Windows Update web site no longer functing for win98?

[98 Guy]

Funny, I had no idea this was still an issue until today.

Today, I was in front of 4 different win-98 machines, 2 of which ran the Windows Update web site just fine, and 2 showed the Mac-related error message. All 4 were running the exact same version of IE.

This is what I did to get the WU site working on one of the machines. I don't know what single item fixed the problem:

1) Add "*.microsoft.com" to the trusted zone list.

2) allow everything in the trusted zone.

3) rename (remove) the HOSTS file

4) delete all cookies

5) delete all temp files

Some combination of the above (maybe only 1 item, maybe all of them) was necessary in order to get the WU site to work properly on one machine today that was showing the "Mac" problem. I haven't tried to correct the situation on the other machine yet.

[georg]

http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/downloads/corporate.asp

If you go to the site above, as I recommended earlier in this thread, you can use Firefox, and download executable files which can be used anytime, even if the other update sites stop working again.

There is a thorough explanation of the purpose of each file, which will enable you to decide which ones to take. Burn the files to a CD and make yourself independent.

If you use Win98FE and have trouble getting newer programs to install, I also recommend you go to this site:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...11-9B476A8D35D2

and download the Common Controls Update executable file, which seems to resolve a lot of install problems

google for 50comupd.exe and you will see what I mean. For me, it resolved issues with Firefox and Adobe Reader.

[98 Guy]

If you go to the site above, as I recommended earlier in this thread, you can

use Firefox, and download executable files which ...

Which is a pain in the a** if you're setting up a new install.

Yes, it's good to have your own copies of those files.

It's also good to have the WU site work correctly when you want to do it that way.

[georg]

Making WU work is good, a great benefit, and preferred road for the majority. I admire those who go the extra mile, and solve the problem. However, products and services decline and disappear. There may be a few who stubbornly refuse most updates, who wish to be able to reliably recreate what they already have, who for reasons of their own have parted company with Internet Explorer.

[Eck]

Um, like soporific said guys, download Auto-Patcher for Windows 98SE. Run it. Say to install Dialup Networking 1.4 silently, after reboot set toggle to on, go through all the screens turning on or off the stuff you want, don't want. If you have a Windows Me cd turn off the 98SE2ME and 98MP10 options and download the full versions of those to do manually after Auto-Patcher for Windows 98SE is finished.

When finished install your hardware drivers (that's right, do that AFTER the Auto-Patcher), Office, cd, dvd burner software, dvd player, Firefox, Thunderbird, plugins, games.

You won't need to update anything. The man did it all for you. And unlike Microsoft Windows Update, these updates have been patched to actually work. I wish we were so lucky for XP and Vista.

Oh, on XP use RyanVM Post SP2 Updater. Make the cd, next time you format use that instead of your XP cd. Not as good as Auto-Patcher for Windows 98SE (heh, heh) because they are all official, buggy Microsoft updates but better RyanVM than Windows Update to trust installing them.

[erpdude8]

I've just tried all these URLs:

http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/worldwide.asp [and tried a few languages]

http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/

http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/

http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/catalog/

http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/catalog/

Unfortunately they all default to this URL:

http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/...ankspage=2&

which says something like this:

Thank you for your interest in obtaining updates from our site.

MDGx and others: try un-installing unofficial IE update [KB928090] and re-run Windows Update. I did that and I got access to the V4 Windows Update site on my WinME computer.

Edited March 2, 2007 by erpdude8

[RainyShadow]

Try WindizUpdate.

HTH

[erpdude8]

Try WindizUpdate.

HTH

WindizUpdate is WEAK! I read an online article about WindizUpdate about a year ago and the author who wrote that article advises to avoid going to that site because of its flaws.

ok, found that article <read here>

anyway, guys, the V4 Windows Update site started to work again on my WinME computer lately. it was more of a technical glitch on the V4 WU server.

Edited March 9, 2007 by erpdude8

[Philco]

Try WindizUpdate.

HTH

WindizUpdate is WEAK! I read an online article about WindizUpdate about a year ago and the author who wrote that article advises to avoid going to that site because of its flaws.

ok, found that article <read here>

anyway, guys, the V4 Windows Update site started to work again on my WinME computer lately. it was more of a technical glitch on the V4 WU server.

Hi, try classic link http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ - bad....

With link http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/worldwide.asp and next my country properly normal windows update!

Microsoft LoL....

[Linh_My]

No suggested links work/All suggested links work

Whether the links work or not seems to be a totaly random issue. am updating some VMware guest Win98 VMs and sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. All I can suggest is to try again.

[RJARRRPCGP]

HTH

WindizUpdate is WEAK! I read an online article about WindizUpdate about a year ago and the author who wrote that article advises to avoid going to that site because of its flaws.

ok, found that article <read here>

anyway, guys, the V4 Windows Update site started to work again on my WinME computer lately. it was more of a technical glitch on the V4 WU server.

There's a bad link at GameSpot.

Edited March 23, 2007 by RJARRRPCGP

[denzilla]

When I do a fresh install of 98SE, WU always fails. All I do to resolve the situation is update the root certificates and it fixes WU everytime.

[Chozo4]

This whole issue is possibly (additionally?) due to microsoft not recognizing IE6 on win98se.

It worked untill I installed IE6 due to needing net framework to try out a couple applications. Once I'd installed IE6, I get the 'thank you / mac' reply. However, once I'd opened a standalone copy of IE5 and then used windows update in that the links to get there worked fine.

Edited April 2, 2007 by Chozo4

[MDGx]

I'm using IE 6.0 SP1 with all official + unofficial updates with Win98 SE [and occasionally WinME for testing purposes]:

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

WU + WUC work only after I installed latest root certificates update.

HTH

[celtish]

Or worse .... It won't let you in because it claims you are not the 'Administrator'