galahs

I believe the Unofficial Enable48BitLBA patch is what has replaced that update. http://www.msfn.org/board/?showtopic=78592 http://www.mdgx.com/files/48BITLBA.EXE

That list is awesome! But I guess my questions/comments are usefull for the noobs out there: - is it best to install all those updates even if you don't experience any problems on your pc - writing (critical) next to the important security updates would be appreciated - I hope some one has every update backed up offline and maybe on another webhost in case Microsoft decide to pull all Windows98SE files from their site Keep up the good work guys!

If everything was fine with .2222, use the patched .2222. The newer versions are for systems that don't work with the original 2222 version.The version numbers just refer to M$'s original file versions. The 2225 is a patched 2225, etc. I have Win98SE (4.10.2222A) so I assumed I needed the 2.10.2222F) update as you confirm in your reply above... BUT.... then I go to MGDxx's great site and it says this: So from that I take it I should use 4.10.2225 fix. Now I'm confused? What's the pros and cons of each version for my situation? Oh And love your work! Pretty good for a Sheila EDIT: After re-reading this entire Thread I think I understand it now. 2225 was an update of 2222 to fix support for Scandisk or something. So using it would indeed be an OK option. So using the 2225 update should be fine?

I am a user of Win98SE, 2000 and XP. Each have their benefits. But I'm yet to see any reason at all to need Vista. It doesn't really offer any major improvements other than its fancy looking GUI. Then again we all said that about XP in comparison to Win98. I guess you get the latest Win OS to support newer, bigger and faster hardware. Other than that, its just cosmetic.

Does IE7 render all pages similar to IE6? If so then I really don't have a need at all for IE7 on Win9x.

My only concern about IE7 on Win9x is that there are still some stupid websites out their that require IE to open or function correctly. For those sites, what is the best browser to use? Is using Netscape or Maxthons browser using the trident rendering engine any better (safer/faster) than just firing up IE6 SP1?

I really can't see Win98 being supported in FF3. I am just not sure there is the interest in doing so. In saying that it will be a shame that we arn't left with a Firefox browser for Win9x that passes Acid2. Whilst I am a Firefox 2.0 user (On my trusty Pentium Pro 200MHz) , I have already begun using alternative browsers on occasion like Opera 9.02 (it passes Acid2 and is getting better and better all the time). I guess the real question to ask is.... how hard would it be to integrate support for Win9x into Firefox 3? 1. Is it possible 2. Is it feasible 3. Is it worth the effort?

I have found a way of installing Media Player 9 onto systems using the first edition of Windows 98. Have installed a zip utility such as WinZip http://www.winzip.com Download Microsoft Media Player 9 for Windows 98SE/ME/2000 http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia Create a new folder on you desktop by right clicking on a blank area of the desktop and selecting, New, Folder Name the new folder wmp9 Right click on the downloaded file MPSetup.exe Select, WinZip, Extract To... Choose the folder you created earlier by left clicking on it once wmp9 you created earlier by left clicking on it once. Then click on the Extract button. Wait while the files are copied to the wmp9 folder. Then click on Windows Start button. Select Run. Type, regedit Double click on the following folders in the correct order; HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Software Microsoft Windows CurrentVersion In the right section in the Name column, double click on the following names and change their data value to: ProductName Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition Version Windows 98SE VersionNumber 4.10.2222 Hit OK after changing each value. Close Regedit. Open the folder wmp9 and double click on wm_setup.exe to begin installation. Follow the prompts to install Media Player 9 onto your system. Seems Microsoft disabled Windows 95 and Windows 98 FE just to make you more tempted to upgrade

click on Windows Start button. Select Run. Type, regedit Double click on the following folders in the correct order; HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Software Microsoft Windows CurrentVersion In the right section in the Name column, double click on the following names and change their data value to: ProductName Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition Version Windows 98SE VersionNumber 4.10.2222 or ProductName Microsoft Windows ME Version Windows Millennium Edition VersionNumber 4.90.3000 or ProductName : Microsoft® Windows ® 2000 Operating System VersionNumber : 5.00.2195.7035 Version Windows 2000 Professional Hit OK after changing each value. Close Regedit. Not sure if Changing them to Windows 2000/Xp values is a good idea?

I had to install this driver to allow my Sony Erickson w800i phone to work, might help you too. Maximum-Decim Native USB Drivers http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=43605

I did this trick with Win98 FE so Media Player 9 thought it was Win98 SE and it worked! This will only work for programs that only check the registry to deterine if the program is allowed to install/run. It won't allow all programs that require additional resources ffrom the NT/2000/XP kernell etc. I'll have a look to see if I can find what I did.

I guess its just a better alternative than removing ram chips if your dual booting with a newer OS.

I'm always worried good information sites will vanish off the net. So I'll cut and paste a great win9x memory resource here. I used to run Win98 on my Pentium 4 which had 1.5GB of RAM. The secret was to diasable all RAM over 1GB!!! from http://www.aumha.org/win4/a/memmgmt.php Windows 98 & WinME Memory Management Updated October 15, 2003 Memory management in Windows 98 and Windows Millennium Edition (WinME) is dramatically improved over what existed in Windows 95. It is so much improved that, for nearly everyone, nearly all the time, the best recommendations on how best to optimize memory usage in Win98 is: Let Windows handle it. The following sections discuss the main memory management considerations of VCache and swap file management, and the value of more RAM. Along the way, efforts are made to debunk some prevalent fictions that remain in circulation concerning Windows’ native handling of memory. IMPROVEMENTS IN WIN98/ME VCACHE Foremost among the improvements in Win98/ME memory management are the changes in VCache. Simply put, the VCache is used (among other functions) to store previously used code and data that Windows thinks might be needed again. If the code or data is just flushed from memory, but is then needed again, it has to be read anew from the hard drive when it is again needed. Reading from the hard drive is much slower than finding the code or data already in RAM. Some code is used quite often. If it has to be read from the hard drive over and over again, this would slow down performance considerably. The VCache concept is that, as long as there is unused RAM sitting about, we should just cache information in it that we might need again. (There is smart code that makes decisions about what to keep, how long to keep it, etc.; this has all been taken into consideration and is not particularly important to the present discussion.) Then, since this is only a “just in case” cache, if the RAM is needed for something else, part of the VCache contents are flushed and the RAM is made available. One improvement in VCache management in Win98/ME over Win95 is that Win95 had a bug that kept VCache from releasing RAM when it was needed. VCache would just keep growing sometimes, and the amount of available RAM would diminish accordingly, forcing more swap file activity (using the hard drive as a substitute for RAM). This is the famous “memory leak” of Win95. The user’s solution in Win95 was to put MinFileCache and MaxFileCache lines in the [vcache] section of the SYSTEM.INI file to control the size of VCache. This was sometimes a great help (especially on the 12 MB, 16MB, and 32MB systems which were the vogue in Win95’s heyday). But, in Win98, this problem was fixed (with further improvements in Windows 98 Second Edition, that carried over into WinME), and these [vcache] lines are not needed. Not only are they not needed, they actually get in the way in Win98/ME. In Win95 they improved performance, but in Win98/ME they decrease performance, because of a second improvement that was made in memory management for Win98 — to be discussed in a moment. But first, THREE EXCEPTIONS TO THE FOREGOING: EXCEPTION No. 1: For systems with more than 128 MB of RAM, setting a VCache maximum of about 70% of your total RAM is recommended as prophylaxis against run-away VCache growth in rare, specialized situations. (A tip of the hat to MS-MVPs Ron Martell, Ovidiu Popa, and Alex Nichol for months of experimentation and documentation of these details and recommendations.) EXCEPTION No. 2: VCache increasing above 512 MB can create serious memory handling problems. If you have more than 512 MB of RAM, a VCache maximum of 524,288 KB (or a little less) is recommended. This is obtained by adding a MaxFileCache=x entry in the [vcache] section of SYSTEM.INI, where x is the maximum value you wish to set. VCache is limited internally to a maximum cache size of 800 MB. The problem is that, on computers with large amounts of RAM, the maximum VCache size can be large enough that it consumes all of the available addresses in the system arena, leaving no virtual memory addresses available for other functions such as opening an MS-DOS prompt. This problem may occur more easily if you have an AGP video adapter: The AGP aperture is also mapped to addresses in the system arena, and if VCache is using its entire 800 MB allowance and an AGP video adapter has a 128 MB aperture mapped, there will be very little address space remaining for other system code and data that must occupy the available range of virtual addresses. EXCEPTION No. 3: For systems with more than 1 GB of RAM, the defaults in Windows 98 or ME can cause continuous rebooting of the computer, or to hangs or serial reboots during the Windows upgrade process. To resolve this problem, add a MaxPhysPage=40000 entry in the [386enh] section of SYSTEM.INI. This effectively limits the amount of RAM Windows can access to 1 GB. (Microsoft limits ths recommendation to systems having more than 1.5 GB of RAM, but the solution is to roll it back to 1 GB. See MSKB 304943.) Microsoft has now flatly stated that, “Windows Me and Windows 98 are not designed to handle more than 1 GB or RAM. More than 1 GB can lead to potential system instability.” The second improvement is that Windows can now execute code or access data directly from VCache. In Win95, this was not possible. If code was stored in VCache, it had to be passed to another part of RAM before it could be executed. This was still much faster than reading it again from the hard drive, but, nonetheless, took a small amount of time. In Win98/ME, it does not have to be moved to another part of RAM — it can be run directly from VCache itself. This saves a bit of time. In Win95, anything stored in VCache was disposable (but the “memory leak” bug prevented the trash from being taken out when necessary). In Win98/ME, code in VCache may not be disposable — it could be “live code,” part of a program you are using at the time. This explains why VCache sometimes seems not to give up memory that is needed for other functions. If code or data were stored in VCache only for caching purposes, then it should be emptied out before the swap file is used; but in Win98/ME, VCache often will stay quite large, forcing the swap file to be used more. Is this another memory leak? No, it isn’t. It would be a memory leak if the contents of VCache were only stored, inactive code or data. But if the contents are code or data currently being used (as it commonly will be in Win98/ME), we have quite another story! WHY IS THE SWAP FILE SO LARGE? For most people, in most situations, the best advice regarding the Win98 or WinME swap file is: Let Windows handle it. There are dozens of recommendations on ways to optimize it just a bit (some of which I use, and perpetuate, myself), but these are so system-dependent that it would take a huge article to explain all the ifs, ands, and buts of one approach over another in a particular situation. These discussions occur quite regularly online, on peer-support and general discussion newsgroups, so it is not hard to find opinions. I will indulge myself by giving one, which I regard as the least controversial and most helpful: The single best swap file arrangement is to have two physical hard drives, and to place the swap file — and nothing else! — on the first partition of the second physical drive. Be sure the partition is generously sized. Nonetheless, and to simplify the matter for the present, there is rarely any need for someone to worry about this in order to have a happily purring Win98/ME system. The general rule prevails: Let Windows handle it. A common confusion and concern is that, even with a great amount of RAM on the computer, Windows creates a swap file, and the swap file sometimes grows quite large. To respond to the first point: Windows will always create a swap file — that’s just the way it works. Also, some applications require swap file use even if Windows might not use it otherwise. Just expect this to be the case. Of more concern is that the swap file may seem to be much larger than is really needed. For example, my swap file at this moment is not being used at all (0 swap file usage, as measured by System Monitor), but the swap file’s allocated size (measured by Norton System Doctor) is 111 MB! Earlier today, the actual usage was about 10 MB, and the allocated size was 137 MB. Why in the world would this be? It is because Win98/ME “thinks ahead” more than Win95 did. One way it does this — since the resizing of the swap file is one of the biggest slowdowns to system performance on Win95 — is to more intelligently allocate space, in advance, for anticipated swap file needs. How does Windows know how much swap file space you might need in the near future? Each program specifies how much memory should be set aside (allocated) for its use. Generally, programmers request more memory than they need. (If done skillfully, this is a good thing: When running a program, one would rather have a bit too much memory available, rather than a bit too little, right?) This resembles reserving a table at a restaurant, even if you don’t plan to show up to eat, just in case you get hungry later. An OS has to allocate this requested memory for possible use by the program, even if it may never be used. Windows is smart enough to use the swap file for these “unused restaurant table reservations,” rather than use physical RAM! Think about it: This frees all of physical RAM for actual current memory needs — active program code, actively used data, etc. — and diverts the “wasted space” allocations away from physical RAM. If you have enough RAM, the swap file is never written to — it just takes reservations! The Swap File Usage monitor in Norton System Doctor measures the allocated size, whereas the equivalent gauge in Windows’ System Monitor measures the actual swap file usage. In the above example, with the many programs I presently have loaded, Windows thinks that I just might need over 100 MB of swap file space. It has prepared for that possibility ahead of time. This concept is central to the discussion below concerning one current recommendation of a way to handle Win98/ME memory management. The method below sounds, on first exposure, like a bad idea — but it may, in fact, have some worthwhile troubleshooting applications, and (if initial testing is any indication) may be worthy recommendation for Win98/ME systems with larger amounts of RAM installed. Whether good idea or bad, the technique deserves an airing and discussion. THE ADVANTAGES OF MORE RAM People often complain that they have added a lot of RAM to their computer, but very little of it is free. If Windows has anything at all it can do with the RAM, then free RAM is wasted RAM. Windows will try to make use of all of the RAM it can, for one good purpose or another. This benefits the user. Having unused RAM rarely benefits the user. In fact, the advantages of more RAM on a computer boil down to two: 1. Reducing swap file use. 2. Enabling a larger VCache. A large VCache is not a bad thing. Generally, it is a good thing (presuming Windows has a use for it at the moment). Bottom line: Let Windows handle it. NOTE: In Win95/98, if you have more than 1 GB of RAM, Windows may not start. A solution for this problem is given in the Microsoft Knowledge Base article “Error Message: Insufficient Memory to Initialize Windows.” The gist of Microsoft’s work-around is to artificially limit the amount of RAM to 768 MB. This may, however, be too stringent a restriction — a value only a little below 1 GB may solve the problem with less constraint on your RAM. A little experimentation will resolve this for you. THE “CONSERVATIVE SWAP FILE USAGE” TWEAK One popular recommendation for Win98/ME memory management is to add the following line to the [386Enh] section of the SYSTEM.INI file: ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1 Those who have used it, and reported favorably on it, say that it keeps their swap file usage lower, does not impede performance in any situation they have noticed, and seems to improve performance in other situations. I have seen this reported on systems with 128 MB to 256 MB of RAM. I have seen it on my own 128 MB system. Is there anything to this? What does it do? Sometimes appearances can be deceiving. Sometimes not. Based on benchmark testing by MS-MVPs Mike Burgess, Alex Nichol, and other MS-MVP colleagues, I have concluded that this tweak can be of real value in many Win98/ME systems with 128 MB of RAM or more (and on some 64 MB systems). If your machine has sufficient RAM that, for your particular use of your computer, there is relatively little swap file usage, then this tweak will probably improve system performance by reducing the overhead in swap file maintenance activities that you do not really need. In contrast to behavior in Win98, testing of this by Mike Burgess in Windows Millennium Edition showed no significant performance difference with or without it. However, because it does impede swap file run-away growth on some computers — such as mine! — I recommend this on Windows ME. The default value of ConservativeSwapfileUsage was 1 in Win95, and 0 in Win98 and WinME. Therefore, this recommended tweak reverts a portion of the Win98/ME improved memory management system back to the way Win95 did things. (That’s what sounded like such a bad idea at first, because Win98 or ME is generally far superior to Win95 with regard to memory management.) A valid question, though, is whether it is a good (that is, useful) idea for systems that have grown past the RAM size originally contemplated as typical when Win98 was created. For many computers, the answer seems to be: Yes, it is. According to MS Knowledge Base article 223294, Windows 98 added a new feature, PageFile_Call_Async_Manager, that allows the Memory Manager to asynchronously write out page file (swap file) buffers during periods of time when VFAT file system activity is not busy. This feature can affect the behavior of VxDs [virtual drivers] that monitor and/or otherwise intercept PageFile VxD functions. (See the article itself for more technical background on the rather clever way this function operates.) This feature is part of improvements made initially in Windows 98 that lend the appearance of faster performance to a Win98/ME computer because many of the small time-consuming activities are deferred to moments when you are not actually asking the computer to do anything. The tweak described above disables this feature. As MS-MVP Jeff Richards summarized it, “It’s more conservative in scheduling non-critical swap-file activity.” Microsoft advises that this change may be “at some cost in overall system performance.” Furthermore, in theory it would seem that this would make the computer seem slower. But only experimentation on a given system (and by a particular user on that system) can determine what the subjective performance difference (pro or con) would be. Based on experience to date, I would say it is probable that this tweak will have a positive effect on systems with an unusually large amount of RAM, and very little swap file activity. It is unlikely that it would have a positive effect on other systems, and might have a negative impact on their performance. Since the tweak is so easy to undo — just remove, or comment out the line added to SYSTEM.INI — “power users” will likely want to experiment with this and give more feedback to the general community. Here's Microsoft solution: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=184447 =============================================== Error Message: Insufficient Memory to Initialize Windows SYMPTOMS If your computer has 1 gigabyte (GB) or more of random-access memory (RAM) installed, Windows may not start. Also, when you try to start your computer, you may receive the following error message: Insufficient memory to initialize Windows. Quit one or more memory-resident programs or remove unnecessary utilities from your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files, and restart your computer. This behavior may also occur during Windows Setup, or when you try to start Windows for the first time. RESOLUTION To work around this issue, add the following line to the [386enh] section of the System.ini file: MaxPhysPage=30000 This limits the amount of physical RAM that Windows can access to 768 MB. To do so, use the following steps: 1. Use any text editor (such as Notepad) to edit the System.ini file. 2. Add the following line in the [386Enh] section of the file MaxPhysPage=30000 3. Save the file, and then restart your computer. If this problem occurs during Windows Setup, use the following steps to resolve the issue: 1. Restart your computer. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press the F8 key, and then choose Command Prompt Only from the Startup menu. For Windows 98, restart your computer, press and hold down the CTRL key until the Startup menu appears, and then choose Command Prompt Only. 2. Change to the folder into which you are attempting to install Windows. 3. Edit the System.ini file. To do so, type edit system.ini, and then press ENTER. 4. Add the following line in the [386Enh] section of the file MaxPhysPage=30000 =============================================== As suggested in the previous article, I ignored Microsofts recommendation and used MaxPhysPage=40000 and it worked fine! (1GB of RAM is made available)

Mate you are a champion! Thanks for doing that I limited the virus scanner, spyware remover to one simple to use product so not to confuse the user. Maybe a link to MGDX's page of Spyware and and Virus scanners could be included on it as well.

win9x4ever.org 9xalive.org win9x.org

Sorry meant Firefox 2 Alpha. Firefox 1.5 only ever crashes if I 1. visit a Microsoft site like ninemsn.com.au and one of their stupid non standards compliant coding kicks in, 2. ones containing dodgy Flash animations.

I am familiar with the excellant work MDGX is doing! I big thumbs up mate for the coverage he's provided! I wrote this guide for those who need abit more hand holding through the whole thing. Lets face it, we were all that person once! But Geez, I have to laugh. After writing this article here on MSFN I cut and pasted it on a few different support sites and have been shot down in flames for such petty reasons it really drives me insane. 1. Who cares about Windows 98 2. Bad spelling and grammar (I typed it here on MSFN one night on a whim with no spell checker) And I don't think my spelling and gramatical errors blocks the message. 3. Should be shorter! Well it was designed to bring up to speed those Win9x users who arn't informed. As I keep stating it was never intended for the more advanced users. And writing "Get a firewall" doesn't really help those less informed users understand what a firewall is, why they need it and which is an easy one to use. So yeah, its good to see people are going on the attack. Means we are on the right track! Win9x forever!

Hopefully it has fixed the memory leak issues and the random crashes in Win9x. As this will be the last official Mozilla Firefox release supporting Win9x I hope they leave us with a good browser.

I was wondering the same thing. I was expecting an announcement about the release of a final unofficial service pack.

Introduction There is alot of advice available on the internet for older operating systems but rarely is there an easy to follow guide for the less informed users on the net. The Dummies, the Noobs, the casual PC user. So I thought I'd write this to help them out. In saying this if you are an advanced user, some of this advice is probably not for you. This article will offer the easiest, most common methods available to secure their computers. Lets Get Started Well you should beaware that on the 11th of July 2006, Microsoft officially ended support for the following operating systems. - Windows 98 - Windows 98 Second Edition (Windows 98 SE) - Windows Millenium Edition (Windows Me) These operating systems along with Windows 95 are designated as being based on the Win9x code base. Microsofts decision means no more security patches will be released by Microsoft for these operating systems. So what do should you do? This guide will give you some suggestions on what path you should take. My Win9x system is NOT connected to the Internet Meaning you DON'T play online games, use email or browse the web on your PC. Well the good news is you can keep using your computer like you always have. You see Microsofts end of support means it will no longer offer updates that prevent nasty's on the internet from affecting your PC. So if your not on the internet you can't be affected by these nasty's anyway Remember you can still get computer viruses that may damage or delete your computers files from infected media (floppy disks, CD-ROMS, USB drives, and MP3 Players like iPODS etc etc) So either 1. don't put other peoples media in your machine 2. have a good up-to-date virus scanner running on your system My Windows 9x system IS connected to the Internet Meaning you DO play online games, use email or browse the web on your PC. Now if you do connect to the internet you ARE affected by Microsofts decision to end support of the Win9x operating systems. But the good news is you can MINIMISE most risks to you computer. The following will tell you how. 1. Win9x isn't as unsecure as people would like you to think! ========================================================= Firstly lets dismiss a rumour that Microsoft has even helped to create. Win9x systems DO NOT have to be considerred as un-secure operating systems for use on the internet. In fact they CAN be quite secure IF appropriate steps are taken. A benefit of Win9x systems is that they DO NOT include as many inbuilt online and network features as newer operating systems like Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista. What does this mean? Well it means your operating system doesn't have as many access points (think unlocked door ways) for nasties to get into your PC from the Internet. That means if we can find a way of securing the remaining access points (guarding the doors we need to use) we can infact have a very secure system. (See Point Note 4) A side benefit of using an aging operating system like ones based on Win9x are no longer in the hackers and virus writers spot light. Banks, Governments, Big Business and the more popular operating systems are the usual targets for online attacks. As the usage rate of Win9x drops, so does its profile from the hackers and virus writers radar. Another good thing! That is why many of the big viruses of late DID NOT affect Win9x systems! 2. Get Windows as up-to-date as possible! ========================================================= Over the years since Win9x was launched Microsoft has produced many security updates for these operating systems. Get them, and install them! These updates will close many access points and weaknesses in the operating system that the bad stuff (Viruses, Trojans, Hackers, Spyware) on the web try to exploit. Thankfully Microsoft makes it easy to get the updates if you have an internet connection thanks to Windows Update. Just enter the following address into Internet Explorer: http://www.windowsupdate.com Now click for it to Scan for Updates and agree to install Critical Updates and Service Packs. 3. Upgrade Windows Critical Components (Internet Explorer, DirectX and Media Player) ========================================================= - Internet Explorer Now for the average user of Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition and Windows Millenium Edition it is recommended you upgrade to the latest avaialbe version of Internet Explorer (for advanced users there are reasons for and against this) you can. Why? Because for these operating systems Internet Explorer is built into its foundation. Therefore weaknesses in Internet Explorer are actually weaknesses in Windows. The most Current (and most likely final) version is Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1, with the June 2006 Cumulative Update. You can also get these updates from Windows Update or directly from Microsofts Internet Explorer webpage: http://www.microsoft.com/ie - DirectX DirectX is an inbuilt component of Windows that allows you to play games, listen to music and play videos among other things on your computer. For improved graphics, sound, games and online security upgrade your DirectX version to the latest release: Windows 95 - DirectX 8.0a Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Millenium Edition - DirectX 9.0c Get it from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx - Media Player This upgrade is optional. There are both for's and againsts for doing this which we wont mention here in too much depth. For: Latest codecs for better sound and support of newer sound formats, mp3 players and online music content. Against: May not run as quick on slower computers, and may opens a few new security concerns. Latest Version avaialble: Windows 95 - Windows Media Player 6.4 Windows 98 - Windows Media Player 7.1 Windows 98, Windows Millenium Edition - Windows Media Player 9 If you choose to upgrade to the latest version get it from: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia 4. Lock the doors! Use a Firewall ========================================================= Computer have access points (door ways) that allow software to communicate with the Internet. Some of these access points are used for good purposes such as allowing you to send and recieve emails, visit websites, use online messaging or to play on-line games. The problem is there are so many ways for un-wanted nasties to sneak in through these access points and run-a-muck on your system. So how do we help to protect our PC from nasties getting onto your computer or keep those already hiding on there from sending personal information out? Easy, get a door man! A computers version of a doorman is called a Firewall. It only allows approved processes in and out of your system. So if you jump onto your web browser it will allow you to access the net, but if a naughty hacker try's to gain access to your PC, it will deny then access! Now there are two basic types of Firewall available. Software (an installed program) and Hardware (a physical device you can touch). Hardware Firewalls are built into some modems and routers and close certain know access points to your PC. Check your modem, routers, networks documentation to see if it includes a built in firewall. Software Firewalls are a program that is installed onto your PC that acts as an internal doorman. Data from programs like your web browser, or online game approaches the software firewall (doorman), and then has to prove they have appropriate clearance to pass on through. If the doorman has suspisions about the data it will ask you with a prompt to allow or deny the data to pass. If you don't know the program asking for access, just deny it permission. Many of the virus scanning and security products you can buy from the likes Norton and McAfee include Firewall software. Otherwise an easy to use free (for personal users, must purchase if to be used by businesses) firewall is ZoneLabs ZoneAlarm. For Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition and Windows Millenium Edition, the latest version you can use is: 6.1.744.001 Get it here: http://download.zonelabs.com/bin/free/1012..._744_001_en.exe You cannot use the newer ZoneAlarm versions from 6.5 + as they are no longer supported on Win9x systems. Please Note: There are many other free firewalls available on the web. A firewall will protect you from MOST nasty's trying to access your computer, and a combination of Hardware and Software firewalls will offer the best protection. 5. Have an up-to-date Anti Virus software and Spyware detector ========================================================= Viruses are programs that can do many bad things such as delete or corrupt files, send emails from your email account, allow other viruses in, make your computer crash or at worst un-able to run. Viruses can get on your computer by different methods. 1. From infected media (floppy disks, CD-ROMS, USB drives, and MP3 Players like iPODS etc etc) 2. through email attatchments 3. through the internet (websites, online games, instant messaging, other programs that access the internet) 4. through netwrok connections So install a Virus Scanner and keep it up-to-date so it can catch and remove the latest nasties. A good free Virus Scanner is made by GrimSoft called AVG Anti-Virus Free. Get it from: http://free.grisoft.com Spyware and Adware are little programs that get on your PC and can among other things; - spy on what websites you go to and then send this information to companies so they can sell this information to marketers. - steal your passwords by means such as recording what keys you hit on your keyboard, then sending the information gathered back to the creator so they can access your back accounts. - make those annoying ads pop up - Change your web browsers home page - slow your computer down or make it crash So there are plenty of reasons to get rid of them. A good free spyware remover is made from Lavasoft called Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition (becarefull, there are alot of trick products that are named similar that are infact spyware!) Go to http://www.download.com and so a search for Ad-Aware and download and intall it. Remember: Virus Scanners and Spyware Detectors must have their databases kept UP-TO-DATE! The database is what the Virus Scanner or Spyware detectors refer to a this database (big list) to help them determine what a virus looks like. If you don't keep the list up-to-date your scanning software WILL MISS VIRUSES that are on your computer. Thankfully most scanning software has in-built auto-update features. Use them! 6. Get a new safer Web Browser! ========================================================= Lets face it, Internet Explorer 6 is no longer a safe option for browsing the web. Internet Explorer 6 on Win9x systems will by default allow some programs and scripts to run automatcially on your computer. This allows many viruses, trojens and spyware to be installed without your knowledge. Not good! Unfortunately Internet Explorer is still often required for Microsoft services, for some programs to run and to access certain websites. So you can't easily uninstall it (throw it away). But, you can minimise the risks by using a safer web browser for the majority of your web browsing. As they are not integrated into Windows itself, they don't allow websites as much access to the system. These newer web browsers not only prevent many nasties from automaticaly installing themselves on your computer without your permission, they can also offer new and improved features. These include: - blocking pop up ads - help to varify that sites are secure and valid (important when doing online banking) - have tabbed browsing - are standards compliant - Offer integrated serach engines + more Two top class web browsers worth considerring are: Mozilla Firefox - http://www.firefox.com Opera - http://www.opera.com (Ensure you get the latest Win9x compatible versions) 7. Make wise decisions! ========================================================= The truth is most viruses, spyware and hackers gain entry because of a users mistakes or carelessness. A little vigilance from the user can prevent most nasties from gaining a foothold on your PC. 1. If your computer is doing strange things or you are recieving strange pop ups, run a FULL SCAN with your Virus Scanner and Spyware detector. Go to Start, Program, [YOUR VIRUS SCANNER] and select to sun a full system scan. 2. Keep all of your software up-to-date especially ones that utilise the internet! (eg. including: Java, Abobe Acrobat Reader, Flash Player, Shockwave, Microsoft Office, Media Players, MSN Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, ICQ, Limewire, Kazaa etc etc among many others) 3. If a pop up comes on your screen whilst browsing the net informing you that your computer is at risk (from a program you do not have installed), just close the window and ignore it. Don't follow its advice to install anything or run a system scan. Nearly 99% of all pop ups of this kind are bogus! 4. Keep away from un-trust-worthy websites. This includes many porn, warez (free illegal software and game downloads), crackz, online system scans and gambling sites. 5. If an email looks suspicious, or is offering something free, cheap deals, viagra, sex services etc etc, DON'T open or even view it! Just delete it! And never ever reply to them! And don't open attatchments that you don't know or need, EVEN FROM FRIENDS. Often viruses can get onto your friends computer and send you a copy of the virus from their email address! So becarefull of ALL Office files, or programs sent to you. Either ensure your virus scanner is set so it scans your emails or use a free online email service that does it for you (Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, Gmail) 6. Either Switch off your internet connection when you aren't at your computer for extended periods or if you can't do that turn off the computer. Computers that are connected to the internet for long periods of a time are more prone to being hacked. So turn it off when its not in use and you have just minimised the risk. 7. IF THIS IS ALL TOO MUCH FOR YOU, IT MAY BE TIME TO UPGRADE YOUR OPERATING SYSTEM! Microsoft, Apple and Linux have many new operating systems that are still supported (but remember many of the recommendations made here are still required on newer systems too. There is no hands off way to secure your computer yet) LONG LIVE Win9x ========================================================= So in summary just because Microsoft has pulled the pin on Win9x based systems DOESN NOT mean you have to. But as has been show you do now have to take your security concerns into your own hands. Hopefully this guide will help you have many more years of faithfull service from your Win9x computer. GALAHs END OF GUIDE ========================================================= Quick Disclaimer: Recommended software and websites were accurate at the time of writing. The mentioned approach taken will protect you from MOST security issues CURRENTLY known at the time of writing. By continuing to use an un-supported operating system, you do so at your own risk. But in saying that, I for one will still be using Windows 98 for a long time to come.

Jeez, seems he really hates Win9x! What does he get from bagging it out in his signature? Win9x WAS released. Build a bridge mate and get over it! Do you think he's disgruntled because it was more popular than OS/2 warp? I see Win9x as a utility. It has a job to do. Does it well enough on my machine, so let it be. As for Firefox 3, if anyone has any programming ability, it would be awsome if we could keep a 9x branch running

Do any of these latest vulnrabilities actually affect Windows 98?

Great idea lads. I'll help spread the Win98 word

I know NSUB is unofficial as in not from Microsoft, but it also a great update, which is easy for noobs to install. Maybe should make a similar patch using this method.

Could we implement this method into the official NUSB release?