1. Create an .htaccess or alter your apache config file to add the the following mod_rewrite entries:
RewriteEngine on Options +FollowSymLinks RewriteBase / RewriteRule catalog/([a-zA-Z0-9-.]*)/([a-zA-Z0-9-.]*)-([0-9]*).html$ /index.php?l=product_detail&p=$3 RewriteRule catalog/new-products-0-1.html$ /index.php?l=product_list&c=new RewriteRule catalog/new-products-0-([0-9]*).html$ /index.php?pg=$1&l=product_list&c=new RewriteRule catalog/([a-zA-Z0-9-.]*)-0-1.html$ /index.php?l=product_list&c=$1 RewriteRule catalog/([a-zA-Z0-9-.]*)-0-([0-9]*).html$ /index.php?pg=$2&l=product_list&c=$1 RewriteRule catalog/m-([a-zA-Z0-9-.]*)-([0-9]*)-1.html$ /index.php?l=product_list&m=$2 RewriteRule catalog/m-([a-zA-Z0-9-.]*)-([0-9]*)-([0-9]*).html$ /index.php?pg=$3&l=product_list&m=$2 RewriteRule catalog/([a-zA-Z0-9-.]*)-([0-9]*)-1.html$ /index.php?l=product_list&c=$2 RewriteRule catalog/([a-zA-Z0-9-.]*)-([0-9]*)-([0-9]*).html$ /index.php?pg=$3&l=product_list&c=$2 RewriteRule catalog/([a-zA-Z0-9]*).html$ /index.php?l=page_view&p=$1 RewriteRule catalog/([a-zA-Z0-9.]*)-([a-zA-Z0-9.]*).html$ /index.php?l=page_view&p=$1_$2 RewriteRule catalog/([a-zA-Z0-9.]*)-([a-zA-Z0-9.]*)-([a-zA-Z0-9]*).html$ /index.php?l=page_view&p=$1_$2_$3
2. Open the index.php and change the lines containing:
// Set Base URL if ($_GET[setbase] == 1) $index[base_url] = '<base href="'.((is_secure())?$settings[secureurl]:$settings[shopurl]).'" />';
to
// Set Base URL $index[base_url] = '<base href="'.((is_secure())?$settings[secureurl]:$settings[shopurl]).'" />';
3. Lastly, on the "Generate HTML Pages" area of the general setting within the admin, change the "Manufacturer Page Format:" from
{manufacturer_name}-{manufacturer_id}-{page}.html
to
m-{manufacturer_name}-{manufacturer_id}-{page}.html
You are all set! Now just turn HTML pages on. No need to generate HTML pages though. Additionally, making any changes to the format of URL's will require some slight mods to the rewrites.