Neptune's Activity Center...

[KenOath]

Well as some of you may know, I've been hacking away at Neptune
on & off for a little over 2 years now, addressing various aspects of
the problems & fixing them one at a time...
Where i'm currently at is having it install with the activity center enabled
& running all links from within it...
Unfortunately the mediacenter & photocenter apps were released in a
Millenniun build between the pre beta1 & beta1, which can be validated
by looking at the comments in the betacln.inf of ME-Beta1..

Code: Select all

;BETACLN.INF
;
;  Used to clean up beta-to-beta changes
;  which is no longer applicaable to the 1
;  product.
;
;  This is a Microsoft Beta Program only file and will be removed
;  before we ship.
;  DO NOT put anything in here that is needed for the released product.

[version]
LayoutFile= Layout.inf, Layout1.inf, Layout2.inf
signature="$CHICAGO$"
SetupClass=BASE

[BaseWinOptions]
BETACLEAN_BASE

[DefaultInstall]
DelFiles   = Beta.del.win, Beta.del.sys, Beta.del.welcome, Beta.del.sys32.drv, Beta.del.inf, Beta.dx.del, Beta.dx5.del, PCH.bin.del, AC.del
DelReg     = Beta.delreg, AC.delreg
AddReg     = Beta.addreg
UpdateInis = Beta.inis, support.url.ini

[BETACLEAN_BASE]
DelFiles   = Beta.del.win, Beta.del.sys, Beta.del.welcome, Beta.del.sys32.drv, Beta.del.inf, Beta.dx.del, Beta.dx5.del, PCH.bin.del, AC.del
DelReg     = Beta.delreg, AC.delreg
AddReg     = Beta.addreg
UpdateInis = Beta.inis, support.url.ini

[Beta.addreg]
HKLM,%KEY_CDZERO%,%KEY_CDVOL%,1,00,00,00,00,FF,00,00,00
;Show Windows version on desktop.
HKCU,"Control Panel\Desktop",PaintDesktopVersion,,"1"


[AC.delreg]
HKLM,"Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\MEDIACTR.EXE",,,
HKLM,"Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\PHOTOCTR.EXE",,,
HKLM,"Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\GAMECTR.EXE",,,


[Beta.delreg]

[DestinationDirs]
Beta.copy.win      = 25
Beta.copy.inf      = 17
Beta.del.win       = 25
Beta.del.sys       = 11
Beta.del.sys32.drv = 25,System32\Drivers
Beta.del.welcome   = 25,%AppDataShort%\%MSSharedShort%\Welcome
Beta.del.inf       = 17
Beta.del.help      = 18
Beta.dx.del        = 28700,%DirectX%
Beta.dx5.del       = 28700,%DirectX%\setup
PCH.bin.del        = 10,PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries
AC.del             = 25,Activity


[Beta.copy.win]

[Beta.copy.inf]

[PCH.bin.del]
marscore.dll


[AC.del]
gamectr.exe
mediactr.exe
photoctr.exe


[Beta.dx.del]
dxtool.exe
dxbug.exe
dxinfo.exe
devnode1.dll
devnode2.dll

[Beta.dx5.del]
dxbug.exe

[Beta.del.win]
helpdesk.htm
bugrep.url
filelogo.htm
welcome.htm
vcheck.exe
icwdetct.exe
wuicw.ini
wu1.htm
wu2.htm
wu3.htm
wuwoman.jpg
wupdinfo.dll
wuau.chm
license.txt
wutrytxt.gif
icwthnks.gif
icwlogo.gif
relnotes.rtf
betagide.rtf
appnotes.doc
readme.txt
defrag16.exe
applog.exe
offline.htm

[Beta.del.sys]
wbemcpl.cpl
datamine.dll
deluxecd.dll
dplayer.dll
musicnet.dll
shplay.dll
wuaupd.dll

etc etc etc

In my haste, I'd announced to a few friends that I had the Activity Center
fixed to run withour errors on install..
What I've really done is have it open the games folder from the games
link, the Entertainment folder from the Music link, & Kodak imaging from
the photo center link, however it does install & run without having to
modify it after installation
Since there's now way of obtaining the 3 programs needed to run the
apps from the original link I substituted...
Now these run from a fresh installation, not after having used the
"Customise this Page link" when installed...
I also found that when customising the page & pressing the save button,
an error stating that mshta.exe had caused an error, would I like to
report it, when you'd press no, the activity center page would crash / close..
Now, it gives the error, but when you press a response, it doesn't crash/close,
you can continue on...
I mentioned this problem to a friend, who's resonse was -

hmm it could be something in the HTML code which errors the application.
Probably MS used an OLE component when building the mshta.exe.
Most probably it's highly dependent of IE.

Which i'm led to believe may be the case, as I also recollect that when 1st
attempting to customise the activity center, I'd also get another error
relating to a script problem, & was asked if i'd like to continue seeing the
script error, which also seems to be fixed, though inadvertantly through
addressing the mshta.exe problem...
Another thing I fixed was adding icon resources to the mshta.exe so the
activity center menu entry was assigned one, before this fix it just looked
like a dos icon, until assigning one from the properties after installation,
though I could have spent time working a fix to have it assigned one
from the shell32.dll, but figured it was quicker to add the resouces to
the mshta.exe as it was it's default icon assigned by the setup...
I originally had it install Media Player Classic, the latest, & included a small
codecs package that worked OK, then had the activity center open it as
the default app when installed...


the only problem was the music menu in Activity Center
says record or play music or CD's, which is why I now have it just lead
to the entertainment folder by default on install...
This is it's currently running apps as a default install



I was also going to integrate the Movie Maker package from ME, the one
that was uploaded on OSBA a couple of years ago, {though I can't find it}
& have it run from the MediaCenter link by default, but then figured it'd be
just another hack like media player classic...

So, i'm in a bind as to what to do & include in this fix of mine as far as what I
do install & run from the activity centers links...
As usual, some here will say it's just another f**ked up released hack of mine,
others will appreciate the effort, so that's why i'm asking...
It also runs directx all the way to 9c without problems too now, & that was
done without any major hacking at all oddly enough...
I had to fix the directx installation problems as most late agp cards drivers
won't function properly until at least DX8 is installed...




At one time, I even took a copy of Microsoft Photo Editor & hacked it to
look & run like it was PhotoCenter, which I found ran OK, I just needed to
make the appropriate registry entries to register the file types that is was
associated with, which is still on the cards at this monent, as far as an app
for the PhotoCenter in Activity Center, just need a lot more time though...
I was hoping to make this a christmas present here but time is too short
to make the appropriate fixes....





So People, what's your thoughts on this hack of mine...
Should I include any of the aforementioned apps.? or just have it open
the already installed folders as it's currently doing...

[Rob Jansen]

Good Work!

[betaluva]

FRIKEN LOVE IT KEN!!!!, keep going, dont worry about what others say. ps, instead of using the Ms app how about this little opensource app, its just a exe. ( which i,ve reshacked) http://rapidshare.com/files/78068157/3D_ImageStone.zip

[m4rkuz]

hi Ken,


loooks very nice

continue your work !

[betaluva]

i know im getting ahead of my self but i reshacked 3D-imagestone: http://img299.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wnpru7.jpg

Admin edit: Image shack image made into a link. You should know the rules by now.

[Namronia]

apropos neptune, i found a confusing sentence in winnt32a.dll...


Neptune Upgrade Available


Files for Neptune build 5XXX are now available.


To upgrade to the new version, click Finish.


(button)Don't Upgrade


does that mean microsoft had other files on their ftp? and i never saw an update message with build ..


edit, also heard "school yard rumors" about 4.0.1276.1

[Unknown]

As usual, some here will say it's just another f**ked up released hack of mine,
others will appreciate the effort, so that's why i'm asking...
So People, what's your thoughts on this hack of mine...
Should I include any of the aforementioned apps.? or just have it open
the already installed folders as it's currently doing...

Are you doing this for your own personal enjoyment, or others?
Who cares what other people say, you're surely not doing this to please other people are you.
I think you've made pretty good progress, do what you pleases you 1st.
I'd say make one release opening the original applications and change as little as
you have to, leaving a text of your changes, then make one with whatever applications
you see fit.

[KenOath]

FRIKEN LOVE IT KEN!!!!, keep going, dont worry about what others say. ps, instead of using the Ms app how about this little opensource app, its just a exe. ( which i,ve reshacked) http://rapidshare.com/files/78068157/3D_ImageStone.zip

Thanks, I'll have a play with it within neptune & see how it fares...
I just had a quick at at it myself...
Here it is after I had a quick hack at it.. Adding the PhotoCenter icon & text...

I just found a little more info regarding PhotoCenter too...

Beginning with Windows ME, Microsoft developed the notion of "Activity Centers."
These simple applications reside in a window of their own and are designed to
support well-defined, often guided, tasks, such as cropping or resizing an image.
Activity Centers have an interesting feature that I want to draw your attention
to: They offer links to tasks that are related to the current task and might
be an option for proceeding in the current context.

For Activity Centers, related tasks are probably assigned by hand.
For large software systems, such as SAP's ERP applications,
it is, however, conceivable that these links are created automatically.
The necessary meta data could be supplied by the respective applications

Seems it definately hit a build of Millennium at some time...

Seems that the MusicCenter in the Activity Center later on became
"MediaPad"




Here's a few more facts on the Activity Center & Mars..
Another on the Mars program..

[betaluva]

i like your mod of the photocenter ken, lighty off topic, i read that that the windows xp startmenue was ripped from a windows millenium alpha (on bill gates orders) has anyone seen any proof of this?

[hounsell]

Wow, it seems like the ME alphas were the older Longhorns. Thats something i didnt realise

As for the 'hacks', They all look pretty impressive, and it looks like Neptune would be so much easier to use with this. I'm looking forward to downloading a copy of these hacks

[Namronia]

here are some other screens of it:





and the one already posted from KenOath in better quality:



have fun

and edit, i cant really install 2380, its too slow, but can anyone look inside regedit, Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\, please and post a screen? thanks

[hounsell]

Here's that screenshot

[betaluva]

does anyone know which builds of georgia contained the activity centres?

[dirtwarrior]

It seems neptune was far more advanced than most realized.

I wished they developed it further.

Thanks KO

[KenOath]

An interesting fact I found today is that the MediaCenter in the early
Millennium builds ended up becoming Media Player 7...

[Namronia]

An interesting fact I found today is that the MediaCenter in the early
Millennium builds ended up becoming Media Player 7...

ME betas or neptunes activity centers? is
there already an alpha integrated?

thanks

[betaluva]

alphas never leaked, i know some poeple did get them because rose vines did a story about a wimdows millenium alpha in APC , thats where i got the information about the startmenue being removed from the windows millemium alpha so it could added to the next version of windows (windows 2000 was allready released so therefore it has to be windows xp )

[KenOath]

An interesting fact I found today is that the MediaCenter in the early
Millennium builds ended up becoming Media Player 7...

ME betas or neptunes activity centers? is
there already an alpha integrated?

thanks

The ME betas of course, if you have a look at the activity centers in neptune
you'll see it is also from an ME beta as it says Millennium on the top left of
the opened page when 1st run...
The screenshots showing the correct Neptune name found on Paul Thurrotts
sight shows the concept screens of the activity centers running in Neptune,
not the actual build of activity center released in build 5111...

alphas never leaked, i know some poeple did get them because rose vines did a story about a wimdows millenium alpha in APC , thats where i got the information about the startmenue being removed from the windows millemium alpha so it could added to the next version of windows (windows 2000 was allready released so therefore it has to be windows xp )

Build 2332 was released to testers, it's an alpha...

[betaluva]

SCHWEET! i wonder if anyone has a copy of it?

[KenOath]

A little off topic, but, I spent a couple of hours on & off during the day
modding all the files responsible for displaying the text during the 1st
phase of the setup + the GUI phase, so that all instances of Windows2000
showed Windows Neptune, but I did it on all the Service Pack 4 for Wink2
files...
There's another member on another forum attempting to make Sp4
work on Neptune & got onto me about helping him out...
I'm sure if these were placed in a STD Sp4 ISO of Win2000 Pro they'd
still work to show Neptune, not 2000...

Here's the download of the files if anyone's interested..

[Kenneth]

There's another member on another forum attempting to make Sp4
work on Neptune & got onto me about helping him out...
I'm sure if these were placed in a STD Sp4 ISO of Win2000 Pro they'd

Mortagen from WinPRJ.

[marxo]

Here is a link to the whole project... I think that he has SP4 working on Neptune..

http://www.winprj.net/board/viewforum.php?f=30

[betaluva]

@ KenOath,sounds cool, im downloadig it nnow, so these files should be added to windows 2000 sp4 install cd?

[zchri9]

Can someone please explain to me what a Activity Center is and can i use one on windows XP?

[Namronia]

Can someone please explain to me what a Activity Center is and can i use one on windows XP?

if youve got a neptune cd with photoctr.inf
(for me it works) just enter

Code: Select all

REGSVR32 D:\i386\acccore.dll

if D:\ is not your CD change that