If you’re still running Windows 98, Windows 98 SE, Windows ME (ack!) or even Windows XP Service Pack 1 then you’ll probably want to know that starting today your OS is officially no longer supported by Microsoft:
July 11, 2006 will bring a close to Extended Support for Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows Me as part of the Microsoft Lifecycle Policy. Microsoft will retire public and technical support, including security updates, by this date.
Existing support documents and content, however, will continue to be available through the Microsoft Support Product Solution Center Web site. This Web site will continue to host a wealth of previous How-to, Troubleshooting, and Configuration content for anyone who may need self-service.
Microsoft is retiring support for these products because they are outdated and can expose customers to security risks. We recommend that customers who are still running Windows 98 or Windows Me upgrade to a newer, more secure Microsoft operating system, such as Windows XP, as soon as possible.
Just thought you should know.
It’s interesting to note that my downstairs neighbour has been running a Win98SE box now for the last like 6 or 7 years and just recently had to do a reinstall due to OS file corruption (power surge I think). I checked their computer, and low-and-behold, no viruses, no spyware.
My other neighbour on the other hand, has had to reinstall WinXP 18 times since she moved in last year, due to everything from viruses to XP just deciding it didn’t want to start anymore. And she had a firewall AND anti-spyware installed. This last time though, I disabled Internet Exploder and installed Firefox and Thunderbird, and the only thing she has asked me to come fix in the 4 months since is updating her USB drivers for her motherboard.
You be the judge