Continue using Windows 98 computers

I am just re-formatting my IBM Aptiva P3 700Mhz computer with Windows 98se.

It has gotten to the point where it is 3 generations behind for me hence more then 3 times slower than I now usual speed reaction.

So what can you still do? People usually recommend Linux or a light weight one anyways but I've had a look into it and it seems quite slower than Windows 98 not to mention a lot of your very old tech will not EVER get drivers or what not written for them to work.

What I am proposing:

* Windows 98se OS

* Firefox

* MSN

* Defrag app for windows 98

* Maybe Spybot search and destroy

* Hardware Firewall via Ethernet


Hopefully this minimalist set up will make it a fast Internet terminal for the family.


BUT then these rules should be laid out:

* No personal data or personal websites are to be visited, only wiki etc. nothing where a username and password is required should be visited.

* No USB connecting to the computer unless the USB is thoroughly scanned for viruses on some other computer (pref. not a good one?)


But if your still keen on security and feel more comfortable there is a link here that talks about some solutions.

But Microsoft has cut off all support so I think if people want to hack your Windows98 they will eventually find a hole and get you no matter how good of anti-virus your using and as you get more updated anti-virus your computer will be more slow. The slower though the slower the virus can spread? but too slow to use? your choice....

Win98se USB drives

Hmm, I must have uninstalled a driver or soemthing because no USB thumb drives will work on my Win98se computer.

I am trying a driver from this site to see if that was what i had installed before.

I'll have to use a floppy disk to get the file onto the computer of course.

Update: Umm a simple restart seemed to fix the problem, lol

Saving Data off Win98

The family computer that runs Win98se is outside of my room and that means none of its noise will wake me during my sleep so I usually use the Win98se computer to download at night (it also runs less heat and electricity as it is a low powered machine)

My only problem was that the file i downloaded was large and i couldn't use a CD or floppy disc. It didn't have a DVD drive so DVD was ruled out, my external hard drive was NTFS and not FAT32 so that made it impossible to use a hard drive.

Then my last thought which should have been my first was to use the Ethernet cable that got the data from the Internet in the first place, just unplug from modem and re-plug to my computer, took a while to set up network again and then just drag and drop.

After a while i figured a better solution and that was to simple use a USB drive of 1Gb which was more than enough (just).

So there we go, a long list of ways to transfer data stranded on an old computer.

Process Explorer

Allows you to pause, prioritise, kill, restart and monitor processes on Windows XP (also works on most Windows 98 up).

www.systeminternals.com > Process Utilities > Process Explorer > Download Process Explorer

Set Out

This is how I am planning to set out my posts:

Info: Help and discussion on how i will operate my blog

Event: Means an event or scenario in my life

Idea: Something i have done with technology that you could try too

View: My view point on things, corporate tactics of sales of technology, false advertising, predictions on technology, tricky conditions, warranties and promises etc.

Tips: Tips for software, hardware and general computer usage

Tutorial: This tag means my post will have some directions and instructions that you could try to follow to do something i have done, computer mod, problem solving etc. (most likely in basic detail)

Review: I am going to post personal reviews about Internet services, software and technology that I have used and what I think about them

Links: Useful websites or interesting sties i have come across

Resources: This is most likely going to be the same as "Link:" but if this label is on a post it means that the link goes to a site that provides a service or good (such as software) and will be more likely useful to developers such as web masters.

Misc: I am just going to use this label to cover my random posts