[Running Windows 98 in 2020 and beyond...]

@pionner: My Windows 98 update collection was emailed a while back, no response received. Hopefully you can still host and link the updates.

 

@Drugwash: Thanks for your input, to each their own. Though not production machines, i didn't notice appreciable glitches or errors without an IE/SP1 upgrade.

[Running Windows 98 in 2020 and beyond...]

@Tommy: Thanks for the printer tips, may have to look into that more, although admittedly printing less and less. Windows 2000 rocks, IMO the finest MS produced, unfortunately not compatible with many of my Windows games.

@cov3rt: Thanks for the response. I didn't want to use any unofficial updates, mix in IE upgrades, etc. My Windows 98 update collection doesn't sound much larger than your Windows 95 stuff, just over 100 updates, many are not even applicable to the hardware run (eg. laptop related, some hardware specific, etc.).

@pionner: Sent you an email, thanks for offering to host. If you do, please provide a link on this thread for other members. Personally i do not require an auto-installer, prefer old school manual.

@98SE: Please see note to 'pionner' above. Bare metal meaning actual hardware install, not virtual machine. I already own Windows 2000 Pro, very nice. Windows XP is by far the most functional, which i still own too, just tired of activation nonsense and by this time the OS had already become unnecessarily bloated for home use. I have a copy of POSReady 2009 around too, decent. Not sure anyone would be interested in my driver cache, drivers are still readily available, if mistaken please let me know.

@Nomen: Good question but i have no idea. When i was going through old Windows 98 update lists, seemed some 'packs' excluded updates that were preceded. As Microsoft no longer readily provides the necessary information, it was not possible for me within a reasonable time frame to dig deeper and fully investigate what may/not have been missed. As mentioned, i did not desire updates that would update IE, WMP, etc, nor did i want to use any of the unofficial update packs. To each their own, i still prefer the manual install and prefer to have more control over what gets installed. For future Windows 98 installs, i will just selectively install the relatively few updates that i require.

@jaclaz: Thanks for keeping the he said/she said on track!

None of this discussion would be relevant if Microsoft had the decency to host a rollup pack, even after end of life. In the Linux world, so simple to dig out retro releases, updates and packages from official sources to keep trucking.

[Running Windows 98 in 2020 and beyond...]

Pasted Windows 98 Install and Setup Notes, if it helps anyone:
- Win98 can be installed without using the full drive, use gparted to create fat partition
  for Win98, ensure all other partitions are not fat, use NTFS or Linux.
- If want Win98 to create bootable MBR, from Win98 CD run fdisk to review partitions (4),
  re-create the FAT partition for Win98 and mark active. Note using gparted to create
  partition and mark active doesn't work, end up with non-bootable Win98 install.
  Also use Win98 CD to 'format c:'.
- From Win98 CD run 'setup' to install Win98, should install FAT formated c: drive.
- Perform custom install and deselect undesirable Windows software options,
  many no longer applicable or desirable.
- Regarding Windows Updates, don't bother upgrading Internet Explorer or Windows Media
  Player versions, now essentially broken, rely on 3rd party apps (Firefox, VLC).
- Several sites online discussing setting up Windows 98 with larger hard drives and more
  RAM, if install fails try re-install with <= 512 MB physical RAM and Windows98 partition
  <37 GB (<5-10 GB more than enough, base Windows98 install <1 GB).

[Running Windows 98 in 2020 and beyond...]

To help keep Windows 98 alive, if anyone wants to contact me to get these 'official' updates reply to the post instead of PM. I don't log in often but check the threads occasionally. If anyone wants them all, it's an ~23MB zip file, we can make arrangements.

 

As indicated above, i don't have updates for undesired software, such as Internet Explorer upgrade, so this isn't a comprehensive collection, just what i think is important to run old Windows 98 in the modern era. They were all tested, in that they installed, 'Q' and 'KB' numbers matched and they *appeared* official. Certainly a far cry from signed packages, md5sum checks, etc. I did not modify any updates, aside from the file names. This is what i've got:

2_4_date_2To4DigitDateConversionTool.exe

q192425_HotfixForKerberosNetworkWinsock2.0_Error_RNR20.DLL_4.10.2223.exe
q236926_TCP_IP_MayRetransmitPacketsPrematurely.exe
q237493_SystemDateReflectsChangesWhileDateTimeToolOpen.exe
q238453_SpoofedRoutePointerVulnerability.exe
q239696_HangResumingSuspendInLowMemorySituationsOrHighDiskActivity.exe
q239697_ACPI_EnabledLaptopPromptsTwiceForHardwareProfile.exe
q239887_Windows98SE_ShutdownSupplement.exe
q240075_USB_DevicesMayNotWorkInWindows98SE.exe
q240163_TelnetUp_BufferOverrunTelnetWindows95And98PosesSecurityRisk.exe
q240896_OpenGL_ProgramMayCauseInvalidPageFaultErrorMessage.exe
q241052_MessageBoxDisplaysBrowseForPasswordSynchronization.exe
q241084_ComputerHangsEntering_ACPI_S4_ModeWith_USB_DeviceConnected.exe
q241134_USB_MouseOrKeyboardNotWorkingWith_AMD_OHCI_USB_Controller.exe
q242193_CreateFile_NCP_MayNotFunctionCorrectlyWithReadAndWriteAccessFlags.exe
q242934_WindowsStopsRespondingWhenSendingSystemBroadcastMessageDuringShutdown.exe
q242975_1394_StorageSupplement.exe
q243199_ProblemsWith_NDIS_IntermediateDrivers.exe
q243450_ScanDiskErrorsOn_IDE_HardDisksLargerThan32GB.exe
q245065_kb242928_AutomaticRepeatDoesNotWorkFor_USB_KeyboardAfterSuspendResume.exe
q245682_IDE_ControllerDisabledInDeviceManagerIfSecondary_IDE_ChannelDisabledIn_BIOS.exe
q245729_FileAccess_URL_Vulnerability.exe
q246387_FDISK_MayNotWorkWhen_IDE_ControllerIsRebalanced.exe
q249146_SoundsMayBeDisabledUsingPlaySound_API_With_USB_HID_DevicesPresent.exe
q249635_USB_DriverUsesTheLargestSupportedReportSize.exe
q249824_VOLTRACK_ErroneouslyUnloadedAfter255DeviceAdditionsAndRemovals.exe
q249863_SGC_ConnectionsMayFailFromDomesticClients.exe
q249973_Default_RTF_FileViewerInterruptsNormalProgramProcessing.exe
q250514_AccessViolationIn_Spoolss.dll_WhenSubmittingTwoDirectPrintJobsOnSamePrinter.exe
q250876_PrintQueuesMayAppearOfflineIfConnectionNumberEquals255.exe
q251002_LoadingInvalidImageUsing_OLE_AutomationDisplaysAssertion.exe
q252958_HighBandwidthMayNotBeAvailableWith_1394_OpenHostController.exe
q253697_USB_EnumerationProblemsWithOpen_HCI_ControllerOnFastComputers.exe
q253711_ACPI_ComputerMayNotShutDownProperlyIfDeviceCancelsStandby.exe
q254660_FourthAndFifthMouseButtonsNotRecognizedByWindows.exe
q256015_DOS_DeviceInPathNameVulnerability.exe
q257360_ACPI_CompliantComputerMayHangOnResumeFrom_S1_State.exe
q257821_WindowsSocketsSelectFunctionAdds_500_MillisecondTimeOut.exe
q258010_PerformanceProblemsInsertingCardBusCardWith_TI_14xx_Controller.exe
q258680_ScreenSaverActivationWhileSuspendedMayCauseComputerToStopResponding.exe
q258765_RemoteUpdateOptionInWindows98MayAllowAccessByWindows2000Server.exe
q259253_ACPI_ComputerWithAntiVirusSoftwareInstalledStopsResponding.exe
q259728_IP_FragmentReassemblySecurityVulnerability.exe
q260067_MappedDrivesShutdownUpdate.exe
q262232_FloppyDiskMayBeUnreadableOrComputerHangsWith_LS_120_Drive.exe
q263044_FdiskDoesNotRecognizeFullSizeOfHardDisksLargerThan64GB.exe
q263891_InternalStackOverflowWhenQuittingTo_MSDOS.exe
q265334_DenialOfServiceAttackPossibleWith_IPX_SPX_Protocol.exe
q266772_ClientCannotLogOnIfUnicodeStringIsPassedTo_NTLM_SecuritySupportProviderInterface.exe
q267304_IEEE_1394_MassStorageDeviceNotPresentAfterResumingFromStandby.exe
q269239_q264650_NetBIOS_VulnerabilityMayCauseDuplicateNameOnTheNetworkConflicts.exe
q269388_HP_OmnibookPortableComputerDockingErrorBug.exe
q269601_WindowsDriverModelAudioUpdateForWindows98SE_kb242937.exe
q269874_DCOM_IStreamWriteCorruptsDataWithNoErrorReturn.exe
q271701_CannotUse_PPP_Over_ATM_ToConnectAfterFirstCallClosed.exe
q271811_USB_DevicesMayCauseHangWhileAttemptingToHibernate.exe
q272137_LongFileNameWithNovellNetWareServerBug.exe
q272621_NegativeHardDiskFreeSizeReportedOnVirtualMemoryTabInSystemProperties.exe
q273017_IDE_HardDriveCachePackage.exe
q273727_Malformed_IPX_NMPI_PacketVulnerability.exe
q273991_ShareLevelPassword.exe
q274175_ErrorMessageOpeningOrCopyingFileFromFolderEightLevelsDeepOnCDROM.exe
q274370_ErrorMessageOrBlueScreenWhenTryToPlayDigital_CD_Audio.exe
q275873_SleepButtonAndPowerButtonHaveTheSameFunctionality.exe
q276602_DeviceManagerReports_Code10_ForDeviceAndDoesNotAssignAvailable_IRQ.exe
q277628_LastAccessAndCreationTimeError5AccessDeniedBug.exe
q278033_FixForBugInMicrosoftVideoForWindowsApplicationsWith_USB_DigitalVideoCamera.exe
q278368_MemoryLeak_Atmuni.sys.exe
q280448_ToshibaWireless_LAN_Mini_PCI_CardMayAppearWithExclamationMarkInDeviceManagerAfterHotDocking.exe
q281533_USB_DriverMayCause_Trap14_ErrorDuringDocking.exe
q283032_Windows98CannotListUsersInWindows2000BasedDomain.exe
q284837_1394_AudioVideoControlDeviceStopsWorkingUnexpectedly.exe
q288430_LaptopComputerHangsDuringDockingOrUndocking.exe
q288550_PlugAndPlayPrinterMayNotResumeWithUpdated_Vcomm.vxd_DriverInstalled.exe
q289635_DisplayColorMatchingDoesNotOccur.exe
q290831_SRB_FUNCTION_SHUTDOWN_RequestsNotSentTo_SCSI_MiniportsDuringShutdown.exe
q291362_PressingWindowsLogoKeyCausesHangWithWindowsJournalHook.exe
q293197_WindowsExplorerHangsWhenInserting_PC_CardDuringResume.exe
q293793_Exception_0E_In_Vredir_ErrorMessagesWhenOpenNetworkFiles.exe
q295629_EnumerationProblemsWithCardBusCardsInTexasInstrumentsCardBusControllers.exe
q305037_LowBatteryAlarmMayNotWorkIfPowerMeterNotOnTheTaskbar.exe
q306453_BugCheckIn_Usbhub.sys_WhenRemoveOrAdd_USB_Device.exe
q306889_ComputerHangsAfterRemovingSecondBattery.exe
q307004_GroupPolicyNotAppliedForUsersInGroupsWithLongNames.exe
q308349_Windows98ShutdownHangsFiveMinutesWith_USB_ModemPresent.exe
q309081_InfraredFaxModemOrMobilePhoneWithDataFeaturesMayNotBeInstalledCorrectly.exe
q310695_DVD_PlayerProgramCannotAccessData.exe
q311430_StorageDeviceDoesNotWorkAfterYouInsertOrRemove1394Device.exe
q311561_MSDOS_DoesNotProperlyProcessHardDiskHardwareErrors.exe
q313829_UncheckedBufferInWindowsShellCouldLeadToCodeExecution.exe
q314147_AnUncheckedBufferInThe_SNMP_ServiceMayAllowCodeToRun.exe
q315575_DCOM_ProgramHangsAfterServerRebootCreating_DCOM_Object.exe
q319571_Keyb.com_And_Jkeyb.sys_DetectNon_US_EnhancedKeyboardsAs_AT_StyleKeyboards.exe
q321467_Swenum.sys_PortCls_DevicesDoNotWorkCorrectlyInWindows98SE.exe
q323172_FlawInCertificateEnrollmentControlCouldAllowDeletionOfDigitalCertificates.exe
q323255_UncheckedBufferInWindowsHelpFacilityCouldEnableCodeExecution.exe
q323708_ComputerHangsOrDisplaysBlueScreenDuringInfraredCommunication.exe
q38453_SpoofedRoutePointerVulnerability.exe

kb811630_FixFor_HTML_HelpUpdateToLimitFunctionality.exe
kb814078_js56men_FlawInJavaScript5.6CouldAllowCodeExecution.exe
kb823559_BufferOverrunIn_HTML_ConverterCouldAllowCodeExecution.exe
kb891711_UnofficalHotfixForCursorAndIconFormatHandlingCouldAllowRemoteCodeExecutionVulnerability.exe
kb891781_DHTML_EditingComponent_ActiveX_ControlCouldAllowRemoteCodeExecution.exe
kb892211_SoftwareUpdateForWebFolders.exe
kb917344_VulnerabilityInJScriptCouldAllowRemoteCodeExecution.exe

unicows_LayerForUnicodeVersion1.1.3790.0.exe

kb904706_DirectX9Patch_VulnerabilityInDirectShowCouldAllowRemoteCodeExecution.exe

 

[Running Windows 98 in 2020 and beyond...]

The catalyst for revisiting Windows 98 came after experiencing Windows XP re-activation issues following hardware changes. Mostly to keep an old Windows install around to play favourite games, plus it's still a fun system to utilize. Finally completed Road Rash - lol. For retro use, Windows 98 is pretty good, although most users may now have trouble finding a printer to work on this system, if that is desired. I have three printers at home, only one has Windows 98 drivers, all work with Windows XP. Printer manufacturers appear to have made these old printer cartridges hard to find and/or very expensive to encourage the never ending upgrade cycle. Finding an old Windows 98 friendly scanner shouldn't be an issue.

I recently set up two Windows 98 systems. Nostalgic, the same user experience i remember. The installer actually takes quite a while compared to a lean Linux OS, but otherwise works well. Reasonably simple and lean OS, easy to set up and manage. NO ACTIVATION REQUIRED! Occasionally a little flaky but nothing that can't be fixed with some tweaking or a reboot. Once setup, no more updates required.

As i still use Windows 98 era hardware on a daily basis (800 MHz systems, BIOS dates 1999-2001, RAM 384-512 MB), my interest was setting up and running this retro OS on bare metal. To wonderful surprise, finding hardware drivers was quite simple with a little searching. I ended up hoarding quite a few graphic, audio and network drivers, including Windows 98 'driver packs'. Anyone needing drivers, it may be best to search the manufacturer's sites first, as many are still archived and available, otherwise these resources should help:
* https://driverscollection.com/
* http://www.network-drivers.com/
* http://www.driverguide.com/

I spent way too much time downloading Windows 98 updates, 108 in total, including 2To4DigitDateConversionTool.exe, many 'Q' updates, several 'KB' updates, unicows and a DirectX9 patch. Unfortunately, most were obtained from non-Microsoft sources, as updates are no longer available from Microsoft servers and a roll-up pack was never released. I did not want to use one of the unofficial update packs and purposely avoided updates related to undesired (for me) software, including Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, Dial Up Networking, Macromedia Flash Player, MDAC, Microsoft .NET Framework and Microsoft Virtual Machine. From recent testing, both Internet Explorer 5 and 6 are essentially non-functional with modern browsing and Windows Media Player 9 no longer provides online multimedia browsing. I just wanted to keep my install relatively default and 'official'.

Feel free to contact me if you can't find a desired update. In hindsight, unsure this effort was worthwhile as Windows 98 is now essentially a retro hobby OS. If a system is experiencing a specific issue, such as shutdown hang, applying a few specific updates may be warranted.

Edit 1: Thread started in 2017 but going strong for now. Note this thread pertains to running vanilla Windows 98 SE. Please do not post misleading information that may not work in a vanilla Windows 98 SE installation, such as kernel mods, DLL swaps from other OS, custom re-compiles, higher software versions that may not run in vanilla Windows 98, etc. Thank-you and enjoy.
Edit 2 & 3: Updated title.