Chasing Microsoft's silver foxes

“These three machines need to stay on Windows 98 because … .”

Anybody heard that before? Even companies with medium-sized user loads often have combinations of platform and software that make it temporarily impossible to upgrade to a modern operating system wholesale. That means you’re stuck supporting OSes such as Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows NT Workstation, and even Windows 95.

What’s worse, you’re not only supporting these platforms on their own; you’re supporting them as they try and interact with Windows 2000, Active Directory, and the Internet. All this without formal support from Microsoft. What’s a geek to do?

Well, don’t despair. Even Redmond hasn’t completely abandoned you. The company last week announced plans to try a new CD-based security roll-up product aimed exclusively at users of its older operating systems, including Windows 98, Windows ME, and Windows 95. These products would combine all the cumulative security patches for each OS onto a single disc along with an installer front end, designed mainly to improve the life of folks using old platforms with slow Internet connections.

Such a disc would certainly be helpful, but it’s not enough by itself. If you know that a platform is on the brink of obsolescence, there is no substitute for preparedness. First, collect all your old OS installation discs. For Windows 98 and Windows 95, try to get Second Edition or OSR2 versions. Don’t forget a valid product key. Next, you need all the disks and documentation for whatever furshlugginer application the client believes he or she needs for the old operating system. Grab all this stuff and put it someplace safe, making burned CD and photocopied backups of everything.

Now head over to the furshlugginer application vendor’s Web site and gather up all program updates and patches. Do the same for any specialized hardware drivers, especially if the old OS is going to continue to run on an equally old box. Keep all this information on a secure ZIP disk and make a few startup floppies with it as well. Finally, if you’ve got books, articles or napkins with Windows 98 support information on it, copy it all and put the entire collection someplace safe.

Now hit the Web. Microsoft hasn’t completely abandoned all of these operating systems. You can still find home pages for all the old versions of Windows that still link to a full complement of last known updates.

Other online resources include Drivers Headquarters (drivershq.com). This is a subscription-based service, but could be well worth the $29.95 per month base rate if you’re supporting enough old platforms. Drivers Headquarters will scan your system’s configuration and then locate all the most recent available drivers and their locations.

Then there are the independents. These sites still offer up-to-date OS support information for older operating platforms. InfiniSource (infinisource.com), for example, offers a full site for Windows 95/98 support issues along with articles, upgrade information, and a host of tips and tricks. The ITToolbox (ittoolbox.com) is another sys admin’s haven, offering numerous articles on supporting modern operating systems, but with a thriving section for older OSes as well. You might even find some leftover enthusiast sites specific to an older operating system such as Ray Clements' Windows 95/98 page (rwclements.com).

It may take a half-day to put these kits together, but it’s a heck of a lot better than waiting until crash day and then sitting in your client's office with an old copy of Windows 98 Unleashed. Not that I’ve ever had to do that. Nope, not me.