Older Windows to Lose Support: Microsoft

[ssdivisiongermany1933]

Microsoft Corp has announced that starting July 11, the company will end support for some of its older Windows versions. In effect, around 70 million users will be left stranded without security updates.


The versions that will be affected, according to Microsoft, are Windows 98, Windows 98 Special Edition (SE), and Windows Millennium Edition (ME). As such, users of these versions will be left with no protection in terms of security patches and other such software fixes that Microsoft regularly issues, leaving them open to attacks by malicious hackers.


Microsoft had in January planned to discontinue updates for older versions, but extended the time period to give users maximum time to upgrade.


Meanwhile, according to industry sources, of the total number of Window users, only around 13 percent of PCs run licensed versions of Windows 98 or Windows ME.

As per an earlier study by IDC, a Massachusetts-based market research firm, an estimated 48 million computers were still running licensed versions of Windows 98 at the end of 2005, with 25 million still using Windows ME. The firm had at the time expressed the view that by the end of 2006, the number of Windows 98 and Windows ME installations would take a huge dip.

source :

[Charan]

I knew about this before , but didnt know the exact date .

PS:Source ?

[Ajatshatru]

exact date is 1th of july

[vignesh]

So... Can people use 98 free of cost from now on or does this have nothing to do with it ?

[ssdivisiongermany1933]

nope ppl can't use windows for free

[deathvirus_me]

Well .. 98SE should be almost free now .. if they remove the complete support i.e.

[Pathik]

is there ny chance that they release the source of win98 and bring it under gpl...

[dIgItaL_BrAt]

Originally Posted by pathiks

is there ny chance that they release the source of win98 and bring it under gpl...

not a chance in hell!

[deathvirus_me]

They didn't even leak the source of v3.1 , keep 95 , 98 , 98SE aside .. Microsoft's a bi**h ....

[JGuru]

That everyone knows!! Because MS wants all to switch to Vista (buy it!!).
Who cares? I use Linux, no need to anti-spyware, antivirus, security updates!!
Windows 9x/ 2000/XP users are going to suffer in a big way!!

[damnthenet]

Originally Posted by JGuru

Windows 9x/ 2000/XP users are going to suffer in a big way!!

Why w'd win xp users suffer if support's withdrawn for 98se,Me,etc?

[mehulved]

Please provide the source or i will have to lock the thread.

[anandk]

Now, End of support for even Windows XP Service Pack 1...
On October 10, 2006, Microsoft will end all public assisted support for Windows XP Service Pack1 (SP1)....
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/sup...ofsupport.mspx

[Pathik]

hey can someone tell wen SP3 ill be launched forsure......

@tech Source:TOI 12 july

[vignesh]

Originally Posted by JGuru

That everyone knows!! Because MS wants all to switch to Vista (buy it!!).
Who cares? I use Linux, no need to anti-spyware, antivirus, security updates!!

This is agree.... There are security updates though..

[rounit]

hi its true

[Zeeshan Quireshi]

Originally Posted by ssdivisiongermany1933

are Windows 98, Windows 98 Special Edition (SE), and Windows Millennium Edition (ME).

Doesn't SE mean Second Edition .

Originally Posted by Zeeshan Quireshi

Doesn't SE mean Second Edition .

Yup

[abhishekkulkarni]

Typical of Microsoft to betray it's users ..

Actually , provoding software patches and updates is in itself a very disgusting phenomenon .
It indicates that Microsoft agrees that it's OSes are up to no good .
Installing Service Packs in XP is analogous to giving insulin injections to a Diabetic !

[mediator]

I think all the necessary updates and patches are released.My Xp system runs smoothly since 1.6 yrs now. Who needs further patches.
I dont think there will be a major turnaround for Vista when it'll be released. No one will use it. Software developers like java,perl,shell etc need average of 128 Mb RAM and 10 GB HDD for their work, Graphic and animation personnel need huge RAM and hdd space. So former wont need VISTA and latter wont be able to use it because of huge resource hogging OS. ANd I think home and casual users arent stupid to waste money on hardware just to install VISTA except for extremely techgeek ones.
I'm a wish for software development and m banging ma head as to why I sold ma oldPC with 32 MB ram and 2 gb HDD. It was perfect for softare development.

Neways I use linux most of time .....and keep a check windows maintainece regularly so that ma family doesnt have any complaints.

[Brave_Hunt]

I think they've already stoped technical supports for Win98.

[Sykora]

Originally Posted by mediator

I think all the necessary updates and patches are released.My Xp system runs smoothly since 1.6 yrs now.

You're lucky.

Originally Posted by mediator

I dont think there will be a major turnaround for Vista when it'll be released. No one will use it.

I disagree. Many people will be forced to change. Take DX10 for example. There will be other services which will become available only for Vista, making many people upgrade.

Originally Posted by mediator

Neways I use linux most of time .....and keep a check windows maintainece regularly so that ma family doesnt have any complaints.

My situation exactly. But I will take an objective look at Vista when it comes out, and if it does satisfactorily, I'll think about it.

[rohan]

well.. as if i ever cared for microsoft's support.... well.. let's see. I have never run windows update and never downloaded any patch from microsoft's site... so doesn't at all matter for me

[anandk]

End of support for Windows XP Service Pack 1

On October 10, 2006, Microsoft will end all public assisted support for Windows XP Service Pack1 (SP1). After this date, Microsoft will no longer provide any incident support options or security updates for this retired service pack under the policies defined by the Microsoft Support Lifecycle policy.

http://www.neowin.net/index.php?act=view&id=35340

and SP2...by 30 Jan 07 ??? heard but not sure !?!?

[sabret00the]

Its not as bad as it seems.When a new operating system is launched (Lemme use a better word "Release") by MS and it replaces the existing OS then they tend to slowly phase out the existing OS.They still continue to provide support for the OS till it is produced / sold.All updates are available throughout that period.Once the OS is completely stopped then its support is withdrawn.Practically bcoz it is no longer manufactured so hw can they provide replacements.Moreover u wud like customer's to buy new products and not stick to older products.As far as techie's are concerned they dont need any support from the company and the messege to general users is plz move with time.U knw I work in tech support process and when we were told that MS has stopped supporting 9x,2k and ME its came as relief for us.U'll knw when u have to support a computer that was manufactured in 1996and the owner has lost the driver floppies (even if he had them they wud be worthless by nw) and u hv to do an OS reinstall.Dunno where to download drivers.C'mon guys u cant keep driving ur gr8 gr8 grandfather's Ford Model T forever.Gotta Grow Up