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As put in the FAQ, the process of using ESU is laid out. There is an update to install and then the user will be able to put in a product key (MAK) that specifically licenses the system to receive ESU. It even says that Windows Update should still work as usual. As far as we are concerned, if any new updates appear on the Update Catalog site, we can talk about them. It is just the mechanism to modify the OS to fool the updates or update mechanism to install updates that is what we are talking about being against the rules. Time will tell if something changes, if we are still around in 2023 when this program expires, we can think then how we should handle such topics.

Got QEMU to boot OS, install and painfully load Firefox v49.0.2, as well as SeaMonkey v2.46. This is the last Firefox that apparently runs on a non-SSE2 capable processor. The SeaMonkey install should have been easy to update manually to v2.49 but alas this system does not have the horsepower. All RAM was quickly exhausted and the CPU can't handle the throughput. Took more than one hour to open either browser. Tried to lean out prefs.js, like disabling auto update checker, still no major difference. Couldn't even load 'about:' to screenshot the browser version from the Windows 98 desktop. Will put this project aside for now. If anyone wants the files or notes let me know. Hope to put together a faster tower this year and retest, low priority project. Don't even know what Windows 98's native hardware limits are. From forum posts and elsewhere i've read anywhere from a 1.8 GHz Pentium 4 to Windows 95 running 2.1 GHz, probably patched. Apparently single core processing only. RAM not sure either, query 1 GB?

Dropping support is one thing, and that is not what happens with software these days. Instead these developers are actively blocking OSes that are not in their support list. That is entirely different situation.

Hello Everyone, I am Nash614 and this is my first time on the MSFN forums. I've been using windows since I was a kid when our family purchased a Pentium 90 windows 95 machine. I've built up an old Dell Dimension 8200 and have been doing some vintage gaming. Currently, I'm trying to put together a collection of all the games I had back in my youth (my most recent purchase was a never opened NCAA Basketball Final Four 97 big box game by Mindscape. Thanks for stopping by and feel free to message me! ~Nash614

Another common cause is software depending on software depending on software. If one library drops XP support, others depending on it follow by default.

Actually, they will be available in the Update Catalog and documented in the Windows 7 Update History page. The only thing the bypass does is tell the Windows servicing stack that indeed the system does have the ESU bit turned on. No licenses are faked or bypassed. WU won't be able to fetch the ESUs. That will be up to the user (in the same fashion we've been doing with Vista and 8.0). Still, if it's a moderation decision that we won't have any more discussion on the issue, I won't speak about it ever again.

Part 8½ A: Full installation of Windows 98se on a Grub4Dos Memdrive This part is maybe a bit off-topic, but a possibility to use an USB-FDD. Especially older machines cannot boot from USB-HDD. It even turned out possible to use one 1.44MB floppy disk only - together with the Windows 98se CD-ROM! The idea is to make an empty Memdrive with Grub4Dos by mapping an empty image file to memory (with gz-compression only 500-615 KB), and then boot the legacy USB drive first. From MS-DOS 7.1 “Command prompt only” the Memdrive can be formatted, unless the image file is formatted already. Only if installing from USB-HDD, the “System” has to be transferred with SYS [Drive letter]: and some (bootdisk) MS-DOS 7.1 files has to be copied to the Memdrive (in that stage NOT C:). These steps are simple. More difficult is to omit the Windows’ SETUP Reboots. Omitting the first reboot after SETUP dialogues and copying files is almost undocumented (see: http://rjnoe.home.xs4all.nl/0/pc/soft/win/setup/msbt95a.txt ), but turned out to be very easy: adding “Reboot=0” to MSBATCH.INF [Setup] (no quotes). After copying files SETUP stopped, showing the MS-DOS command-prompt started from. To omit reboots during following phases of SETUP, I patched RUNONCE.EXE. I found the idea of patching this file in an old MSFN-tread about “Windows 98 Live-CD Project”, but nowhere a “how-to”. By trial and error and studying Windows’ Reboot and Restart commands, I succeeded at last (a HEX-editor is needed). With patched RUNONCE.EXE Windows can be restarted with “RUN » RUNONCE –q” (no quotes). After installation of Windows 98se directly on the Memdrive, Part 8½ is identical to Part II or Part IV. Further installation can be continued in the same ways, but only as long as the Memdrive exists. Other possibilities are: - Saving to a small, bootable USB-FDD. Later loading the USB-FDD and mapping the Memdrive to first HDD. - Saving with WinImage 8.1 (shareware) to an image WITHOUT Master Boot Record on a bootable USB drive/partition of choice. The image file has to be loaded and mapped to first HDD (hd0). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PATCH RUNONCE.EXE ------------------------------ Instead of: “rundll.exe setupx.dll,SxShowRebootDlg_RunDll 15” use “rundll.exe user.exe,exitwindowsexec ”. In HEX, replace: “73 65 74 75 70 78 2E 64 6C 6C 2C 53 78 53 68 6F 77 52 65 62 6F 6F 74 44 6C 67 5F 52 75 6E 44 6C 6C 20 31 35” with: “75 73 65 72 2E 65 78 65 2C 65 78 69 74 77 69 6E 64 6F 77 73 65 78 65 63 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00” --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I used following MENU.LST, two versions: one in case of USB-FDD and one in case of USB-HDD. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MENU.LST ------------------------------ # USB-FDD/ Floppie version # comments before a command title Chainload IO.SYS from USB-FDD root (fd0) chainloader /io.sys title Commandline commandline title Make empty Memdrive with Legacy USB 1.1 access - boot USB-FDD map (hd0) (hd) # some empty IMG files do not need formatting afterwards # FAT16 map --mem --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 (fd0)/hdd512im.gz (hd0) # FAT32 # map --mem --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 (fd0)/32hd420M.img.gz (hd0) map --hook # working if formatting wasn’t needed vol --write (hd0,0) SETUPMEMDRV root (fd0) chainloader /io.sys title Boot IO.SYS with HIMEMX on Memdrive map (fd1) (fd0) map (fd0) (fd1) map --hook vol --write (hd0,0) MEMDRIVE982 root (hd0,0) chainloader /io.sys pause Remove USB drive title Map USB-FDD and boot IO.SYS on Memdrive # do not use usb --init if Windows hasn’t USB drivers # if in use add mbrint13.sys to IOS.INI [SafeList] # usb --init map (hd0) (hd) # first test from commandline to find C/H/S: map --mem (fd0)+1 (hd0) map --mem --heads=64 --sectors-per-track=32 (fd0)+1 (hd0) map --hook map (fd1) (fd0) map (fd0) (fd1) map --hook map --floppies=2 uuid --write (hd0,0) 1234-5678 vol --write (hd0,0) MEMDRIVE982 root (hd0,0) chainloader /io.sys # no need to remove USB drive title Map Win98se Image and boot IO.SYS on Memdrive errorcheck off map (hd0) (hd) map --mem (fd0)/MEMDRV98.IMA (hd0) map --hook map (fd1) (fd0) map (fd0) (fd1) map --hook uuid --write (hd0,0) 1234-5678 vol --write (hd0,0) MEMDRIVE982 map --floppies=2 root (hd0) chainloader /io.sys title Reboot IO.SYS on Memdrive root (hd0,0) chainloader /io.sys --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The USB-FDD has to be booted with HIMEM.SYS (!). After making and formatting the Memdrive (if still needed), and after copying at least HIMEMX.EXE, GRUB.EXE and MENU.LST to the empty Memdrive, a full Windows’ installation can be started directly with: “SETUP [Drive][Path]MSBATCH.INF /ir /is /nf /nr /IW /p i;s=detectfloppy” (no quotes). For a quasi-universal installation: “SETUP [Drive][Path]MSBATCH.INF /ir /is /nf /nr /IW /p i;s =detectbus,detectfloppy”. First five setup switches mentioned are most safe and convenient, not mandatory. If a Windows 98 installation exists on an attached hard disk, installation in a directory with another name is mandatory – otherwise there is a high risk the configuration of the existing Windows installation will be used by SETUP. If SETUP has finished the “copy files” part, IO.SYS on the the Memdrive has to be booted from the command-prompt with Grub4Dos, while using HIMEMX.EXE. Afterwards patched RUNONCE.EXE has to be copied to C:\%winbootdir%\SYSTEM. Other desired changes can be made too. After giving the WIN-command, SETUP will continue. I found my patched RUNONCE.EXE restarted Windows twice, installing Windows further in the usual way - up to the Welcome screen. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MENU.LST ------------------------------ # USB-HDD version # comments before a command title Chainload IO.SYS from USB-HDD root (hd0,0) chainloader /io.sys title Commandline commandline title Make empty Memdrive with Legacy USB 1.1 access - boot USB-HDD # some empty IMG files do not need formatting afterwards # FAT16; about 500MB map --mem --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 (hd0,0)/hdd-512mb.img.gz (hd) # FAT32; about 420MB # map --mem --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 (hd0,0)/32hd420M.img.gz (hd) map --hook map (fd1) (fd0) map (fd0) (fd1) map --hook # working if formatting not needed vol --write (hd-1,0) EMPTYMEMDRV root (hd0,0) chainloader /io.sys title First boot IO.SYS on Memdrive (with HIMEM.SYS) map (hd0) (hd-1) map (hd-1) (hd0) map --hook vol --write (hd0,0) SETUPMEMDRV root (hd0,0) chainloader /io.sys title First reboot of IO.SYS on Memdrive (with HIMEMX.EXE) vol --write (hd0,0) MEMDRIVE982 root (hd0,0) chainloader /io.sys pause Remove USB drive title Reboot IO.SYS on Memdrive root (hd0,0) chainloader /io.sys ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ After booting the USB-HDD, making the empty Memdrive, formatting and installation of basic MS-DOS 7.1 on the empty Memdrive, IO.SYS on the Memdrive has to be booted with HIMEM.SYS (!). CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT is not needed, only copying MSDOS.SYS (like the one below – attributes SHR), HIMEM.SYS, DBLBUFF.SYS, GRUB.EXE and MENU.LST to the root. Same in case of other real mode drivers needed. IO.SYS will load HIMEM.SYS and DBLBUFF.SYS by default, messages about IFSHLP.SYS and WIN.COM can be ignored. Afterwards the Memdrive is the root-drive (C:). This time a full Windows’ installation can be started, further same as USB-FDD. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MSDOS.SYS ------------------------------ ;SYS [Paths] WinDir=C:\ WinBootDir=C:\ HostWinBootDrv=C [Options] SystemReg=0 ; ;The following lines are required for compatibility with other programs. ;Do not remove them (MSDOS.SYS needs to be >1024 bytes). ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxa ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxb ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxc ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxd ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxe ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxf ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxg ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxh ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxi ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxj ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxk ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxl ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxm ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxn ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxo ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxp ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxq ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxr ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxs ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BTW: About empty images: FAT16 512MB images are readily available on the web. Following is *somehow* already formatted: http://sites.google.com/site/dotalshoff/games/dosbox With SplImgCreator.exe (Win9X compatible) unformatted FAT32 images can be created of each desired size, I used 420MB. See: http://reboot.pro/topic/15951-easy-creating-new-empty-img Compression to Grub4Dos-compatible gz-compression with 7-Zip. BTW2: If the Memdrive is readily available as C-drive, a Windows installation directly from CD-ROM is possible. Both the USB drive and the Memdrive should each time be booted with MS-DOS CD-ROM drivers. During ALL phases, SETUP must have access to the CD-ROM to avoid a full reboot (*somehow* different from USB-FDD/HDD, these can be removed before continuing setup). BTW3: Windows 98se on a Memdrive can be used together with R. Loew’s 32-bit and/or 64-bit Ramdrive(s) for more space. I set the Swapfile to a 2GB Ramdrive with the 32-bit RAMDISK and used the remaining memory for another Ramdrive with the 64-bit RAMDISK. BTW4: Following – annotated - MSBATCH.INF makes also mandatory or optional/ desired changes to MSDOS.SYS, CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXEC.BAT and SYSTEM.INI. According to Q188101 it’s only possible to write twelve characters for filename using DevAddDev in MSBATCH.INF – no Drive/ Path, so files must reside in the Root. See: http://www.c-bit.net/Q188101/DE-DE (not found in English) https://helparchive.huntertur.net/document/106354. Same turned out to be true for CmdAdd, but files can be in Path too. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MSBATCH.INF ------------------------------ ;; MSBATCH.INF ;; ;; Copyright (c) 1995-1999 Microsoft Corporation. ;; All rights reserved. ;; ;; Comments always BEFORE a command [BatchSetup] Version=3.0 (32-bit) SaveDate=01/15/20 [Version] Signature = "$CHICAGO$" [Setup] Reboot=0 ;; Never set System=0, MBR=0 or CleanBoot=1 [Install] UpdateInis=Edit.Sysini,Edit.Dossys UpdateCfgSys=Edit.Cfgsys UpdateAutoBat=Edit.Autobat [Edit.Sysini] ;; Mandatory - unless other methods are used %10%\system.ini,386Enh,,"MaxPhysPage=40000" ;; Optional ;; Convenient while copying whole Memdrive %10%\system.ini,386Enh,,"PagingDrive=C" ;; If using R. Loew’s RAMDISK ;;%10%\system.ini,386Enh,,"PagingDrive=S" ;; Watch free space on Memdrive %10%\system.ini,386Enh,,"ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1" %10%\system.ini,386Enh,,"DMABufferSize=64" ;; Watch use of System Arena ;; If MaxFileCache is below 1/24 of MEM, MinFileCache is mandatory %10%\system.ini,vcache,,"MinFileCache=1024" %10%\system.ini,vcache,,"MaxFileCache=1024" ;; If using R. Loew’s RAMDISK (simple method) ;;%10%\system.ini,386Enh,,"device=prothook.VXD" [Edit.Dossys] ;; Optional but convenient %30%\msdos.sys,Options,,"BootMenu=1" %30%\msdos.sys,Options,,"BootMenuDefault=5" %30%\msdos.sys,Options,,"BootMenuDelay=30" %30%\msdos.sys,Options,,"SystemReg=0" %30%\msdos.sys,Options,,"Logo=0" [Edit.Cfgsys] ;; Mandatory DevAddDev=HIMEMX.EXE,device,, ;; If using R. Loew’s RAMDISK ;;DevAddDev=HIMEMEX.SYS,device,, ;; One of both drivers needed in case of CD-ROM install ;;DevAddDev=XDVD2.SYS,device,,"/D:MSCD001" ;; Watch conventional memory! ;;DevAddDev=OAKCDROM.SYS,device,,"/D:MSCD001" [Edit.Autobat] ;; Optional, very convenient CmdAdd=doskey.com,"/insert" ;; One of both CD extensions needed in case of CD-ROM install ;;CmdAdd=Shcdx33f.com,"/D:MSCD001 /L:U /~+" ;; Optional CmdAdd=SMARTDRV.exe,"/X C+ /B:57344 /V" ;; Grub needs enough conventional memory - smaller Smartdrive Read-Ahead buffer! ;;CmdAdd=mscdex.exe,"/D:MSCD001 /L:U /M:20" ;;CmdAdd=SMARTDRV.exe,"/X C+ /B:32768 /V" ;; If using R. Loew’s RAMDISK ;;CmdAdd=ramdsk32.com,"S: 2097152" ;;CmdAdd=ramdsk64.com,"T:" ;; Inf,Reg and BAT files need always a Carriage Return on the end! Thank you, LoneCrusader! ;; Better use two semi-colons if using Windows 10 Notepad --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- See update of Part II:

Roytam's recent resurrection: K-Meleon 1.5.4 with TLS 1.2! (era Firefox2, for vanilla 98) First build 2019-12-25 (page 37): https://msfn.org/board/topic/180462-my-browser-builds-part-2/?do=findComment&comment=1175258 most of GRE components are replaced with Retrozilla-based build (but not all) Update 2020-01-08 (page 43): https://msfn.org/board/topic/180462-my-browser-builds-part-2/?do=findComment&comment=1175918 archive updated with sha256 and sha384 support. Download: http://o.rths.ml/gpc/files1.rt/K-Meleon1.5.4en-US.tls12.7z KM-Forum for this build: http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/read.php?22,151512 ------------ Note for K-Meleon 1.6: Anyone using this for real on Win98 (needs KernelEx), and would like to get back read access for wikipedia, twitter etc. too? You can PARTLY upgrade it by "Do-It-Yourself" ;-) Have played around with this, using blind trial&error method by just copying over some files from KMzilla154 (as I call it). At first it seemed too good to be true, all those crucial domains are finally accessible again, for KM1.6 too. But it's rather shaky, only a crutch. Meanwhile have come across some domains which are still blocked in this messy KM1.6, although they do open fine with roytam's expert build KMz154. After a bit more testing, am now suspecting this tweaked KM1.6 can only open the same domains as Opera12.02? For now that's still a huge step forward, for KM to catch up at least with Opera, but if anyone can figure out more that would be great. KM-Forum for 1.6: http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/read.php?2,151536

Lovely though it would be, as IMO Opera 12 is the best browser ever produced, I suspect Roy has enough on his plate already without starting to pick apart another completely different browser!

It certainly is, especially when they deliberately stop the installers working on an operating system where the software actually still works fine! Oracle Java is a prime example.

Hello @Vistapocalypse, I am still running Avast Free 18.8 and also Defender. I edited registry as per Avast Forum (I know it was Avast 12.2.2276 & W7 but gave it a try) and runs OK. Yes, I did also install the last-ever Server 2008 updates on Windows Vista and have not observed any issues. Just for my curiosity, why have you chosen not to update to build 6003 + sha2 support ?

Thank you very much! I set the UA for those three domains as you said and set general.useragent.compatMode.firefox from true to false. Then I went back to github.com, and yes, everything works now! Edit: It works on New Moon as well, so I don't have to switch browsers just for github. That was really helpful.