"Windows 98 + ME *still* alive" campaign

[win 98 fan]

Hello again!

An colleague told me to write this because he/she isn't registered here I think:

Windows 98 + ME *still* alive campaign

Spread the word

Actually, Windows 98 (FE = First Edition), 98 SE (Second Edition) + ME (Millennium Edition) are *still* alive and well.

Please keep in mind that Windows 9x [95/98/ME] based OSes are installed on over 70 million computers, out of which 50 million are running Windows 98, 98 SE or ME.

Most small companies, charities, schools and a lot of individuals cannot afford to upgrade to Windows XP or any other OS, even Linux, because they don't have the necessary resources and/or knowledge.

True, Linux distros are free, but someone needs to install, service, repair and maintain [in many cases] a large number of [eventually networked] computers, no matter what OS they may run, and those IT technicians must get paid.

Sure, the KDE/Gnome interface may look familiar to most Windows users, but there will be a learning curve to make use of it.

Do you think people are willing to go through such pain just to upgrade their good-working 98/ME computers? Ask them yourself.

Besides, those good ol' 9x based OSes are fairly easy and cheap to maintain and troubleshoot, even if Microsoft won't help anymore. ;)

The point is that...

Enthusiast power users, programmers and IT specialists provide *free* support in their spare time at various web sites, forums, blogs etc.

MSFN.org is the best known support forum for Windows 98, 98 SE + ME, and all updates, service packs, fixes, patches, enhancement packs etc... are free:

Unofficial 98 SE Service Pack forum:

http://www.msfn.org/board/?showforum=91

95/98/98 SE/ME forum:

http://www.msfn.org/board/?showforum=8

Your questions + comments are usually answered in a timely fashion by knowledgeable forum members.

This way Windows 98/98 SE/ME OSes can be safely used even on modern, fast computers for every conceivable purpose, including playing hardware demanding games [if you have the necessary hardware that is ;)], desktop publishing, 3D graphics rendering, high-end A/V editing, CD/DVD burning, programming, internet browsing etc.

* System Updates:

98 SE SP2:

http://exuberant.ms11.net/98sesp.html

98 FE SP1:

http://www.msfn.org/board/?showtopic=44732

ME SP1:

http://www.msfn.org/board/?showtopic=61407

Native USB Drivers for 98 SE:

http://www.msfn.org/board/?showtopic=43605

MS IE 6.0 SP1 Updates Pack:

http://www.msfn.org/board/?showtopic=77706

98/98 SE Upgrade Pack:

http://www.msfn.org/board/?showtopic=72297

98 SE Cumulative Update:

http://www.msfn.org/board/?showtopic=50611

98, 98 SE + ME updates + (hot)fixes:

http://www.msfn.org/board/?showtopic=46581

* Enhancement + Transformation Packs:

98SE2ME:

http://www.msfn.org/board/?showtopic=46349

98SEMP10:

http://www.mdgx.com/wmp.htm#98MP10

Revolutions Pack:

http://www.msfn.org/board/?showtopic=58357

Kernel XP:

http://www.msfn.org/board/?showtopic=71476

* Individual OS Updates:

98:

http://www.mdgx.com/web.htm#W98

98 SP1:

http://www.mdgx.com/web.htm#SP1

98 SE:

http://www.mdgx.com/web.htm#98SE

ME:

http://www.mdgx.com/web.htm#WME

95 FE (First Edition) + OSR1:

http://www.mdgx.com/web.htm#WIN

95 OSR2:

http://www.mdgx.com/web.htm#OSR2

* Essential System Add-Ons + Tools:

http://www.mdgx.com/add.htm

DirectX Fixes, Updates + Tools:

http://www.mdgx.com/dx.htm

Internet Explorer Fixes + Updates:

http://www.mdgx.com/ietoy.htm

Windows Media Player Fixes + Updates:

http://www.mdgx.com/wmp.htm

Drivers + Tools:

http://www.mdgx.com/drv.htm

* Security, Firewalls, Anti-Spyware + Anti-Virus tools [free(ware)]:

Security:

http://www.mdgx.com/modem.htm#TS

Firewalls:

http://www.mdgx.com/fw.htm#FWL

Anti-Spyware:

http://www.mdgx.com/fw.htm#ASP

Anti-Virus:

http://www.mdgx.com/vir.htm

* Tips, secrets, guides + troubleshooting:

All Windows OSes:

http://www.mdgx.com/newtip.htm

98, 98 SP1 + 98 SE:

http://www.mdgx.com/newtip98.htm

ME:

http://www.mdgx.com/wme.htm

Registry:

http://www.mdgx.com/reg.htm

W95-11D.EXE:

http://www.mdgx.com/95.htm

MSDOS.SYS:

http://www.mdgx.com/msdos.htm

SYSTEM.INI:

http://www.mdgx.com/lastweek.htm#SYSINI

DOS:

http://www.mdgx.com/secrets.htm

Easter Eggs:

http://www.mdgx.com/egg.htm

* Free(ware) software:

95/98/ME + NT4/2000/XP/2003:

http://www.mdgx.com/toy.htm

Diagnostic, Testing + Benchmarking:

http://www.mdgx.com/speed.htm

Backup, Recovery + Hard Disk:

http://www.mdgx.com/secrets.htm#FDPT

CD + DVD:

http://www.mdgx.com/drv.htm#CDR

Video + Audio:

http://www.mdgx.com/drv.htm#DRV

http://www.mdgx.com/toy.htm#MED

Internet:

http://www.mdgx.com/toy.htm#WEB

DOS:

http://www.mdgx.com/dos.htm

* Other related web sites + forums:

98/ME web sites:

http://www.mdgx.com/newtip98.htm#98L

95/98/ME forums:

http://www.mdgx.com/newtip98.htm#98F

Enjoy.

[Rudy]

you wont get my support, i personally believe this should have been done a long time ago

[cool_chris_1990]

Who really uses windows 98 now a days?

[CoLdFuSi0n]

Lots

[nookadum]

A LOT of people. Don't assume it's not in use anymore. There are people who don't want to shell out the cash for Windows 2000 or XP, nor upgrade their PCs to support them.

[Rudy]

i know alot of people still use it, hopefully it will either make them get 2000 or XP or they will just have to live without support from MS

[Matt T]

I agree with Rudy - there is really no excuse to still be using anything except XP or 2000. Support for all other versions of Windows should have ended years ago.

[Ravensworth]

Old, outdated, unstable, insecure software. Just let it die. Personally if you want you can use CP/M but stupid campaigns and petitions are pointless. Microsoft is not going to support them anymore, they're discontinued.

[bluewind.]

yeaaahhhh windows 98 woooooooooooooooo

[nookadum]

These people AREN'T asking for support from Microsoft:

Enthusiast power users, programmers and IT specialists provide *free* support in their spare time at various web sites, forums, blogs etc.

There's a lot of support on the web for almost all issues.

[Arkaic]

um its not liek you have to have an uber-pwn dem all computer to run XP. Xp in todays tech is not really demanding high specs. now Vista, imo, is a different story. :laugh:

[MrKuro]

you wont get my support, i personally believe this should have been done a long time ago

I agree with this . . Xp is already 5 years old . . . and it can run on nearly any computer configuration. . . if people haven't adopted this standard, then sorry . . but a line must be drawn.

So guys just let it die already and move on

[Rudy]

i've had a guy call me (i do tech support :x) with a pentium 4 3.4ghz and 1.5gb ram running Win98 because he didnt want to fork over the money for an OEM copy of XP and he was wondering why his system wasnt as fast as he was expecting lol (he built the computer himself.....prolly used some tape to make sure everything is staying together lol)

[win 98 fan]

I agree with this . . Xp is already 5 years old . . . and it can run on nearly any computer configuration. . . if people haven't adopted this standard, then sorry . . but a line must be drawn.

So guys just let it die already and move on

Please consider that some operatings systems are still supported by Microsoft that came before Windows ME.

And that Windows 98 +ME are still used by 70 Million users.

[cool_chris_1990]

just wondering, how many people have you got to surport you so far?

the office count, not guess or fake number .

I agree with cooljerk_dv. just let it die and move on. just use your windows 98 system for music, or something . why waste time. microsoft wont listen to you. it was orgnaly gona end in 2003 but extended it till 2006.

[MtnDewCodeRedFreak]

I agree too, just let it die already. I am personally glad I wasn't using 98 anymore when I switched over to XP Home, then XP Pro in 2004-2005.

[Blazkowicz]

those who say win98 is for dinosaurs and so on.. mind your own onions! (er, probably not something usually said in english? :D)

I used win98SE till one year ago and it had some advantages (on my XP2400+, which had 768MB RAM at the time). much faster boot time (a few seconds), instant shutdown, near perfect DOS support (native speed, sound and working IPX networking. unmatched by DOSbox, where anything more demanding than doom is unplayable). exit windows to pure DOS mode, and you can flash BIOS and firmware without even technically rebooting.

and I could do anything (gaming, browsing, audio, video, etc.). I played doom3 (not for long as it was boring, but I'm playing it again now) and could run the hl2 demo.

immune to the worms that striked windoze NT. it even can have some holes but lack the infection vector (WMF hole). don't use IE and don't execute viruses in your mail, and the OS is secure.

Biggest issue I had was the limitation to 64K GDI resources, from the 16bit days. it's a problem with a few apps that leak such resources such as old phoenix/firebird versions (but that got fixed later, and you could prevent it with a setting in about:config), and steam.

now I wouldn't go back from NT 5.x (better kernel, task manager, some NT only things installed, and comparable UI experience once you've spent time learning to disable the crap). but still lacking the easy and excellent DOS compatibility. (sucks to have great old games collecting dust)

[ZappBrannigan]

I understand that it might be faster, but if you go back to dos i bet thats even faster!

Please keep in mind that Windows 9x [95/98/ME] based OSes are installed on over 70 million computers, out of which 50 million are running Windows 98, 98 SE or ME.

Am I the only one that can't get their head round this sentence? :s

Maybe i'm just tired!

[windows95isg8]

I understand that it might be faster, but if you go back to dos i bet thats even faster!

Am I the only one that can't get their head round this sentence? :s

Maybe i'm just tired!

lol no it does not make sense. so 20 million pc's have windows 98/me installed. there just not working lol

[h3xis]

Hello again!

An colleague told me to write this because he/she isn't registered here I think:

Uh...forgive me for being off topic, but you aren't able to tell the sex of your colleague?

[PL_ Veteran]

Hey, this is what Windows FLP is for!

[jimbo11883]

Yes, die WinME and older...

[p858snake]

I personally dont mind using 98 for games and such but yes a line must be drawn and support ended

[Lowdar]

I agree with Rudy - there is really no excuse to still be using anything except XP or 2000. Support for all other versions of Windows should have ended years ago.

Not everyone can afford to upgrade, Matt.

[hotdog666al]

It can't stay around forever. It has to go eventually. that time is now.