Get Error: No Unicode Layer when trying to use winmx

[stoneman_usa]

Using winmx 3.31 on win98se
The program files\winmx directory has no dlls in it.
When I install any of the patches (tried them all) and the try to kick off winmx I see your start page and then a error block comes which says Error: No Unicode Layer and winmx does not start.  If I remove the patch dll's and kick off winmx every thing works as usual.
I have also uninstalled winmx, reinstalled it, and tried to patch it, but always get the Unicode Layer error described above.
Any suggestions???

[Me Here]

hi Stoneman,

Try downloading and putting this into your C:\Program Files\WinMX folder

https://www.winmxworld.com/files/unicows.dll

Then restart.. if this fixes your issues you may want to find the 'unicode pack for windows' and install it, something may have damaged your files and you may find issues with other programs that require these files, remember this one you're getting will fix MX but not any other applications that would require them.

[stoneman_usa]

You can get the unicode layer software at microsoft, using the link below

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=73BA7BD7-ED06-4F0D-80A4-2A7EEAEE17E2&displaylang=en

[stoneman_usa]

I got the unicode layer software from microsoft and put the unicows.dll and unicows.pdb in the winmx directory then added your oledlg.dll and had the same problems.  I.e. Unicode wrapper not found

[stoneman_usa]

Looks like your patch does not work with win98se.  Other forum has a similar entry.  Have found no way to make it work with your patch, so am stuck with pie-patch and am using the modified host file for connection.
Do you have a host file for access to the servers that your patch uses to connect to the servers---as a work around if nothing else until a patch that works with win98se is made.

[Bearded Blunder]

i have had this working on 98se (and 98 & 95).. i can't remember what the exact solution was last time i solved it for someone (under 98 mine just worked) however, until the solution comes to me, i'd suggest using the previous connection fix httpss://archive.winmxworld.com/KingMacro/WinMX%20Connection%20Fix/Install-2.2.exe which will get you connected & also effectively block flooders using your connection, i'm sorry this doesn't include the fake filtering, but at least it does block the RIAA & addresses active caches, just ignore it suggesting you update till such time as we figure the problem out.

[KM]

the patch itself does not require unicode, and on a clean windows 98 system everything works fine

some programs (i have yet to identify which common ones do it) however update some of your system files so those files require unicode, which is not installed on 98 (basically they break anything else that tries to use those system files... very bad)

the few users who have had their system files messed up like that have mostly reported that simply installing the unicode libraries fixed it, and in theory that should work fine... the only other suggestion i could think of would be to put the unicows.dll file in the system32 directory instead of the MX directory to ensure it gets loaded (instead of depending on the working directory being set to the MX directory for loading it - which is may not be if it is loaded from a dependency in another system file), however if you installed the unicode libraries with the microsoft installer then it should have installed to the system32 directory anyway, but you can always check to make sure

[stoneman_usa]

I installed ver 2.2 of your patch.  this morning I was connected and running version 3.53 of Winmx Sucessfully.  I also retried the 3.0 patch with no success. I restored 2.2 and am running with it. 
Thanks for your help

I'll try your suggestion on moving unicows.dll to system32 and let you know what happens.

[KM]

3.0 is much better if you can get it working, it can connect faster (although 3 seconds to connect instead of 2 seconds is probably not a major problem) but importantly it has the fake filtering which is not in 2.2, which makes quite a bit of difference when trying to download

And I just looked at a windows 98 system... looks like the system files go in system not in system32 on 98 (i'm so used to it being system32 as that's where 2k, XP and 2k3 put them, lol) - so try there instead... (unless system32 works, in which case go with what works...)

[stoneman_usa]

I tried moving unicows.dll to system and system32, it doesn't work in either position with the 3.0 patch.

[KM]

something is different with your system configuration that is causing the error, figuring out what that is could possibly mean changing that to allow it to work, but more importantly it may mean the patch could be updated to work under those circumstances (so the handful of other users with that problem would be able to use it without issue)

do you have anything with your system set up in a way that isn't common or default behaviour? any programs installed which may be common enough that a few people have it, but uncommon enough that most wouldn't? any abnormal language settings? etc

[Bearded Blunder]

added to that (i may be off track) but i have a vague recollection.. did you do a custom install or a minimal one? i seem to remember something about accessibilty options being installed by default & having problems that i tracked down to needing to install those & not use them (having left them out).. it *may* have been related to another program, but i seem to remember something...

[stoneman_usa]

I did a custom install. All languages, no pws, no dial-up options
All accessibility
all Accessories
All Address Book
Nothing from Dialup Communications
All Desktop Themes
Nothing from Internet Tools
All Multilanguage Support
All Multimedia
Nothing From Online Services
All System tools except for backup

[7]

Shot in the dark here but you could try using the FileMon application to see where winmx.exe is looking for the file(s), or where your system's looking for it.  It should show whether or not the file was found including where the file is or isn't located.

I'm not familiar with the 'unicows.dll' file personally though if you give FileMon a try then upon starting it just configure the 'filter' to monitor for "unicows.dll;" or "unicows*;" or "uni*;", etc.  If WinMX is looking for this file then FileMon will show where it's looking and whether or not the file was found (It should show something like "SUCCESS" or "FILE NOT FOUND").

Additionally, you could also set the FileMon filter to "winmx.exe;" at startup to observe all files WinMX is attempting to locate, which may help to indicate what was and wasn't found.

hth.

[GhostShip]

Cheers for your useful idea there 7, Merry Xmas to ya