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Windows 98
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Windows 98 (codenamed Memphis) is a graphical operating system released on 25 June 1998 by Microsoft and the successor to Windows 95. Like its predecessor, it is a hybrid 16-bit/32-bit monolithic product based on MS-DOS. Windows 98 was succeeded by Windows Me on 14 September 2000.
ows 98 was the first operating system to use the Windows Driver Model (WDM). This fact was not well published when Windows 98 was released and most hardware producers continued to develop drivers for the older driver standard, VxD.
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Encyclopedia
Windows 98 (codenamed Memphis) is a graphical operating system released on 25 June 1998 by Microsoft and the successor to Windows 95. Like its predecessor, it is a hybrid 16-bit/32-bit monolithic product based on MS-DOS. Windows 98 was succeeded by Windows Me on 14 September 2000.
New driver standards
Windows 98 was the first operating system to use the Windows Driver Model (WDM). This fact was not well published when Windows 98 was released and most hardware producers continued to develop drivers for the older driver standard, VxD. The WDM standard spread years after its release, mostly through Windows 2000 and Windows XP, because these systems are not compatible with the older VxD standard. Today, even if hardware producers are not developing drivers optimized for Windows 98, the drivers written to WDM standards are compatible with Windows 98 based systems.
System requirements
- 486DX-2/66 MHz or higher processor (Pentium processor recommended)
- 16MB of RAM (24MB recommended, it's possible to run on 8MB machines with /im option used during the installation process)
- At least 500 MB of space available on HDD. The amount of space required depends on the installation method and the components selected, but virtual memory and system utilities as well as drivers should be taken into consideration.
- Upgrading from Windows 95 (FAT16) or 3.1 (FAT): 140-400 MB (typically 205 MB).
- New installation (FAT32): 190-305 MB (typically 210 MB).
- Note: Both Windows 98 and Windows 98 SE can have significant problems associated with hard drives that are over 32 Gigabytes (GB) in size. This issue only occurs with certain Phoenix BIOS settings. A software update has been made available to fix this shortcoming.
- Note2: Also, both Windows 98 and Windows 98 SE are unable to handle hard drives that are over 137 Gigabytes (GB) in size, because of missing 48 Bit LBA support. Data corruption is possible. An experimental third party software update is available to fix this shortcoming.
- VGA or higher resolution monitor
- CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive (The First Edition was also released on Floppy Disks, but are very rare)
- Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device (optional).
Like its predecessor, Windows 95, and its successor, Windows Millennium Edition (Me), users can bypass hardware requirement checks with the undocumented /nm setup switch. This allows installation on computers with processors as old as the 80386.
Press demonstration
The release of Windows 98 was preceded by a notable press demonstration at Comdex in April 1998. Microsoft CEO Bill Gates was highlighting the operating system's ease of use and enhanced support for Plug and Play (PnP). However, when presentation assistant Chris Capossela plugged a scanner in and attempted to install it, the operating system crashed, displaying a Blue Screen of Death. Gates remarked after applause and cheering from the audience, "That must be why we're not shipping Windows 98 yet." Video footage of this event became a popular Internet phenomenon.
Windows 98 Second Edition
Windows 98 Second Edition (often shortened to SE) is an updated release of Windows 98, released on 5 May 1999. It includes fixes for many minor issues, improved USB support, and the replacement of Internet Explorer 4.0 with the significantly faster and lighter Internet Explorer 5.0. Also included is Internet Connection Sharing, which allows multiple computers on a LAN to share a single Internet connection through Network Address Translation. Other features in the update include Microsoft NetMeeting 3.0 and integrated support for DVD-ROM drives. A memory overflow issue was resolved which in the older version of Windows 98 would crash most systems if left running for 49.7 days. Also included on the CD-ROM is the option to install Microsoft Plus! themes for Windows 98. A list of all features new to Windows 98 Second Edition can be found . Windows 98SE could be obtained as retail upgrade and full version packages, as well as OEM and a Second Edition Updates Disc for existing Windows 98 users.
Windows 98 System tools
- ScanDisk - System utility used to maintain the file system. It offers a DOS and a GUI version. Used to check the integrity of the file system and files stored within.
- Disk Defragmenter - Used to counter the negative effects of filesystem fragmentation. It collects fragmented file parts, reconnects them and rearranges all files in optimal order, thus speeding up file access and allowing faster boot times.
- Scanreg - Used to restore the System registry. It tests the registry's integrity and saves a backup copy each time. The maximum amount of copies could be customized by the user through "scanreg.ini" file. Due to a bug the oldest registry copy available cannot be restored (before restoration, the current configuration is backed up and it erases the oldest registry backup listed). The restoration of a faulty registry can only be done in DOS mode. Important DOS commands: scanreg/opt - optimizes the registry by deleting dead entries; scanreg/fix - repairs registry settings.
- Msconfig - A system utility used to disable programs and services which are not required to run the computer. It is a very efficient tool that can multiply the system's stability and speed.
- Regedit - Allows manual editing of the registry.
Editions
Modernizing and Expanding
All versions of DirectX up to 9.0c can be installed on Windows 98 SE. Microsoft .NET Framework up to version 2.0 is supported. Internet Explorer can be updated to version 6.0 (6.00.2800.1106 Service Pack 1), the same version included with Windows XP SP1 (and the last version available for versions of Windows prior to XP), but it cannot receive current Internet Explorer security updates. Windows 98 can handle the Visual C++ 2005 library and L2TP/IPSec VPN client by Microsoft as well as versions of the Microsoft Installer (MSIA) services up to 2.0. Windows Media Player 9.0 is also supported and can be installed without problems. Due to incompatibilities with the Cairo interface used in version 1.9 of the Gecko Layout Engine, versions of Mozilla Firefox, starting with the 3.0 release, will no longer support Windows 98 or Windows Me, but all versions of the Opera web browser up to and including the latest 9.64 release continue to function. There is also a project to provide a compatibility layer which allows the functioning of software requiring Windows 2000 and above. Support for more than 512 MB RAM is achieved with a third-party patch or by modifying system.ini. Support for hard disks above 137 GB and up to 2 TB is also possible via several third-party tools.
Product life cycle
Microsoft planned to discontinue its support for Windows 98 on 16 January 2004. However, due to the continued popularity of the operating system (27% of Google's pageviews were on Windows 98 systems during October-November, 2003), Microsoft decided to maintain support until 11 July 2006. Support for Windows Me also ended on this date. By that time, Windows 98 market share had diminished to 2.7%.
Trivia
- There was a feature planned for Windows 98, dubbed DeskBar, that was removed soon before retail release, likely due to time constraints. However, the developers left a way to find the tab for settings to do with this feature, which can be unhidden by holding "Control" when selecting Properties on the taskbar context menu.
See also
External links
- - A website dedicated to preserving and showcasing Graphical User Interfaces
- BBC News:
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