I love my W98. Strategies for the Future?

As time for support of W98 winds down I wonder if there are any stratagies those of us who like this OS might follow to ensure a smooth running future. As I am wont to say, "Xp over my dead mobo! "

 

Arie is correct, & if you have all of the updates installed, & it is working good, get an image backup program, (like Drive Image) & make an image of your OS. Don't just trust that it will work perfect forever. It won't.

I ran all my maintenance, & registry cleaning programs. Waited a day or two, then did the backups.

I began preparing for this months ago. I managed to get all of the most important updates, & store them on CD's. Have firewalls & Anti-Virus, that are compatible with 98 installed, and so on. Also backed up on CD's. Also, have them running on an OS that is backed up on CD's. Back-up, back-up, back-up.

Make and store a copy of your 98 Full Install disk. Never touch it unless you have to. Back-up all back-up disks again about every six months or less.

I pretty much have all of the programs I ever wanted, or need running on mine on 3 OS's. Two of which never connect to the Internet. All compatible programs are also backed up.

I will hold out as long as possible too.

When they stop making floppy drives, which is inevitable, then I will have to set the BIOS to boot from a CD & make boot CD's for 98, Drive Image, Partiton Magic, Boot Magic & etc. I plan to do that before much longer.

That's what I've done & plan to do. It will keep me going for awhile yet on 98.

 

I'm afraid you can't just stand still.

"Qui non proficit, deficit. "

 

Quote
"I managed to get all of the most important updates, & store them on CD's. "

Deloris - How does one do this? Most of the time all I can get are "hotfixes ", no files to save and use later.

I have some of the older patches in file form, and I plan to be unafraid of reinstalling Win98SE when that time comes. I think if I keep my firewalls and active scripting control programs, and avoid using IE and OE I should be OK.

Most of the vulnerabilities can be handled without MS's patches, I think, by shutting off ActiveX, VBS, etc. and using an email filter (eg SpamKiller) so that unknown emails don't get into the machine. And, of course, don't open suspicious attachments from friends.

Am I fooling myself? I haven't installed most of the updates and patches anyway, and from all indications I'm safe enough. The machine has never had any type of malware get onboard.

 

I made an obvious observation.
The windows 98 forum has 10 times more user problem posts than XP and 2000 combined.
Give 98 a peaceful death and let it rest.

 

samson

I got sneaky & figured out where the Update page was downloading them to & copied and pasted them to another folder as soon as each one got finished downloading, & before the installation began.

The auto install deletes them once it installs them.

Several have said that the update page gives you a choice to download & install later, but I never could find that option.
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ssmith10pn

Could that possibly be because there are a whole lot more Win 98 users than XP & 2000 combined. Possibly 10 times as many.

Not till I'm forced to, kicking & screaming.

 

All you old geezers out there:

Remember how we could run programs perfectly well under DOS, with great graphics?

Remember when Windows 3.1 came out, and Presto! Changeo!, programs started appearing that would not run under DOS, but needed Windows 3.1? I saw several that would have run better under DOS, but the programmers decided they needed to write them for Windows 3.1

Then, remember when Windows 95/98 came out and Presto! Changeo!, we started seeing programs that would only run under Windows 95/98?

And guess what? Microsoft has stopped supporting Windows 3.1

Same thing has happened/will happen to Windows 95/98

That's how Billy G got to be a multibillionaire.

Keep your Windows 95/98 and buy all the programs you think you will ever need for those platforms, now, because once they are gone from the store shelves, you are SOL unless you upgrade.

Win 98 is great. All the problems I ever encountered were due to buggy software and hardware with problems. I'm keeping mine.

 

As to those who won't go to XP, neither will I! I chose Mandrake Linux, instead of MS strangleware. XP may work good, but it has a host of other problems, starting with WPA.

I started with MS-DOS 2.11.03 (Tandy 2000 specific). Ah, the Tandy 2000: a real Sweet Machine - superfast (well over 6 times the performance of a standard PC in its day). I also remember the introduction of Windows 3.1 as an "Operating System" by MS (Even printed on the box!). What a LIE that is, as it require MS-DOS to run (even install). Still, it was a good GUI, even with the blatant Macintosh Icons (I have experienced the Mac Classic and it *****).

Well, on topic here, we do have to get all we need for win98/SE, cause soon enough there won't be anything available (NEW that is) on store shelves. There is always eBay for finding 98 compatible software and hardware (pre DRM) or maybe the black market.

Yes do keep a backup of all critical files: data, updates, etc. Make and use a copy of your win98/SE CD. Only use the original to make the working copy.

backup is not necessarily a true backup, but, copies of these on an external HD, other partition, CD-R/RW. Just so long as you have several copies available.

I dual boot win98se and Mandrake Linux Powerpack, and use Win4lin v4 for using win98se inside Mandrake. If I didn't need native win98se for some things, I would go entirely Mandrake and win4lin (some games and other software that win4lin won't handle).

Steve Canyon;

I resemble that remark: I'm 47. I do remember, and I still have some DOS games (SSI Goldbox AD&D and others)! I also remember how long it took to get a decent software base for DOS (why do you think BASIC was bundled with DOS?? Answer: There was no software available for DOS for a while, when it came out.) The best Basic Compiler I ever found for DOS, was ZBASIC-PC/386 from 32 Bit Software.

XP: Never! MS Divine Rights Management OS9(es): Over my Dead Body!!!!!

 

As a new reader of this forum and also completely in the dark regarding the remarkable "work arounds" that have been mentioned to save one's 98, how much time do I have to get ready before the Axe falls?

 

Remember how we could run programs perfectly well under DOS, with great graphics?

All you young Squirts out there.

Us old geezers out here running Win98 not only can remember but can ( and do ) still run good old DOS programs. They are getting fewer but some are still around.

from Sarissi

I am a little older but I do too. And they are still just as good as they ever were. My wife would be on me like I do not know what if I messed up DOS on her machine.

If I do ( more than likely will ) go to XP it will not be on this machine. Even if I were to not use it for online work It would still stay around for Network games and older DOS programs. And my Win95 Lotus Software.

Then I would not need to worry about Windows or IE updates. As all I would need is the basic Windows 98SE OS.

Me too. and as long as I can.

DOS is still alive and well on this machine. And I look to 98SE as doing the same for quite some time to come.

Just because Mr. Gates and Company try to say DOS, Win95 & 98 are no longer useful does not make it true.

BillyBob

 

That was exactly the problem with the 9x family---buggy software brought down the whole system. To say that it worked fine except fot the problems caused by software is begging the question. An OS works fine, of course, with no programs, but the real test of an OS is how it handles errors.

A stable OS (unlike 98) doesn't come down around your ears when a program faults. That is why XP is so stable--program errors are isolated and the particular app can be shut down without affecting the other things that are running. DOS apps can be run in separate memory space.

And, with a journalling file system, like NTFS, even when those rare crashes or power failures do occur, data is not lost. That is an important goal of XP---protecting data (and the network from propagating errors which is the reason behind automatic restarts in cases of fatal error).

XP is the best OS I've ever used. No interest here in going back to 98.

For information on Microsoft's support lifecycle policy, look here:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;[LN];lifecycle

 

So Microsoft is dropping ( or has droped ) support for 98 and earlier operating systems.

So what. Big deal. Who cares. That in no way says that they are not still usefull. Or were a bad OS. Or that the new one is any better. Even though that is what MS would like us to believe.

When hardware and software venders stop supporting the older OS then it is time to be concerned. And like it or not I guess that time is coming too.

Abraxas

I will be able to better discuss XP with you when I get it installed again. And installed properly this time I hope.

From the way I read things, XP is supposed to fix ( or illiminate ) some of the problems that I never had.

You do mention Auto Restart. That may be a good thing if it works as planned. That is a mistake ( not restarting after errors ) that users of 98 often do make ( and I did also till I learned better ) Especially if Explorer or Kernel32 were involved.

BillyBob

 

Ironically, that is one of the first things I turn off! For me, anyway, the blue screen with the error details has a familiar, if ominous, face to it. I have to believe that at least half the reason MS did this was to escape the BSOD jokes and reputation. I suppose they could have just made it a red screen .

All you have said about 98 is true---it was a good OS and still is for people who are happy with it.

But the points made by others are valid, too. Not upgrading the OS means no support for new software and hardware. Not to mention that it will be even more dificult to get used to whatever comes after XP.

But I still keep my 95, 98, 3.1, and MS-DOS 6.2 installs around, just in case. The OS is a lot less important than that the machine turns on and actually does something .

 

But the points made by others are valid, too. Not upgrading the OS means no support for new software and hardware. Not to mention that it will be even more dificult to get used to whatever comes after XP.

Whether I like it or not I do have to agree with those points.

Yes, they are vaild points. Not just opinions but also facts. But what gripes me the most is that they are facts that may be being decided by Microsoft and not me as the owner and user of this machine.

I just can not say in all honestly right now whether XP realy does things better or not. But from what little while I did have it and from short dealing with it on a couple of Family machines I think it won't. But at the same time in order to go for newer software and hardware I will need to go to XP.

But I still keep my 95, 98, 3.1, and MS-DOS 6.2 installs around, just in case. The OS is a lot less important than that the machine turns on and actually does something

I will drink a Toast to that.

I may be wrong to do this but I consider 98 ( our '91 Chevy ) and XP ( our 97 Olds ) to be about the same idea. The 97 does not get us over the road any better than the '91. Is no where near as comfortable riding. Needs a hell of a lot more maintainance. It needs Struts right now to the tune of $650. I could back the 91 into the driveway and for $75 but four shocks on it. Or have Sears do it for $125.

But then again. Cars and Windows are alike in a way. How well either one works or how long it lasts may well depend on the use ( or abuse ) and maintainance of them. And BOTH do depend on the USER ( owner ) installing the PROPER parts ( Hardware and Software ).

But just like the cars ( for better or worse ) I will have to go ( and plan on going ) with XP just to keep up with the new stuff. But as I mentioned before. I do not plan on tearing up this one to do it.

It seems like a never ending battle don't it ?

BillyBob

 

It don't just seem like it, it is! And Billy gets richer, & richer. Now, I certainly have nothing against being rich. I'm poor as a church mouse, & have wealthy friends. No they don't give me any of it. I don't want their money either. That's not why we're friends.

It's the way a person gets rich that bothers me. 3 years or so ago Billy was worth 30bil, now he's worth 60bil, and I'm sure not all of that worth is tied up to where he can't get lots of cash in hand when he wants to. He is still complaining though. Geesh!

I will keep what I have. Maybe I will be able to afford a comp in the future that is Hoss enough to run that XP booger, or whatever new OS he forces our way, but I won't put it on this one, if I can manage to get out of it. Mine is supposed to be able to run it, but I am skeptical about that.

 

Deloris my Dear.

I think you might be ( as I was ) surprised at what XP will run on. I had it first on a machine with a 266mhz CPU, 64meg of SIMMS RAM. An old S3 Video card. An ancient 14" monitor. An old ISA SIS Audio card and a 6.4gig HD.

Very, very much to my surprise it ran quite well. It booted almost as fast as it did on this 1.2mhz and 256meg of DIMMS RAM. Slower than heck after that but I had it online ( NIC & cable ). Played a game or two via the LAN.

My mistake was that I should have left it there for about 25 days and worked more with it before dumping it.

Also on that machine it was all by itself. On this one I had it as a Daul boot which I messed up right from the start and created some problems. So I dumped it before getting into any real serious problems.

But being me, I sometimes do things and think about them later.

BillyBob

 

Yep! Me too. I am getting better at not doing that though, I think. Either I am getting better at it, or I am forgetting to remember to do things and think about them later as old age continues to sneak up on me. Does that make sense?