Exploring Alternatives: The Evolution of ReactOS
If you’re on the hunt for a viable alternative to Windows, numerous options have emerged over the years. In our retrospective series, we’ve revisited intriguing alternatives like Corel Linux, BeOS, and Lindows. Among these projects, ReactOS continues to evolve, benefiting from regular updates and improvements.
Recent Updates to ReactOS
Earlier this year, in March, ReactOS introduced a couple of significant updates. These enhancements focused on various system components, such as the Plug and Play Manager, the Microsoft FAT file system, along with improvements to the shell and audio functionalities. For comprehensive details on these updates, you can check out our dedicated article.
Major Enhancements in User Experience
This week, ReactOS revealed exciting progress regarding its Explorer feature, particularly its ability to manage full-screen applications effectively. To showcase these enhancements, the ReactOS team shared images illustrating the before and after states of the Explorer interface. They highlighted the classic game Hover!, a first-person sci-fi shooter that Microsoft included with its Windows 95 CD-ROMs, albeit tucked away in a ‘Fun Stuff’ folder.
It’s merged – enjoy! ^^ https://t.co/HHDhhBBgNm
— ReactOS (@reactos) June 15, 2025
Interestingly, Microsoft made modifications to Hover! over the years to ensure compatibility with Windows 8.1 and various web browsers.
Improvements in Virtualization and Graphics
ReactOS’s latest update not only introduces full-screen support but also incorporates a crucial fix for oleaut32.dll, derived from Wine. This adjustment resolves issues related to Oracle Virtual Box, particularly with combobox dialogs. As evidenced by the shared images, users can now create and save their settings within VirtualBox.
With a bugfix in oleaut32.dll, taken from Wine, comboboxes inside VirtualBox 3.x now properly work on #ReactOS – VMs with it can now properly be created, settings saved and started!!! See the before-after shots and VM in action! Courtesy of our developer @olegdubinskij21.pic.twitter.com/fRNQucgxtR
— ReactOS (@reactos) June 15, 2025
Additionally, the OLEAUT DLL fix has successfully addressed a bug in 3DMark 2001>, making previously obscured settings now clearly visible:
Another fixed app by Oleg’s bugfix import for oleaut32.dll is 3DMark2001! See the before-after shot, comboboxes are now correctly visible on #ReactOS! pic.twitter.com/ABlNcNqJ5a
— ReactOS (@reactos) June 16, 2025
Understanding OLE and COM Integration
For tech enthusiasts, Microsoft’s Component Object Model (COM) facilitates interaction among various Windows components, including host applications. OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) builds upon this by allowing dynamic linking and embedding within Visual Basic 6 applications, utilizing the Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC) Library.
The official documentation from Microsoft highlights that OLEAUT32.dll serves as a runtime library implementing OLE Automation for Visual Basic 6 applications, enabling dynamic interactions with COM objects through late binding.
For additional insights and images related to these updates, feel free to visit the source link.
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