Q891711 Update for Windows 98 SE?

Although Microsoft has retired Windows 98 SE as part of the Lifecycle program
there still should be critical Windows Updates released for it. When is the
ETA of the Q891711 update for these clients? Does anyone know?

And also does anyone know why Microsoft changed the release policy so that
Windows 98 SE clients cannot directly download their Windows updates in
executable form? For most of my corporate workstations I use third party
package management tools and in the case of the Windows 98 Q890175 Windows
Update I had to script out a file copy routine to catch the 890175USA8.exe as
it was installed from Windows Update. From there I could finally deploy an
installation package.

Microsoft has not stated specifics on the release of that patch for Windows
98 SE other than as stated in the FAQ:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sec.../MS05-002.mspx

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/


"Greg Kujawa" <Greg > wrote in message
news:4AE3BF93-C39A-480A-968E-...
> Although Microsoft has retired Windows 98 SE as part of the Lifecycle
> program
> there still should be critical Windows Updates released for it. When is
> the
> ETA of the Q891711 update for these clients? Does anyone know?
>
> And also does anyone know why Microsoft changed the release policy so that
> Windows 98 SE clients cannot directly download their Windows updates in
> executable form? For most of my corporate workstations I use third party
> package management tools and in the case of the Windows 98 Q890175 Windows
> Update I had to script out a file copy routine to catch the 890175USA8.exe
> as
> it was installed from Windows Update. From there I could finally deploy an
> installation package.

Yeah I realize that. Although Windows 98 SE is near the end of its lifecycle
(even for extended critical issue support) I still am puzzled as to the
week-plus delay in releasing the Q891711 patch. If this product is still
supported for critical issues then it should be right alongside the other
products like 2000, XP, and 2003 in terms of security patches.

I am also amazed that these updates for Windows 98 SE will only be available
using the Windows Update site. Like I relish having to manually point all of
my corporate Windows 98 SE clients to the website and go through some of
known glitches with Windows Update crashing on them when scanning for
updates. It's questionable why the installation executables aren't accessible
through a simple download URL.

Right now I have a Ruby script to sit there and monitor the C:\WUTemp
folder. When the Windows Update files are there then it copies them over to
another directory where I can use them to create my own installation package.
Not the most elegant solution for automating my client patches. And I don't
want to rely on the Automatic Updates type of Microsoft services since
Windows Update itself is apparently buggy with Windows 98 SE clients from my
experience.

I guess there really isn't a question in any of this. [/rant off]
"Jupiter Jones [MVP]" wrote:

> Microsoft has not stated specifics on the release of that patch for Windows
> 98 SE other than as stated in the FAQ:
> http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sec.../MS05-002.mspx
>
> --
> Jupiter Jones [MVP]
> http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/
>
>
> "Greg Kujawa" <Greg > wrote in message
> news:4AE3BF93-C39A-480A-968E-...
> > Although Microsoft has retired Windows 98 SE as part of the Lifecycle
> > program
> > there still should be critical Windows Updates released for it. When is
> > the
> > ETA of the Q891711 update for these clients? Does anyone know?
> >
> > And also does anyone know why Microsoft changed the release policy so that
> > Windows 98 SE clients cannot directly download their Windows updates in
> > executable form? For most of my corporate workstations I use third party
> > package management tools and in the case of the Windows 98 Q890175 Windows
> > Update I had to script out a file copy routine to catch the 890175USA8.exe
> > as
> > it was installed from Windows Update. From there I could finally deploy an
> > installation package.
>
>
>

"Greg Kujawa" <> wrote in message
news:C0EF3547-66FB-4A47-99A5-
> Yeah I realize that. Although Windows 98 SE is near the end of its
> lifecycle (even for extended critical issue support) I still am
> puzzled as to the week-plus delay in releasing the Q891711 patch. If
> this product is still supported for critical issues then it should be
> right alongside the other products like 2000, XP, and 2003 in terms
> of security patches.
>
> I am also amazed that these updates for Windows 98 SE will only be
> available using the Windows Update site. Like I relish having to
> manually point all of my corporate Windows 98 SE clients to the
> website and go through some of known glitches with Windows Update
> crashing on them when scanning for updates. It's questionable why the
> installation executables aren't accessible through a simple download
> URL.
>
> Right now I have a Ruby script to sit there and monitor the C:\WUTemp
> folder. When the Windows Update files are there then it copies them
> over to another directory where I can use them to create my own
> installation package. Not the most elegant solution for automating my
> client patches. And I don't want to rely on the Automatic Updates
> type of Microsoft services since Windows Update itself is apparently
> buggy with Windows 98 SE clients from my experience.


Greg,

I read you message and think it's neat how you use your ruby script. I used
to cop them from my temp folder too, but you know another way is that there
are provisions at WU where instead of installing updates online, you can also
save all your updates to your download basket and then offline you will have
them in full forever to do what you want with. That's what I do now for the
ones that aren't available as separate downloads elsewhere at MS, and
mostlikely will never be anymore. I guess if there are any that they won't
allow to save to your basket (i haven't seen any yet though) and they force
you to install online instead then that is where you can use your script to
cop them; but again I've not seen anything not allowed to save to basket
yet.. ..but must admit I don't hang out at WU often anymore.

Yes it seems W98 is getting phased out and will receive less and less
attention as the days/months go on - so like it or not we all have to get
used to that. Yes I do personally wish W98SE could go on forever..
...but it's not

> I guess there really isn't a question in any of this. [/rant off]

...understandable, and I hear ya, but at somepoint you may want to think of
moving up to at least W2000pro if you don't want WXP for your office setup.
You can set either of them up to gui-wise look just like your W98SE does now
with the Classic Screen option (you can hardly tell the difference unless you
look ..but that's what I do with both W2K pro and WXP, and I also keep up
with them for a good measure of practice and to stay abreast of the curve;
however like today still finds me always booting to SE and is where I stay
most of the time nostalgically... ..but I also realize the day is coming
where I will boot to either 2K or XP and make one of them my everyday
vehicle. It will happen sooner than later if/when the times comes 98x is not
supported and it becomes a security risk above and beyond the measures I have
in place to protect it.

[an imho expressed ..over and out]

Rick