Avast WEBforum
Other => General Topics => Topic started by: drhayden1 on June 25, 2006, 03:04:41 PM
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http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifean18
stopping support of those mentioned as of that date ::)
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The day has almost come... I think we'll have more computer-zombies after this date, as I think there are people who still are still using these systems... But, someday it will happen for XP too... Vista is almost here...
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=21872.0
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Hi all...
Here is a line from Microsoft's page that drhayden1 provided:
"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."
Then they can pay to get these customers new computers as well as many of them will not run XP or Vista! >:(
Best Regards...
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Hi ardvark,
Not for the clever ones, there always will be support:
http://exuberant.ms11.net/98sesp.html
Worked very smoothly on an old Win98 SE. But I agree with you people are almost urged to spend money on getting larger and larger computers to keep up with new system demands, if a car producer would handle his customers in a similar way there would be a public outcry.
polonus
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Hi Polonus...
Nice, very nice! I didn't know about this one. :)
Best Regards and Thank You...
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"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."
Another problem with that statement is that XP Home will also have a very short time before it too looses support. M$ have already extended the life cycle support on XP Home (and it very soon will have to have been updated SP2 or no more support for pre-SP2 versions of XP Home). One of the main things that is/will extend XP Home support is that Vista hasn't been released to retail. Once that happens then I believe there will be 18 months support for XP Home, the XP Pro version has a longer life cycle than XP Home.
So any purchase of XP Home could have a very short support cycle.
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Then they can pay to get these customers new computers as well as many of them will not run XP or Vista
I'm still waiting for my free USB drive that Microsoft promised. Haven't see it yet. Highly doubt they'll spring for
new computers if a cheap USB drive is beyond their means. ;D ;D ;D
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I'm still waiting for my free USB drive that Microsoft promised.
What !!! You didn't get your free USB drive? :o :o :o
oh yeah - me neither
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Guys ... Microsoft sent out an email about that. Someone posted it on here somewhere. I got the email but did not post it since someone else already had done it. Anyway, MS only had a limited supply and those went fast.
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Charlie - you've been away too long. The sarcasm eluded you. :)
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Hi malware fighters,
Well the rats are leaving the sinking ship, the new zonealarm update 65_725_000.exe does not support Windows 98, 98SE & ME. Will these Windows versions now become abandonware?
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/support/win98MEusers.jsp
polonus
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Pre-6.5 products will continue to run on the Windows 98/98SE/Me operating system.
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Abandonware?
Life time cicle... can we fight against this? I think not...
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How long is the XP Pro lifecycle I believe it is at least 5 more years but not sure, and won't the updates for XP Pro still be compatible with XP Home? Also don't you guys think Microsoft will extend XP Home for a few more years? They did with 98 and ME.
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How long is the XP Pro lifecycle I believe it is at least 5 more years but not sure, and won't the updates for XP Pro still be compatible with XP Home? Also don't you guys think Microsoft will extend XP Home for a few more years? They did with 98 and ME.
Hi Justin...
I can't tell you on the exact number, it will probably depend a lot on how well Vista takes off.
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Windows XP has been around for a while, a lot of people use it, I can't imagine everyone will change to Vista when it comes out, it will take years for people to adapt to Vista just like it did for XP, XP has been out for a very long time thats the reason so many people have it IMO.
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Hi justin 1278,
If an auto dealer would tell you after a couple of years, there are no spare parts for your car, you would not believe your ears. In the mean time the computer "refresh" rate is getting shorter and shorter. OS and software demands you to buy bigger and bigger all the time. The life span of the beta quality hard disk is just over 3 years, if you are just out of luck. Then the size of it has grown to such an extent that your system cannot see it anymore, the life cycle of your CD is just over one year (your back-up data have faded beyond recognition). Your software cannot be updated anymore. Yoiu have to store your drivers somewhere to set them back in case of an emergency. You haven't updated them. Oh boy, your obsolete before the year has gone, and you feel like Rip van Winkle.
polonus
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It will take years for people to adapt to Vista just like it did for XP
For me, it's not a confortable update. There are a lot of cosmetic changes, interface changes... we take some time to be used to... where is this, where is that...
Office 2007 is even worse on this point.
We learn how to use MS products and then they change it so much that we need to take a lot of time to learn again.
Not all the progress is in the right way... It's a pain :P :'(
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How long is the XP Pro lifecycle I believe it is at least 5 more years but not sure, and won't the updates for XP Pro still be compatible with XP Home? Also don't you guys think Microsoft will extend XP Home for a few more years? They did with 98 and ME.
Check out this FAQ on life-cycle of MS products http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifepolicy whilst there are no hard and fast dates it gives a 10 year life-cycle for business products (which I feel the Pro versions falls) however this page if anything muddies the water as it often seems to contradict what it said in an earlier paragraph.
My interpretation, for what it is worth, is XP Pro will be supported until 2011, XP Home would have ended its mainstream life-cycle support and go into extended support for a further two years. However since the replacement for XP Home, one of the Vista versions hasn't been released, MS will have to offer extended support for up to two years after its release.
Clear as mud, but I'm sure there is a more definitive answer with dates, etc. out there in google land - http://www.microsoft.com/windows/lifecycle/default.mspx
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Tech, If you do not like the major changes from XP > Vista you would have hated the Mac OS 9.x -> OS X Change
However it turned out for the good and Im sure once Microsoft gets a few Service Packs out the Door people should be reasonably happy with it. The ones that are not happy well there is always Ubuntu :)
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The ones that are not happy well there is always Ubuntu :)
I'm not joking... I'm on Kubuntu right now... I can't say I'm unhappy 8)
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iHi malware fighters,
Some security tips to use Win98SE as secure as possible after
7-11
(1) Use Firefox in stead of Internet Explorer. If the websites
that you visit does not need Flash, do not install the plug-in.
Disable Java in Firefox unless you need it. Or use the NoScript
add-on.
(2) Renove "Client for Microsoft Networks" from the network
settings. If you, without any programs openened, in a dos-box
run in the command: netstat -an
you will see that windows does not listen for any port. This
can be affirmed by using a tool like TCPView (download free
from (http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/TcpView.html).
After this you cannot exchange files in the "Microsoft "way"
(also known as SMB). A printer that runs directly on your
own system will normally function, but if there is another
PC hanging on inside the home it does not work any more.
Files can be exchanged also internally with tools like
FileZilla (open source and free at
http://filezilla.sourceforge.net/).
(3) Rename in "C:\Windows\System\" this file with the name
"mshta.exe" in something different, like for instance
"mshtanot.exe" (or delete this, or move to another site).
This file was not standard for Win9x and came along with
MSIE 5.5 or 6.0, and is being used to "interpret" (execute)
.hta files. HTA stands for HTml Application; these kind of
files actually consists of a combination of html and
VBScript. A HTA file launched from your disk can do the same
like an exe file, which could be wipe all your files.
Under W9X you do not need mshta.exe; it is mainly used in
malware exploits. Look for more info:
http://www.security.nl/article/13849/ for a MSIE bug still
unpatched. If WinME uses mshta.exe for some purpose, is not known to
me, but on that system you cannot simply rename mshta.exe
or delete; "windows file protection" will reinstall it at once.
N.B. check after the latest WindowsUpdate if mshta.exe
was not added.
(4) Change then Explorer settings to:
- Choose under "Hidden Files" for "Show All Files"
- Remove the tack for "Hide file extensions for known
file types"
- Windows Desktop (Custom Settings): choose NOT for "Enable
all web-related content on my desktop" but for "Use
Windows Classic Desktop", and under "View Web content in
Folders" you choose "Only for folders where I select 'As web
page' (View Menu)".
(5) Know your system. Close down all programs and run e.g.
Proces Explorer (free download from
[url]http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/ProcessExplorer.html[/ur]),
and save the list as a textfile. Or make a screen snapshot of:
Alt-PrintScrn, paste in Paint, print this or save this like
"processes-date-time.gif" (colours faint somehat but the file
stays nice and small).
But it is very coinvenient if you know what all these processes are
for (Google!) but it is not necessary. If in doubt that something was
added later, you can check. Or use SFC.
Also run Autoruns once in a while(free to be downloaded from
[url]http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/Autoruns.html[/ur])
and keep a list for comparison later.
(6) Check this file C:\Windows\Hosts. On normal systems this has
, exept for empty rules starting with # ,only: 127.0.0.1 localhost
(and there could be several spaces before "localhost"). There are
a few legit applications that can add IP-adress+ hostname, but
if something is added there it could be by previous or still active
malware.
When the final updates for Windows 98 and Me come out July 11, Windows 98 and Me will be complete. After downloading all the various Windows Updates, it would be the perfect time to make a full backup of your system.
There are free and commercially available programs that will let you take an image of your hard drive you can use to recover from some disaster like a total hard-drive failure or messed-up software installation.
polonus