Getting winnt.exe to work on Windows Longhorn build 3683

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ActivateYourTech
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Getting winnt.exe to work on Windows Longhorn build 3683

Post by ActivateYourTech »

Hi,

I have recently been wondering about getting winnt.exe to work on Windows Longhorn build 3683. My first attempt didn't quite go to plan, as I thought that replacing winnt.exe from the winnt.exe of Windows XP (SP3 Pro) would work. This didn't quite go to plan, as when I inserted a Windows 98 boot floppy, and put my new CD in the CD Drive (D:), and tried to launch winnt.exe, it would say "Bad command or file name." I also tried to replace winnt32.exe, winnt32 help file, and a winnt32 package installer, yet it did not help. I also checked on the CD to make sure that the files were there, and they were.
Image
If anyone knows how to fix it, please can you tell me?

Thanks
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Lucas Brooks
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Re: Getting winnt.exe to work on Windows Longhorn build 3683

Post by Lucas Brooks »

You can patch the original executable or use a debugger to jump to the actual code in the main function. The actual code is in there but it's not referenced by anything (which is a weird thing considering it's compiled by a C compiler, they must've edited the assembly language output).

Xeno
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Re: Getting winnt.exe to work on Windows Longhorn build 3683

Post by Xeno »

Are you 100% sure the file exists? I just swapped 3683's winnt with 2600 RTM and I had no issues

ActivateYourTech
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Re: Getting winnt.exe to work on Windows Longhorn build 3683

Post by ActivateYourTech »

Xeno wrote:
Mon Jan 16, 2023 1:01 pm
Are you 100% sure the file exists? I just swapped 3683's winnt with 2600 RTM and I had no issues
I checked again, and it was there. Also, I put some other files as a last resort, and they showed up, yet they refused to open.
https://www.youtube.com/@techactivate781
I don't like Windows 10/11. I like (best to 4th best): 7, 8.1, Vista, and XP.
Cars I like: Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Aura, Tata Tiago, Suzuki Dzire, and Suzuki Ciaz
New Zealand should win the T20 wc this year! (sad after 2019...)

xelloss
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Re: Getting winnt.exe to work on Windows Longhorn build 3683

Post by xelloss »

ActivateYourTech wrote:
Sun Jan 15, 2023 4:39 pm
Hi,

I have recently been wondering about getting winnt.exe to work on Windows Longhorn build 3683. My first attempt didn't quite go to plan, as I thought that replacing winnt.exe from the winnt.exe of Windows XP (SP3 Pro) would work. This didn't quite go to plan, as when I inserted a Windows 98 boot floppy, and put my new CD in the CD Drive (D:), and tried to launch winnt.exe, it would say "Bad command or file name."
That's highly unusual, because that error message means that the system hasn't even tried running winnt.exe, because it couldn't find it. So you shouldn't really try to get winnt.exe to work, but you should understand why the system on your bootdisk cannot find it.

MyFaceNeverWhen
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Re: Getting winnt.exe to work on Windows Longhorn build 3683

Post by MyFaceNeverWhen »

ActivateYourTech wrote:
Sun Jan 15, 2023 4:39 pm
Hi,

I have recently been wondering about getting winnt.exe to work on Windows Longhorn build 3683. My first attempt didn't quite go to plan, as I thought that replacing winnt.exe from the winnt.exe of Windows XP (SP3 Pro) would work. This didn't quite go to plan, as when I inserted a Windows 98 boot floppy, and put my new CD in the CD Drive (D:), and tried to launch winnt.exe, it would say "Bad command or file name." I also tried to replace winnt32.exe, winnt32 help file, and a winnt32 package installer, yet it did not help. I also checked on the CD to make sure that the files were there, and they were.
Image
If anyone knows how to fix it, please can you tell me?

Thanks
SP3's winnt.exe might be incompatible with 3683, try RTM's one.
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AlphaBeta
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Re: Getting winnt.exe to work on Windows Longhorn build 3683

Post by AlphaBeta »

It wouldn't complain about bad command or file name if the executable was incompatible.
AlphaBeta, stop brainwashing me immediately!

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MyFaceNeverWhen
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Re: Getting winnt.exe to work on Windows Longhorn build 3683

Post by MyFaceNeverWhen »

Or It could just be an intentional complaint injected into the code...

ActivateYourTech, If winnt.exe is genuinely in the ISO, then are you able to send said ISO where you're doing this experiment (including configuration of VM)?
Nerdiest nerd in the universe.

Emulators and Hypervisors I use
86Box for early versions of Windows, Intel Apple Rhapsody, OS/2 pre-3.0, DOS, etc.
VMware Workstation for later versions of Windows (sometimes early versions), Intel macOS, OS/2 post-3.0, etc.
Mini vMac for System Software pre-7.x
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SheepShaver for Mac OS 7.x-9
QEMU for later PPC Mac OS, Windows RT, etc.

ActivateYourTech
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Re: Getting winnt.exe to work on Windows Longhorn build 3683

Post by ActivateYourTech »

I have provided the following things in this link (to Google Drive):
The whole folder which the VM is in
The ISO which I am using

Link (I don't have FTP access, plus it isn't allowed on the server)
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... SgHd9OAq6Z
https://www.youtube.com/@techactivate781
I don't like Windows 10/11. I like (best to 4th best): 7, 8.1, Vista, and XP.
Cars I like: Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Aura, Tata Tiago, Suzuki Dzire, and Suzuki Ciaz
New Zealand should win the T20 wc this year! (sad after 2019...)

MyFaceNeverWhen
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Re: Getting winnt.exe to work on Windows Longhorn build 3683

Post by MyFaceNeverWhen »

Apparently WINNT.EXE exists in the ISO but cannot be read with the Windows 98 bootdisk I use.

Image
Image

As well as this the files do not have extensions.
Nerdiest nerd in the universe.

Emulators and Hypervisors I use
86Box for early versions of Windows, Intel Apple Rhapsody, OS/2 pre-3.0, DOS, etc.
VMware Workstation for later versions of Windows (sometimes early versions), Intel macOS, OS/2 post-3.0, etc.
Mini vMac for System Software pre-7.x
Basilisk II for Mac OS 7.x-8.1
SheepShaver for Mac OS 7.x-9
QEMU for later PPC Mac OS, Windows RT, etc.

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