Independent Developer Releases Win98 SE Service Pack

A service pack for Windows 98 Second Edition has been released. Big deal, right? It is if it doesn't come from Microsoft.

Last Friday, Windows enthusiast Alper Coskun posted something he dubbed "Service Pack 1.5" for Windows 98 SE on his Web site.

Although clearly labeled as "Unofficial," the Service Pack uses updates and hot fixes Coskun collected from the Windows Update service site and Microsoft's Knowledge Base database.

The service pack includes 70 hot fixes, a solution to the 512MB memory limit of Windows 98 SE, and better USB support, claimed Coskun on his Web site.

The self-extracting, self-installing pack only includes updates to the operating system, not fixes for such bundled software such as Internet Explorer or Media Player.

Although Microsoft produced a Service Pack for Windows 98 in 1999, it never rolled out one for Second Edition.

Coskun's site even has a legal disclaimer at the bottom of the page whose fine print reads: "This software is provided 'as-is,' without any express or implied warranty."

Microsoft doesn't seem to have a problem with Coskun's not-from-Redmond creation. When contacted, a spokesperson only said, "Microsoft does not have a comment on this specific site; however, the company urges its customers to obtain Microsoft downloads directly from Microsoft. Microsoft cannot vouch for the validity or quality of download packages offered by third parties not sanctioned by Microsoft."

Windows 98 SE is in what Microsoft calls the "extended" part of its support lifecycle. That means that free tech support and hot fixes for non-critical issues have expired (as of June 30, 2003). However, critical security updates will continue to be posted as necessary through June 30, 2006.

For those willing to take the third-party plunge, Coskun's service pack can be downloaded from here.

Coskun, a widely published freeware developer, did not respond to an e-mail query.

I never saw that as a problem. I finally moved off Win 3.11. about six months ago. I never felt the need to pay to play Microsoft's game every time they decided to release another OS.

When we were dumping all of our 386's, I took one of them and loaded Win 3.11 on it with a Calamara shell that makes it look and act identical to 95. I gave it to a friend who just wanted to track his bills and paperwork on it. I was pretty impressed with the setup on what was considered an outdated useless machine.

If you buy new hardware though a major computer vendor, M$ does effectively force you to upgrade to their latest OS through the monopolistic marketing of forcing hardware vendors to submit tribute to M$ whether the computer has a M$ OS or not.

So choose another vendor. There are plenty of OEMs out there who will sell you a computer with an alternative operating system -- or no operating system at all. Granted, that's not how 99.99999999% of the population wants to buy a computer.

Try going to BestBuy and picking up a computer with Window$ 95. Or try to move your copy of XP to a newly home built computer w/o having to call your mother for permission.

Try going to a Honda dealership and getting a 1995 Civic engine installed into 2004 Civic. What's your point? That dealers only want to offer customers the latest products? Wow. A revelation. Thanks for the info. Damn those bastards. /SARCASM

Don't confuse motion with action. On the same hardware, XP IS slower than M$ Win98SE. XP is doing more, but less actual work for the user. I find USB, AGP, Firewire, & WiFi (I have no use for bluetooth) work fine with Win98SE. They would likely work fine with Win95 or DOS with minor OS patches. M$ just isn't incentivised to do so.

Dude, step away from the crack pipe immediately. Performance isn't a measure of functionality. It's a measure of speed. XP adds a lot more than you can possibly appreciate in terms of reliability, robustness, and features (Bluetooth, extremely quick hibernation and startup, file protection, IP security, Kerberos support, multiple-monitor support, better visuals, better power management, etc) etc. What we getting though, is BIG BROTHER features like DRM. The more that the new OS's are doing is the work of big government and big business, not that of the end user who is footing the bill (though it'd be better if the end users would actually foot the Bill). No company is incentivized to invest in obsolete technology.

What we getting though, is BIG BROTHER features like DRM. The more that the new OS's are doing is the work of big government and big business, not that of the end user who is footing the bill (though it'd be better if the end users would actually foot the Bill).

How, exactly, has DRM changed anything? I see no evidence that DRM is making any difference at all in peoples' lives.

Thanks for representing the ~~obnoxious~~ realistic viewpoint.

Fixed it for you. Microsoft has enough money floating and shouldn't begrudge people trying to get by with their older operating systems.

Microsoft doesn't prevent you from installing obsolete products on your computers. That you can't buy Windows 95 at Best Buy or get a computer with DOS preinstalled on it is no different than going down to a car dealership and expecting to find the latest cars on display. Why do you guys expect Microsoft, Dell, and other companies to be any different than any other business? It's ridiculous.

While they should reward those people's loyalty with support they choose to punish them by cutting them off if they don't cough up more cash for operating systems their computers may not be up to handling. Therefore Microsoft puts more machines into landfills before their time.

Windows 95 is 9 years old. Windows 98 is 6 years old. I think that most people can appreciate that the vast majority of products that they use aren't supported by a lifetime warranty by the vendor. My advice would be to embrace reality..

I accept reality but believe that a near monopoly will always behave as one. I was mainly concerned about the limited-budget elderly who tend to get the hand-me-down equipment and have a notorious time adapting. A dependable product that would help them extend the life of their OS and equipment's useful life would be a great boon for them.

XP is a great product but works like a Democrat loose in the Treasury. I set mine to Windows Classic settings every way possible and turned off many background services. Big Brother? This sucker seems to keep reactivating Remote Management Services on its own. The sheer bulk of service packs are quickly forcing me to the point of reinstallation because the beast has grown past the partition size I originally assigned it.

Yesterday Billgatus pronounced we should all be on 64-bit within three years. Forgive me if I dislike assimilation and futilely resist.

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