Last Rites for Win9x

We are safe, & WMP seems still to work! Poor, poor poatt, though! I always liked him. NOW, I must scratch Dundat's name off this obituary I've been writing, & put poatt in, instead!


--
(Lucky Terhune also showed up, & I don't need it for him),
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
should things get worse after this,
PCR

"Dan" wrote in message ...
| PCR wrote:
| Here's a new critical, poatt, as of 2/14...
|
| http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sec.../MS06-005.mspx
| Microsoft Security Bulletin MS06-005
| Vulnerability in Windows Media Player Could Allow Remote Code Execution (911565)
|
|
| I got that critical update too, PCR. :

budgie wrote:
On Fri, 17 Feb 2006 02:27:23 -0700, Dan wrote:


Jonny wrote:

Pro vs. HE, top of my head, its much easier to manipulate as administrator
to limit more specific things in XP. User accounts are joke in HE, most
kids know routes around its very limited user limitations.
Remember the 98 or 98SE to ME upgrade major problems when ME came to market?
Similar in XP to a certain extent in some cases.

I wonder whether Microsoft wanted to eliminate the 9x code since it
would be easier for Microsoft to focus on the NT (New Technology) code.


Without wanting to start a conspiracy thread, I suggest it was part of their
long time plan to finally bury DOS.

How about a less-deep conspiracy: they want to sell
newer versions of Windows once they come out.
Keeping old versions running is counter to this
policy, and is worth doing only long enough to
preserve a reputation for supporting their products.

PCR wrote:
We are safe, & WMP seems still to work! Poor, poor poatt, though! I always liked him. NOW, I must scratch Dundat's name off this obituary I've been writing, & put poatt in, instead!


So is your 98SE system going off-line after 30 June 2006, PCR or are you
going to trust a firewall to keep the operating system safe?

Most of Microsoft's Windows licenses are sold via pre-installation on new
computers. It's the new computer sales, with the advanced technology and
speed, that demand new versions of Windows, not vice-versa. Sure, they're
capitalists, but I suspect it's the Windows crew that has to race to keep
ahead of everyone else, support the latest hardware, internet apps, demands
for processing capabilities, etc. If they didn't, someone else would.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User

"Anthony Buckland" wrote in message
...
How about a less-deep conspiracy: they want to sell
newer versions of Windows once they come out.
Keeping old versions running is counter to this
policy, and is worth doing only long enough to
preserve a reputation for supporting their products.

Me 'n Colorado are sworn to wait for it to turn to dust! I KNOW he broke his word, though, ran JUST the XP tester & ended up with purple toes! Now, he is back & healing. Poatt too!


--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
should things get worse after this,
PCR

"Dan" wrote in message ...
| PCR wrote:
| We are safe, & WMP seems still to work! Poor, poor poatt, though! I always liked him. NOW, I must scratch Dundat's name off this obituary I've been writing, & put poatt in, instead!
|
|
| So is your 98SE system going off-line after 30 June 2006, PCR or are you
| going to trust a firewall to keep the operating system safe?

On Fri, 17 Feb 2006 15:43:10 -0800, Anthony Buckland wrote:

budgie wrote:
On Fri, 17 Feb 2006 02:27:23 -0700, Dan wrote:


Jonny wrote:

Pro vs. HE, top of my head, its much easier to manipulate as administrator
to limit more specific things in XP. User accounts are joke in HE, most
kids know routes around its very limited user limitations.
Remember the 98 or 98SE to ME upgrade major problems when ME came to market?
Similar in XP to a certain extent in some cases.

I wonder whether Microsoft wanted to eliminate the 9x code since it
would be easier for Microsoft to focus on the NT (New Technology) code.


Without wanting to start a conspiracy thread, I suggest it was part of their
long time plan to finally bury DOS.

How about a less-deep conspiracy: they want to sell
newer versions of Windows once they come out.

That happens anyway, with the "evolution" (sic)(spew) of applications etc that
force upgrading on many PC users.

And as Gary correctly points out, the overwhelming majority of sales are tied to
new platforms. Upgrades on existing platforms is the area where "non-bought"
O/S's are most prevalent, with the correspondingly smaller sales prospects.

Keeping old versions running is counter to this
policy, and is worth doing only long enough to
preserve a reputation for supporting their products.

PCR wrote:
Me 'n Colorado are sworn to wait for it to turn to dust! I KNOW he broke his word, though, ran JUST the XP tester & ended up with purple toes! Now, he is back & healing. Poatt too!


Do you think you will install Vista or is it too early to tell.

"Dan" wrote in message ...
| PCR wrote:
| Me 'n Colorado are sworn to wait for it to turn to dust! I KNOW he broke his word, though, ran JUST the XP tester & ended up with purple toes! Now, he is back & healing. Poatt too!
|
|
| Do you think you will install Vista or is it too early to tell.

Not until I have to! But, yea, I won't resist that one on the day Win98 crumbles to dust. I even suppose there is one chance in 1,073,741,824 that XP will prove to be the better OS, though, & I'd go for it, instead-- & take 12 pills a day for the radiation!

Wow, we got 11 extra days according to this:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/sup...ofsupport.mspx


Microsoft should be commended for extending support for Windows 9x back in
January 2004. They did not have to do it, but they did it, and thus extended the
practical life of those operating systems, seeing as otherwise some applications
developed in the meantime might not have included support for Windows 9x.

MS MVP's in particular should be commended for their efforts in this regard.


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.

Microsoft wants people to buy new products. This is OK. It's not OK to make
misleading claims in their advertising. Using security as a seeling point for
Windows XP vs. Windows 98 is dubious. There are many aspects to security, and on
some of those Windows XP has done worse than Windows 98. (Example: vulnerable
services running in the background, two critical holes which allowed infection
via the Internet without any user action, etc.) I believe CQuirke would have
things to say on this topic.

Does Microsoft really expect those who haven't done so yet to upgrade their
Pentium III-era PCs to Windows XP at this point in time, considering that
Windows Vista is coming relatively soon?

For my purposes, I have got a Windows 98-based system on which I feel modern
enough for my needs - I can use the latest version of Firefox, I can do instant
messaging, I can use BitTorrent, I can play and work with media, I can use USB
drives, I can burn CDs, etc.


Best,

Ivan


--- In , Gary S. Terhune typed:

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.

PCR wrote:
"Dan" wrote in message ...
| PCR wrote:
| Me 'n Colorado are sworn to wait for it to turn to dust! I KNOW he broke his word, though, ran JUST the XP tester & ended up with purple toes! Now, he is back & healing. Poatt too!
|
|
| Do you think you will install Vista or is it too early to tell.

Not until I have to! But, yea, I won't resist that one on the day Win98 crumbles to dust. I even suppose there is one chance in 1,073,741,824 that XP will prove to be the better OS, though, & I'd go for it, instead-- & take 12 pills a day for the radiation!

LOL I have both since I dual-boot and I prefer 98SE although you can do
more with XP.