Windows 98

Windows 98 (codenamed Memphis) is a graphical operating system released on June 25 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.

The first edition of Windows 98 is designated by the internal version number 4.10.1998, or 4.10.1998A if it has been updated with the Security CD from Microsoft. Windows 98 Second Edition is designated by the internal version number 4.10.2222A, or 4.10.2222B if it has been updated with the Security CD from Microsoft. The successor to Windows 98 is Windows Me.

Windows 98 Second Edition

Windows 98 Second Edition (SE) is an update to Windows 98, released on May 5 1999. It includes fixes for many minor issues, improved USB support, and the replacement of Internet Explorer 4.0 with the significantly faster Internet Explorer 5. 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. However, it is not a free upgrade for Windows 98, but a stand-alone product. This can cause problems if programs specifically request Windows 98 SE, but the user only owns Windows 98.

New and updated features

Among the new features of Windows 98 are better AGP support, functional USB drivers, and support for multiple monitors and WebTV. It also features support for the FAT32 file system, allowing it to support disk partitions larger than the two gigabyte maximum accepted by Windows 95. It is also the first version of Windows to support ACPI. As in later releases of Windows 95, Internet Explorer continues to be integrated into the Windows Explorer interface (a feature called Active Desktop).

New driver standards

Windows 98 is the first operating system to use Windows Driver Model (WDM). This fact was not well published when Windows 98 was released and most hardware producers continued to develop for the older driver standard, VxD. This resulted in the misconception that Windows 98 can use only VxD drivers which it is not true. The WDM standard spread years after its release, mostly through Windows 2000 and Windows XP, because these systems were no longer 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

• 486 DX2, 66 MHz or higher processor
• 16MB of RAM (24MB recommended)
• 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 utilites 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 98SE 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.^[2]

• VGA or higher resolution monitor
• CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
• Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device.^[3]

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 program manager Chris Capossela plugged in a scanner and attempted to install it, the operating system crashed, showing a BSOD.^[4] Bill Gates said that "this must be why we're not shipping Windows 98 yet." Video footage of this event became a popular Internet phenomenon.

Advantages and disadvantages

Windows 98 is a hybrid 16/32-bit operating system. It has quite low system requirements, therefore it can gain full potential even on older machines.

When doing a new install of Windows 98SE, FAT32 is used to allocate disk space, while it supports FAT16 and FAT for upgrades from older installations. Data I/O on disks with capacities over 128 GB is slower and less secure than with newer file systems, and unlike its successor NTFS, FAT32 doesn't support file encryption.

The graphical user interface (GUI) runs on a DOS-based layer. This is partially an advantage and disadvantage. DOS has some limits (such as the amount of buffers or files), but through its environment memory managers, drivers or other applications can be loaded which can improve overall system performance and functionality.

Windows 98 also offers full support for DOS applications because it can be switched to real DOS Mode where DOS based applications can handle the system in their native environment which differs from emulation used in Windows NT-based operating systems (most emulated environments cannot handle devices such as modem or LAN cards which are required for some DOS applications).

DOS Mode also offers the possibility to fix various system errors without entering GUI. For example, if a virus is active in GUI mode it can be safely removed in DOS mode.

Windows 98 has never been as stable as common users required, for many reasons. Often the software developers of drivers and applications had insufficient experience with the creation of programs for the 'new' system, therefore causing many errors which have been generally described as "system errors" by users, even if the error was not caused by parts of Windows or DOS. Windows 98 can gain extreme stability, on par with newer versions of Windows, by using the newest device drivers and careful installation of the OS and programs.

Newer OS shield their core files from user access, eliminating the possibility to modify or delete important files without dedicated programs, whilst in Windows 98, kernel files can be altered by any user. By setting "hidden", "system" and "read only" attributes to important files, low-level protection is achieved, but experienced users can change these settings within seconds.

The biggest advantage of this operating system is its compatibility. It can safely handle very old applications or hardware originating from the 16-bit era (late '80s and early '90s) while running most newer applications without problems. Its software environment is very similar to Windows 2000 and XP.

Another advantage is its size. While newer Microsoft OS take up several GB of disk space, Windows 98 can be installed requiring less than 250 MB of HDD space, offering more room for applications and files. It also has a very small memory footprint, so it doesn't reduce the overall system performance the way current OS do on older systems. When installed on newer systems, Windows 98SE can boot within 15 seconds and shut down within 3 seconds, giving it a huge advantage in speed when comparing it to current versions of Windows.

Its biggest limit is hardware handling. Windows 98 doesn't support more than 512 megabytes of RAM natively, this being an internal limitation of the system. RAM over this limit can be used by changing the system settings: Open the win.ini file, go to the 'VCache' section and add 'MaxFileCache = 524288' at the end of the section. There is no native support for SATA drives, multi-threading or multi-core processors, and most hardware manufacturers do not ship drivers for Windows 98SE any more, so current high-end graphics cards and peripherals do not work properly. Legacy support (1994 – release date) is excellent. For example, Windows 98SE may have a driver for 3Com network card made in 1995, but later versions such as Windows 2000 and XP would not natively support that card. This is one of the greatest advantages of DOS-based operating systems such as Windows 95 and 98 SE; their driver compatibility and support is excellent. Windows NT systems generally and comparatively do not have as good support. Some modern installation files contain an OS check, refusing to install on Windows 9x systems, therefore reducing available software and driving Windows 9x out of the market, sometimes even when application is able to run properly.

Windows 98 System tools

• Scandisk - well known program 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.
• Defrag - Disk defragmenter, used to counter the negative effects of hard drive 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. Note that Microsoft changed 'defrag' shipping with Windows 2000 and XP which defragment drives in a much better way.
• 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 is eight. 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.
• Sysedit - a system utility used to modify system configuration files in a text window.
• Regedit - allows manual editing of the registry.

Editions

Expanding modules

Windows 98SE can be upgraded with various versions of DirectX, including version 9.0c. Note that DirectX 8.1 is the last release not incorporating DRM. Microsoft .NET Framework including version 2.0 is supported. The highest Internet Explorer release available is version 6.0. It can handle the Visual C++ 2005 library and L2TP/IPec VPN client by Microsoft and MSIA services (for *.msi installations). Windows Media Player 9.0 can be installed without problems, but, like DirectX 9.0, it introduces DRM and thereby reduces file operations to 'legal' copying or modification.

Product life cycle

Microsoft planned to discontinue its support for Windows 98 on January 16 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),^[5] Microsoft decided to maintain support until July 11 2006. Support for Windows Me also ended on this date.^[6]

References

1. ^ Windows 98, Windows 98 SE, and Windows Me Support ends on July 11, 2006. Microsoft. Retrieved on 2006-06-10.
2. ^ Staff (December 28, 1999). Windows 98 Large IDE Update. Microsoft Windows Update. Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
3. ^ System requirements from the Microsoft Windows 98 SE manual
4. ^ Rick Lockridge, Associated Press, Reuters. "Windows 98 crashes during Gates' Comdex demo", CNN, April 20, 1998. Retrieved on August 29, 2006.
5. ^ Zeitgeist. Google Press Center. Google (October-November 2003). Retrieved on April 22, 2006. Note: A graphic depicting the decline in use of Windows 98 from June 2001 to June 2004 as an operating system to access Google is available on Wikimedia Commons; IMAGE.
6. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5164450.stm

General references

• Windows 98 Homepage. Microsoft. Retrieved on 22 April, 2006.

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