Did MS ever release a "no-cost" win-98 second edition upgrad

[Guest wsxedcrfv]

I came across the following comment and would like to know if this was true / accurate:

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Yes, Microsoft DID offer an *upgrade FE to SE CD* for the cost of postage during the period. Moreover, most of the computer vendors, during the period, also supplied those to their customers in a similar fashion, or via download. So it was essentially a free upgrade, though NOT download-able from the Internet from Microsoft [except to registered corporate users and "resellers/vendors*]. The CD was specifically *just* an upgrade disk for existing Windows 98 systems, e.g., did not work by merely *showing* a Windows 98 CD [or at least officially]; 98 must have been installed, and was being upgraded. There was a retail version also offered, functioning in a similar manner. BOTH of these required a specific valid *upgrade* key, meaning any *posted on the computer* key would NOT work...

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If such a CD really existed, would it have been part of the MSDN cd package during that time-frame (circa 1999 / 2000) ???

[triger49]

The "CD" in question does /did exist. I have one here..... but as to freebie? I don't recall any offers for freebie's. Although I do have some vague recollection of a highly discounted price for a small window of time. But don't quote me on it ....

The one I wish I could find was the Outlook 98 they offered as a freebie for a couple months, I lost mine in a hard drive crash .... (that's the day backups became a way of life )

Jake

[RetroOS]

...

The one I wish I could find was the Outlook 98 they offered as a freebie for a couple months...

I remember having a copy of Outlook 98 downloaded from Microsoft, probably somewhere on a CD in my archives.

However, it was always licensed under an existing Office 97 or Outlook 97 license.

So, it was intended to upgrade Outlook 97 to Outlook 98.

[triger49]

...

The one I wish I could find was the Outlook 98 they offered as a freebie for a couple months...

I remember having a copy of Outlook 98 downloaded from Microsoft, probably somewhere on a CD in my archives.

However, it was always licensed under an existing Office 97 or Outlook 97 license.

So, it was intended to upgrade Outlook 97 to Outlook 98.

Hmm ...you're probably right, just seemed I was using the then recently freeware'd

StarOffice 5.1. But I did have Office 97 on one of my machines.

Thanks

Jake

[pointertovoid]

I too confirm the existence of an upgrade Cd from fe to se. I got two Cd, the 98fe and the upgrade, with a new computer.

This upgrade Cd doesn't install alone BUT can repair alone an existing 98se installation, because it contains all files. No other key is required. Its organization is nearly identical to a standalone 98fe or 98se install Cd.

W98fe and 98se use the same keys (and all languages as well, but oem differ from boxes), so for practical uses (which is not the thread's original question) one can take a full 98se and give it a 98fe key. This limits the usefulness of the upgrade Cd. I also heard from an Internet Provider's hotline that one-shot 98se is better for installing modems.

By the way, W95b also uses the same keys as W95a, in all languages.

I couldn't determine if using a key supplied with 98fe to install a 98se is legal. No information at Microsoft, even then. The Oem sticker just tells "licence for 98". Same for 95.

Disks +licences sell at eBay for some 5 euros including shipment. In all European countries where Justice had to decide, software can be resold used, even without hardware, even in Oem versions. In Germany, Justice logically deduced that technical means needed to install a Compaq Windows elsewhere are legal as well. After half a dozen convergent decisions, software makers avoid asking to Justice in more countries here, and hope customers will go on believing that the so-called licence agreement is law.

[galahs]

Yeah it existed. I remember it cost $12 in Australia to get the CD that upgraded Win98 to Win98SE.

I thought it was a waste of money at the time lol

[Dave-H]

I've got one of those upgrade CDs and it came with a home networking package.

I only bought it for the Win98 upgrade CD, I never even put the other one with the networking software into my drive as I didn't need it!

I assume that the upgrade from 98FE to 98SE was needed by that software, which is why it was bundled with it.

[jaclaz]

It is not that there is some confusion between the "real" "full" FE to SE update and the ServicePack 1?

http://www.mdgx.com/win.htm

AFAIK the "real" update was never "totally" free.

Besides, are we talking of this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Windows-98.../ref=pd_cp_sw_2

or this one?

http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Windows-re.../ref=pd_cp_sw_3

or something else?

Like this "step up" mentioned here:

http://forums.techarena.in/troubleshoot-98/1249828.htm

http://www.cwdixon.com/support/win98_suppo...ntroduction.htm

http://www.itnetcentral.com/tech/windows-9...dition-135.html

Or is the step up one of the two above?

Please take note how this article:

http://www.smartcomputing.com/editorial/ar...s09%2F04s09.asp

Prices & Purchasing

Win98 SE is available pre-installed on new systems, and is available through retail channels for Windows 3.x and Windows 95 users ($109 MSRP). Present Win98 users get a pricing break. If you order the Win98 SE CD-ROM by phone (the number was unavailable as of press time) or through the Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/windows98), you'll pay only $19.95 plus shipping and handling.

Even at this price, you're still paying for a lot of functions that you could download for free, but you will get ICS and you won't have to pay the Internet fees for a download that will take several hours. In addition, many users feel more comfortable with a CD-ROM and the documentation that comes with it.

Although Win98 SE will replace the old version of Win98 on retailer's shelves, the package is still considered an "upgrade." You'll have to have your old Windows 3.x diskettes or Win9x CD-ROMs handy for verification when you begin installing Win98 SE. ( NOTE: This also means someone building a system from scratch will need to install one of these OSes before Win98 SE.)

If you aren't planning to make the jump to Windows 2000 when it becomes available, and you're wary of the ever-shifting rumors about any future Microsoft OS based on the 9x kernel, Win98 SE is a sensible investment. This is also true for Windows 3.x and Win95 users. But Win98 users who regularly download Microsoft Updates and don't care about networking will probably pass.

Rightly (at the time) considers the US $19.95+S&H a deal when compared to the time and expene for an online download.

And this one, clears the fact that a lot of confusion was made at the time:

http://windowsitpro.com/article/articleid/...-confusion.html

To add some more confusion:

http://www.geocities.com/~budallen/second_edition.html

it seem like the version is actually called "Windows 98 Second Edition Updates" and cannot be installed if not from a booted 98 FE:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/232678/en-us

• Windows 98 Second Edition is available in the following versions:
  
• Windows 98 Second Edition Full Version
  
• Windows 98 Second Edition Upgrade Version
  
• Windows 98 Second Edition Updates
  
• Windows 98 Second Edition OEM versions
  

jaclaz

Edited September 29, 2009 by jaclaz

[triger49]

Jaclaz .... here is a screenshot ...it DID have it's own Cd key MS$ part number x04-12712

Cheers

Jake

[Dave-H]

That's exactly the CD I've got too, and yes, it has its own key.

[jaclaz]

Jaclaz .... here is a screenshot ...it DID have it's own Cd key MS$ part number x04-12712

Yep, that's it :

And this one, clears the fact that a lot of confusion was made at the time:

http://windowsitpro.com/article/articleid/...-confusion.html

To add some more confusion:

http://www.geocities.com/~budallen/second_edition.html

it seem like the version is actually called "Windows 98 Second Edition Updates" and cannot be installed if not from a booted 98 FE:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/232678/en-us

• Windows 98 Second Edition is available in the following versions:
  
• Windows 98 Second Edition Full Version
  
• Windows 98 Second Edition Upgrade Version
  
• Windows 98 Second Edition Updates
  
• Windows 98 Second Edition OEM versions
  

Still, it wasn't "free", you paid for postage and handling $19.95, and it wasn't available "monolithic" as a download.

Now that we have an "accurate" search string, some results can be found:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/232681/en-us

File list:

01 of 14: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/238664/en-us

02 of 14: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/238666/en-us

03 of 14: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/238668/en-us

04 of 14: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/238728/en-us

05 of 14: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/238729/en-us

06 of 14: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/238730/en-us

07 of 14: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/238749/en-us

08 of 14: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/238767/en-us

09 of 14: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/238771/en-us

10 of 14: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/238775/en-us

11 of 14: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/238809/en-us

12 of 14: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/238811/en-us

13 of 14: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/238813/en-us

14 of 14: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/239011/en-us

(please note how the MS guys in an attempt to make the life of their users an easy one completely FAILED to link on each page the next one and numbered the parts using results of a BINGO draw )

Cannot recover:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/232753/en-us

Some info:

http://www.windowsbbs.com/windows-95-98-me...e-fr-win98.html

Meanwhile, back to Win98SE. This was very smooth; don't know how anyone could find one. But, surely I'm not the only person in the world that got one. It was shipped in a crytal case with Windows logo (clouds and flag) and the title was

For users of Windows98

Microsoft Windows98 Second Edition Updates

"Includes system updates, Internet Explorer 5, Internet Connection Sharing, and more."

X04-73160 Instruction sheet/case insert/label

X04-12707 CD

X04-73161 Rear case insert/label and UPC

X04-12712 on a sticker that reads CD SET X04-12712

The CD itself etched around the spindle hole reads:

02131B X04-12711 and has the holographic image "VALID Microsoft" etc.

http://www.helpwithwindows.com/windows98/start-011.html

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc751504.aspx

You can also get Windows 98 Year 2000 Update 2 and the other Windows 98 Customer Service Pack components, along with Internet Explorer 5 and other new features, by ordering the Windows 98 Second Edition Updates CD for existing Windows 98 users. To order, please go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/highlights/.

Acthual behaviour/screenshots:

http://www.pctechguide.com/tutorials/Win98...all_Win98SE.htm

This:

http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9905/10/....idg/index.html

quotes the S&H to $19.95:

Windows 98 Second Edition Updates, for users already running Windows 95 or Windows 98, can be ordered through Microsoft's Web Site (or by phone; contact information is on the site). It will cost $19.95, and includes documentation for Internet Explorer 5 and the Internet Connection Sharing software. Microsoft said earlier that this update would be available in June.

This:

http://windowsitpro.com/article/articleid/...-available.html

quotes the S&H to $24.95:

Windows 98 Second Edition Updates CD

This special CD includes Windows 98 Service Pack 1 and the Windows technologies downloads (see below) on one handy CD-ROM that you can order from the Microsoft Web site for $24.95 including shipping. This CD also includes the new features in Windows 98 SE, such as Internet Connection Sharing (ICS), and comes with a handy booklet describing those new features. If you're an existing Windows 98 user that wants the whole enchilada, this is the way to go. You cannot download the entire contents of the SE Updates CD (ICS, for example, is not available for download).

It's strange how the $$ apparently changed from 19.95 to 24.95, in the period may/june 1999.

jaclaz