End of Win 98 support leaves users unfazed

26.04.2006
Enterprise users say they are unfazed that support for Microsoft's Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition (SE) and Windows Millennium Edition (ME) ends in July 2006.

Microsoft will officially stop public and technical support - including security updates - for the legacy operating systems on July 11, according to information on its Web site (http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifean18).

However, online self-help support will be available for the OSes on Microsoft's support Web site until at least July 11, 2007.

Microsoft originally planned to end support for Windows 98 and ME in January 2004, but extended that to June 30, 2006, before announcing in January that final support would come on July 11 to allow for some last security patches.

Support may be ending for these once-popular operating systems this year, but an investigation by Computerworld indicates many enterprises have already upgraded to Windows 2000 and XP.

IP Australia's service centre manager Maria O'Ryan said Microsoft's decision to end support in July "doesn't concern me", because there is only one computer running Windows 98 remaining in the organization.