Microsoft has officially decided to discontinue all free technical support for two versions of the Windows operating system: Windows 98, 98 SE, and Millennium Edition (Me) as of July 11, 2006.
Along with this announcement, the developer advises users to upgrade their operating system as soon as possible. Microsoft customers have also been notified about the deadline for this free support.
Previously, Microsoft had postponed this deadline from January 16, 2004, to July 11, 2006, due to a significant number of customers still using legitimate versions of these operating systems.
Specifically, all free support and security patches for Windows 98 and Me officially ceased on June 30, 2003, and December 31, 2003, respectively.
Microsoft will continue to maintain all Windows 98 and Me support documentation on its website until July 11, 2006. However, in the absence of updated patches, customers will face potential security risks.
In its statement, Microsoft indicated that the decision to end support for Windows 98 and Me was due to the outdated nature of these operating systems and the numerous security risks associated with them.
HVD – (Betanews)
