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Last Rites for Win9x
I assume someone already posted this at least once. But just in case...
-- Gary S. Terhune MS MVP Shell/User (MS Official Announcement and FAQs) Effective June 30, 2006, support for Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition and Windows Me (and their related components) will end. After this date, incident support, security updates and Custom Support Agreement will no longer be available to the public. Visit http://www.microsoft.com/windows/sup...ofsupport.mspx for details. * On June 30, 2006, assisted support for Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition and Windows Me (and their related components) will end. * After this date, Microsoft will no longer provide any incident support options or security updates. Microsoft is not offering a Custom Support Agreement for these products. * Online Support Content will continue to be available through the Microsoft Support Product Solution Center Websites. This website will continue to host a wealth of previous How-to, Troubleshooting and Configuration content for anyone who may need self-service access to this information. (http://support.microsoft.com/select/?target=hub) * Additional information on the support lifecycle of Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition and Windows Me can be located at: http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifean1 and http://www.microsoft.com/windows/sup...ofsupport.mspx * Microsoft continues to encourage all customers to upgrade to Windows XP to achieve the highest possible level of security. Customers will benefit and stay secure on Windows XP with many of its improved security and protection features. * Customers that are not able to obtain Windows XP based versions of their applications are able to run these older applications in Windows 98 compatibility mode within Windows XP * Customers should visit the Windows XP Resource Kit http://www.microsoft.com/resources/d...XP/all/reskit/ en-us/Default.asp?url=/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en- us/prba_dwp_ogli.asp to find out more information about migration to Windows XP. This assistance resource helps customers understand the requirements and Application Compatibility implications of migrating from Windows 98/ME to XP. Q. What does Microsoft mean when it says it is ending support for Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows ME? A. This means that after June 30, 2006, transitioning these products to a non-supported status means that assisted support, including security updates, will end. After this date, Microsoft will no longer provide any incident support options or security updates. (however, Online Support Content will continue to be available through the Microsoft Support Product Solution Center Websites. This website will continue to host a wealth of previous How-to, Troubleshooting and Configuration content for anyone who may need self-service access to this information. These Product Solution Center websites can be found at http://support.microsoft.com http://support.microsoft.com/ ) Q. Why should I consider moving to a newer Windows operating system version? A. Customers should consider moving to the most recent version of Windows, such as Windows XP, for the following reasons * Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition and Windows ME are products that are no longer suitable for the security demands of today's internet environments. * Customers will benefit and stay secure on Windows XP with many of its improved security and protection features. * Customers that are not able to obtain Windows XP based versions of their applications are able to run these older applications in Windows 98 compatibility mode within Windows XP * Microsoft is not offering a Custom Support Agreement for these products. Q. Why is this announcement so sudden? This announcement is not a last minute announcement. As early as December 2002, we had announced an original end-of-support date for Windows 98, 98SE and ME for January 2003. We later extended the end-of-support date to June 2006 to allow customers enough time to migrate to a new and updated Windows operating system in order to continue receiving security and hotfix support. This last wave of communications is a final reminder for those who have postponed or delayed migrating from Windows 98 or Windows ME to Windows XP to finally put their plans into action. Q. Why will Microsoft no longer provide public security support for Windows 98 and Windows ME? The importance of a secure computing platform has never been greater. Over the past decade, security vulnerabilities that could not have been anticipated have emerged. Microsoft has responded with new design methodologies, coding practices and test procedures. These enhancements are included in new platforms such as Windows XP and even more enhanced in the upcoming release of Windows Vista. These newer platforms offer our customers a far greater level of security than is possible with Windows 98 and Windows ME. You need to remember that Windows 98 and Windows ME were developed before the era of sophisticated Internet based attacks. These products have reached the point of architectural obsolescence. It would be irresponsible to convey a false sense of security by extending public support for these old products. Q. Will there be 3rd parties that can continue supporting my installations of Windows 98? There are still multiple companies in the market today that are able to provide for-fee configuration support for Windows 98 and Windows ME computers. They do not, however, have access to the code base to be able to create hotfix and security fixes. The absence of the critical types of support components from their capabilities should encourage customers to quickly migrate to more up-to-date versions of Microsoft Windows. Also, Online Support Content will continue to be available through the Microsoft Support Product Solution Center Websites. This website will continue to host a wealth of previous How-to, Troubleshooting and Configuration content for anyone who may need self-service access to this information. These Product Solution Center websites can be found at http://support.microsoft.com http://support.microsoft.com/ Q. What resources does Microsoft offer to companies or individuals that have yet to migrate to a newer Windows operating system? Customers who are able to access the internet should visit the Windows XP Resource Kit http://www.microsoft.com/resources/d...XP/all/reskit/ en-us/Default.asp?url=/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en- us/prba_dwp_ogli.asp to find out more information about migration to Windows XP. This assistance resource helps customers understand the requirements and Application Compatibility implications of migrating from Windows 98/ME to XP. |
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