semi-OT: Windows 98/ME Too Creaky to Patch

Hello Michael,

"...In April, Microsoft announced it would end support for 98 and ME on July 11."

Now ain't that convenient? But it's not just that company that drops the ball on people. I had the same with a bellwether domestic bathroom fixture manufacturer. Which is now on my blacklist.

It's a minor miracle Microsoft are even still supporting 98 at all. I think the corporates insisted.

Graham

Let me guess... since IE is *part* of windows, simply choosing the Firefox browser won't guarantee a more secure Win98. Am I right? Am I right?

the

As long as IE doesn't get a chance to connect to the web you're ok. So using Firefox etc does help. I use Opera now. Very nice.

Graham

Well, since IE is the #1 vector for Windoze infections

--but that is only the 1st step:

As Pooh said, firewall that sucker off so that it never gets online. The only time you should have to use IE is to see if it renders an HTML page like you intended--offline.

But you have to run IE to access the security patch updates to IE.

John

That's a reverse-Catch-22. If you don't plan on using IE you don't need the patches.

Nope--only if you depend on the *automated* nonsense.

You can get 98 updates here with ANY browser.

As budgie pointed out, there hasn't been a patch to the 98 *kernel* for a long time. You can get *those* (e.g., for a reinstall) from these guys

--A LOT more convenient: http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:FJRvhYgt5OIJ:exuberant.ms11.net/98sesp.html+Microsoft-has-never-released-a-service-pack-for-Windows98-SE+from-Windows-Update-site+zzz+It-contains-only-operating-system-updates+zzzz+It-does-NOT-contain

Hi, Joerg Did you just discover, like me, that it's nearly impossible to find a faucet that doesn't use a cartridge instead of a simple washer and that doesn't have water-saver? This bit me last year when I tried to buy a new faucet set for the kitchen. Luckily I found a pile of kitchen cabinets and a kitchen sink lying by the curb several months later. The faucet set is a lovely old thing - 50's I would guess - and in great condition.

Ah yes .... the Windoze-phone-home wet dream. PITA, especially on a dial-up. Every time my sister fired things up to retrieve her email, Windows sat behind a curtain, hogging bandwidth to check in with Redmond. I ripped out that phone-home code for her.

How? Did you NOP out certain parts of a .dll?

Hello Michael,

the

by

What I found years ago was that the "elite" manufacurers tend to drop the ball on a given product line quite quickly, and that they have made sure only "their stuff" will fit for spares. For a shower control that can be disastrous since you'll have to bust the tile to solder in a new base. Only to find out that the tiles are unobtanium and you just created a major honey-do project. Happened to me.

So, now I am not buying from any of them anymore. I just figure that if I buy a faucet or whatever from Lowes for half the price I can replace the whole thing when something breaks and still come out ahead. Most likely the spare parts for that will be available longer and for less money.

So, you could say, the fancy brands have thoroughly managed to shoot themselves in the foot.

They should have dropped support on that dog before it was released. Uh ... maybe they did. Admitedly, it WAS better than its predecessor 3.whatever, but can you spell BSOD? Ed

Windows Malfunctioning Edition? :)