Are you still using Windows 98, 98SE, or ME?

Released in 1998, Windows 98 was a MS-DOS-based operating system which used the FAT32 file format only. Windows 98 was pushing the DOS operation close to its limit, and 98SE (Second Edition) released in 1999, fixed a few performance issues that were apparent in the original.

For the sake of convenience I’m going to label those operating systems from 98 to ME collectively as Win 9x. Win 9x was showing its age. Various issues caused it to be somewhat of a liability and it just wasn’t a technology worth continuing with. The release of XP sounded a death-knell for the older MS-DOS system, and XP heralded a new, more secure and more stable modus operandi in its new NT-based technology which had been written from scratch, based in many ways on the design of the older NT system used by Windows 3.1.

Microsoft stopped supporting Win 9x in July 2006; therefore any vulnerabilities in any or all of the Win 9x operating systems discovered since then remain unpatched and will continue to be such. This means that using these operating systems today makes them a possible serious security threat.

Of course upgrading isn’t without its costs: A new Windows operating system such as XP or Vista, whilst preferable to 9x, isn’t free. Add to that the fact that some hardware may need to be upgraded, or in the case of moving to Vista, the entire machine will probably have to be replaced with a new one to meet the rigorous hardware specifications and requirements that Vista operation needs.

In the above case, if cost is a real issue, it might be possible to retain the machine as is, but rather than moving up to a new version of Windows, use a free Linux distro instead. A lot of Linux distros have lower hardware requirements than their Windows counterparts.

A note of caution here, though: When your older hardware components do finally give up the ghost, you may find that newer components are incompatible with your older machine, and that the required components which you need due to compatibility needs might end up costing you an arm and a leg in antique value.

Whether you choose to use Linux or stay with Windows at whatever cost, you may or may not have issues when transferring existing data, depending on which operating system you choose and which method of upgrade you choose also.

My advice here is as follows:-

First, back everything up – Yes everything. Back up your important data to disk as is if you can or as much as you can in addition to backing up the whole shebang using Norton Ghost or similar.

If you’re sticking with Windows then I suggest that you don’t upgrade your existing installation. Rather I suggest adding anything important to a brand new install. Problems that have built up over the years with 9x could transfer to your new OS if you upgrade your old installation. You might even like to try installing your old hard-drive into a new machine as a second drive after checking the file system’s rigidity and ensuring that it’s free from malware.

If you go the Linux route then I suggest you talk further about the move with a tech site such as PCMech in addition to following any relevant advice herein.

In short summary, then; if you use Win 9x it’s time to stop using Win 9x. Do you agree?