait a bit for “Ready to turn off the computer”. This will vary a lot depending on whether the local drive is HDD or SSD.

These three messages are just English translations of the Japanese ones.

But I’m getting “Ready to shut down the computer” and then I’m using the ESC key to exit RA, and from there it starts creating a zip file, which takes about a few seconds. if I start Windows again without the zip file completed, it says it did not shut down properly. These seconds depend on whether it is an SSD or HDD; if it is an HDD, it may take several minutes.

I think Windows ME would be more stable, but anyway, the OS capacity is too large for me.

#8

Yes, that is the right way.

The fault is the D: disk (the saves), as you suspect, but not for the same reasons.

The D: disk works as a removable disk, each game has its own disk.
If game 3 is installed, disk D: of game 3 is created.
If you close and open game 1, obviously the D: disk is different, it is from game 1.

When a game is installed, the registry is modified, where the links go, the disk path and other things.

If you close and open another game, Windows sometimes does a quick registry check of the newly installed game. If it gets that the paths are not the same because it is another hard disk, it will do a scandisk. This is random and I have no idea why it happens.
I already discovered it, there are games that install only the game files, others install some component in the Windows directories, these are going to be verified in the next reboot.

To avoid this, the ideal is to always reboot after installing a game. Although this does not prevent a system crash or if it closes badly.

To correct the problem the escandisk warning:

Start PURE and from the menu start Windows, without loading any game.
When finished restart Windows from the Start button.
When the reboot is finished, shut down normally as you do.

At this point I am going to recommend you to freeze the disk. It is a little uncomfortable at first, but very useful because the C: disk is not modified and is not damaged.

In the ‘OS Disk Modifications’ options there are 3 options.

‘Keep’ is normal, ‘Discard’ freezes the C: disk and ‘Save Difference Per Core’ is a new and wonderful option. In the description it explains what they are for, I am going to comment you how to use ‘Discard’ well.

Before closing the core, activate ‘Discard’ and the disk freezes, nothing can be installed.

If you want to install a new game, before starting Windows you have to put the option ‘Keep’.

You install the game, restart and close Windows. In the screen of it is safe to close, you activate ‘Discard’ again.

Now you can close the core whenever you want, you don’t have to shut down Windows, it will never get damaged. @thingsiplay This may be useful for you.

But Windows 98 doesn’t have official SP1, it’s a hack, I never got to approve it, I have no idea if it’s any good.

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#9

First of all, I wonder why you start a new thread every time there is something related to Windows 98. Personally, I think it would be better to reuse the topic since it is help about Windows 98 from the same person.

This is Windows 98 Service Pack 1.

Windows 98 -> Windows 98 SP1 -> Windows 98 SE.

This is the official Service Pack distributed by Microsoft for the original Windows 98.
The abbreviation 98SP1 is used to distinguish it from 98SE.

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#10

Every day, something new can be learned.
I had no idea this existed, I always used win98 (aka first release) and win98SE.

I don’t think it will impact too much on the shutdown, possibly SE is better because it is more updated and debugged, anyway I will try it someday.

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#11

I try to keep the threads problem specific instead of having one giant mix of many problems. I thought that was better in forums. Am I wrong?

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#12

Sorry.
It is not wrong. You have a point.