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Install Windows on an old laptop Pentium II 233MHz


nestul

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Hello :hello:

I am not sure which Windows version will be more suitable for this laptop. I would like to use it to surf the web, view/write documents and run any useful software for me. It will connect to internet via a wifi usb adapter or a pcmcia. I was considering Win95 OSR2, Win98SE and Win2000. Please give me any hint from your own experience with a similar machine and these OSes or anything you find worth mentioning.

If I decide to install Win98SE, what updates won't have an impact on my system performance/speed/stability? I ask this because a few years ago, after updating several Win98SE installations through windowsupdate (security updates + software such as IE and Media Player) they became unstable while using IE, and a few drawbacks more. I hope this was some software updates fault, because I would like to have my system totally patched for security holes. Or maybe I will be in high secutity risk for not updating to IE6 too? :wacko: Well, telling the truth, I think XP and 2000 become slower after updating critical updates too.

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Hi nestul,

My own inclination would be to go with Windows 95 OSR2 (out of personal preference), but all three would likely be capable of running in a pinch.

Laptops can be finicky to get working, due to the variable and proprietary nature of their hardware. I'd scout out the manufacturer's website and elsewhere for the drivers you'd need first, and see which versions of Windows they're available for or compatible with.

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In Windows 95 not many USB devices will work. It will be necesary to use Windows 98 in order to connect the computer to the internet through USB port.

If you are going to visit web pages with Adobe Flash Player 9 requirement, the Windows 98 is a must.

USB significantly slows down computers with slow processors. PCMCIA requires much less processor power to handle.

I do not know if it is possible to use wireless in Windows 95. I never tried to do so.

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Hey, that laptop has the same basic specs as my home PC! :D Windows 95 OSR2 is running fine on it.

Try to find a copy of 95 Original(WITHOUT IE).That would be the fastest in my opinion.

OSR2 can also be installed without IE, and is just as fast. Plus, it has USB support and FAT32.

According to this thread there's a Wifi network card that works with Windows 95.

after updating several Win98SE installations through windowsupdate (security updates + software such as IE and Media Player) they became unstable while using IE

IE is obsolete. There are other, better web browsers out there, and they work with Win95 too. ;)

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It's hard to say what to recommend as it depends on so many factors.

I 'personally' would be deciding between Windows 98SE and Windows 2000.

Windows 2000 SP4 is good as most software still supports it and I consider it to be very rock solid and stable. It also has good support for laptops. It's downside is it has a critical security vulnerabilities and needs a good firewall installed. It also needs more Hard Disk space than Win98.

Win98SE will run faster than 2000, doesn't have as high an overhead for RAM and is backwards compatible with older software. Its biggest downfall is it is now no longer supported by Microsoft so you're on your own but you do have MSFN forums to help you :)

The other thing you should consider is what drivers you have available.

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Personally, I would use 98SE w/ IE6 and basic upgrades. I have had a 98SE system running on an Asus Hi-Grade Ultinote U6-something w/ 64MB RAM.

Out of experience, try getting a cheap CRT to plug in instead of using your laptop panel.

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Hello :hello:

I am not sure which Windows version will be more suitable for this laptop. I would like to use it to surf the web, view/write documents and run any useful software for me. It will connect to internet via a wifi usb adapter or a pcmcia. I was considering Win95 OSR2, Win98SE and Win2000. Please give me any hint from your own experience with a similar machine and these OSes or anything you find worth mentioning.

If I decide to install Win98SE, what updates won't have an impact on my system performance/speed/stability? I ask this because a few years ago, after updating several Win98SE installations through windowsupdate (security updates + software such as IE and Media Player) they became unstable while using IE, and a few drawbacks more. I hope this was some software updates fault, because I would like to have my system totally patched for security holes. Or maybe I will be in high secutity risk for not updating to IE6 too? :wacko: Well, telling the truth, I think XP and 2000 become slower after updating critical updates too.

Myself I would use 98lite to create a minimal install, removing i.e and using the faster 95 shell if your applications allow you to. Your wireless network needs to be using wpa to prevent others using your network and browsing your lan or your data transfers, this might require the 98 shell. Wep is the least level of security you should use on your wireless network but the pass key needs to be difficult to brute force and will need changing on a very frequent basis.

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Thanks everybody for your replies :thumbup

Drivers won't be a problem for this systems:

» Microsoft Windows 2000

» Microsoft Windows 3.1

» Microsoft Windows 95

» Microsoft Windows 98

» Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.11

» Microsoft Windows NT 3.51

» Microsoft Windows NT 4.0

» OS/2

After reading your opinions, I think I will begin giving a try to Win95OSR2, Win98SE and Win2000SP4, all at once. This way I will be able to compare them side by side. I could post data comparison at your request, but this will be during november because I am waiting for a new HD for this laptop to arrive. I still have some doubts:

- Maybe I will avoid IE installation, but in this case which light browser do you advise me to use? Will firefox eat a lot of resources/time for opening?

- FAT32 or NTFS for Win2000? FAT32 will be faster but more unstable, won't it?

- Are the english updates for Win95 or Win98 compatible with spanish OS?

Windows 2000 SP4 is good as most software still supports it and I consider it to be very rock solid and stable. It also has good support for laptops. It's downside is it has a critical security vulnerabilities and needs a good firewall installed. It also needs more Hard Disk space than Win98.
Win9x doesn't have any known security vulnerabilities?
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I run 98 and 98SE on an old HP Pavilion with a 366mhz Celeron. 98 first edition does run slightly faster, but the difference isn't that much. With a little work, 98 can be more than functional enough for everyday usage.

Regarding the disk space you can have a reasonably well equipped system on about 700mb. If you don't include all the cab files from the 98CD, you can get it down to 600mb or less.

Regarding the browser, SeaMonkey is very good on both 98 and 98SE. It takes a bit longer than Internet Explorer to launch but it's much faster on the net, not to mention more stable and far less vulnerable. When I ran IE6, my resources would slowly drop until it forced me to reboot, or crash. With SeaMonkey, I can browse all day with no problems. Internet Explorer can be removed with IEradicator. It has worked quite well on the few 98 boxes I've used it on. Be aware that other software often uses Internet Explorer components and may fail to work without it. If that happens, you can always reinstall it.

Regarding 98 vulnerabilities, much of todays malware doesn't affect 98, including most everything that uses rootkits. More often than not, vulnerabilities that affect 98 systems will be for specific applications, not for the OS itself. This can become a problem as more software vendors drop support for 98. Various 3rd parties release unofficial patches and updates. The big difference is that you have to look for them, decide what you need, and apply the fixes yourself. Fortunately, there isn't nearly as many as there is for an XP box, so patching won't be a weekly chore.

98 can be well secured with a default-deny security policy and a few freeware apps. If you're not one who installs new software regularly, which is difficult on a 98 box anyway with so many not supporting it, default-deny is a very effective strategy. I use a combination of the policy editor, System Safety Monitor free version, and Kerio 2.1.5 firewall to enforce a default-deny policy. To effectively set up such a policy, you do have to know your system, what processes are part of it, what's necessary and what isn't. It takes a little time and some study, but the results can be nearly bulletproof.

Rick

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Thanks for the explanation about Win98 security issue.

I have installed and configured Kerio firewall before :) so this won't take me a lot time knowing what I am doing. I will give SeaMonkey a try too.

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