Windows

Jul 27th, 2006

Still using Windows 98?

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Are you still using Windows 98, despite its support termination, and consequent security, functionality and usability deficiencies?

This from Microsoft’s security bulletin website, here:

Affected Software:

  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 – Download the update
  • Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 1 and Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 – Download the update
  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition – Download the update
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 – Download the update
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003 for Itanium-based Systems and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 with SP1 for Itanium-based Systems – Download the update
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition – Download the update
  • Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition (SE), and Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (ME) – Review the FAQ section of this bulletin for details about these operating systems.

This security problem WILL NOT be fixed in Windows 98, 98SE or ME. Third-party applications such as virus scanners, spyware scanners/blockers and such are technically incapable of preventing harm to your system from this exploit. As a result, you could have your important personal data wiped due to some script kiddie having fun via remote control of your system. Worse yet, there are approximately 50 – 70 million Windows 9x systems in operation today. If even just five per cent of those were infected with botnet software, the target of such a botnet attack would be in dire consequences.

So, are you wondering what your upgrade path is now that, in all likelihood, if you went the XP route, you’d probably have to upgrade some hardware components as well? Well, wonder no further. Your upgrade path is simple; though perhaps not straightforward. More like taking a sidestep onto an escalator, watching XP whizz by below you.

I’m talking about Linux. Not only is an upgrade to Linux free (as in freedom, and free as in without cost), it will more than likely save you any hardware hassles as well. Although XPs hardware support is greatly improved over its predecessors (especially Windows 98 and ME), its the speed and capacity of your hardware that matters. Sure, you can “run” WindowsXP on an old Pentium with EDO RAM — I’ve done it — you can even “run” the XP operating system on an 8Mhz Pentium with 20Mb of RAM, if you’re willing to put up with 30 minute boot times and unpredictable load times for applications; but the point is, to run Windows XP at a pace acceptable for most users, while being able to have several applications open concurrently, you’re going to want at least an 800Mhz CPU, 256Mb or more of memory, and about 5Gb of hard-drive space (when you include Office, Windows’ swapfile, space for suspend-to-disk hibernation, etc).

Obivously, I’m not the only one who’s given thought to this, with a write-up over at ZDNet talking about the very idea. Thankfully, it’s not all bad, with Micahel C. Barnes at DesktopLinux.org producing a nice tutorial-style write up concerning Windows 98 users upgrade path to SimplyMEPIS. Of course, our thoughts are shared by bloggers around the ‘net.

If you’re a tech-headed sort of person and you know someone with a Windows 98 box, tell them you can upgrade their software for free. Tell them their system will be secure and they won’t have to worry about viruses, spyware or malware anymore. Tell them their system will be more stable and have greatly increased functionality and customisability. If they have a slow system, more than likely they aren’t playing any big-name, modern games on it anyway, so there really is no reason for Windows 98 users not to upgrade to some flavour of Linux.

If you’re a Windows 98 user looking to escape the Microsoft tax, then you’re best off going with Ubuntu in my opinion. It’s stormed up the ranks of ‘most popular’ distro in just under a year, and has widespread acclaim from new users and veteran UNIX administrators alike. With that comes widespread support and an excellent community, based around their forums and their wiki.

So, there you have it. Upgrade your operating system to Linux and you won’t have to worry much anymore, as Linux will always be free (free as in freedom, and free as in without cost), will always be supported, and will always be better than Windows 98 or ME.

Jul 22nd, 2006

Ubuntu + VMWare Server + WindowsXP + me equals?

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This:

TFC software mode running in XP under VMWare server Linux

Thanks to Peturrr’s excellent HOWTO, I’m running VMWare Server under Ubuntu, and it works very well. I’ve installed XP so that I can do a few Windows-specific things, like open Powerpoint documents that don’t play nice with OpenOffice, use etax, and such. Of course, I got bored, and decided to experiment a little.

As you can see from the screenshot, that is Valve’s TFC running in XP, inside of the VMWare Server Monitor. It runs quite well in 1024×768; my Athlon64 3400+ is able to push out around 25-35fps; though there is one problem. Unfortunately mouse input is somehow garbled by VMWare server, such that moving the mouse on my mousepad as little as 1-2 millimetres results in several 360-degree turns and random pitching from the player’s FOV in the game. Turning the sensitivity to minimum (1.0) in TFC didn’t help one iota; no doubt it’s a VMWare-combined-with-XP-combined-with-software-rendering-of-old-games issue.

Installing Linux has probably been the best thing I have done on my computer in a while; I was getting bored with the same-old, same-old that I used to do within Windows: chat, e-mail, internet forums, music, game. Now, I do all those things, and more: tinker, compile, learn, tweak, and get frustrated (sometimes) — but, it makes the experience all the more authentic, and worth my time. Linux is fun, believe it or not. :-)

Anyway, if anyone has any ideas how can fix the strange mouse issues, leave a comment. I really would like to play TFC! :-)

Jul 17th, 2006

Windows 98/ME/NT and Windows XP SP1 Support Termination

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Support for Microsofts’ ageing Windows 9x series of operating systems, Windows NT and Windows XP SP1 will all end this year, presumably in preparation for the release of Vista sometime early next year.

This is a problem. Though this problem is larger than you may think; not only are the ‘mum and dad’ users of computers being stiffed (50 to 70 million estimated computer systems worldwide are still running Windows 98 or Windows ME [1], and all of which can potentially become part of a massive botnet), educational institutions (public schools and the like) who cannot afford to pay the expensive Microsoft Tax — those still running their educational networks on Windows 98 and alike — are going to be hit hardest by this.

And won’t I know it.

I do casual IT support at a local primary school which caters to the educational needs of special children, consequently it is a small school (maybe 30-40 students in all) and the majority of their computers are donated. We’ve got everything from Pentium 200Mhz systems right up to Pentium 4 3Ghz systems, and everything in between. Most of them are running Windows 98; some are running Windows 95; and the rest are running various versions of Windows XP; SP1 and SP2.

Due to the fact that official Microsft support for Windows 98 and ME has ended as at July 11th 2006 [2], and support for Service Pack 1 under WindowsXP will be dropped as at October 10th 2006 [3], Aspley Special School is going to have to undergo some changes in their software repository.

What I have in mind is something that I doubt will be easy to implement, but this ease of implementation I am presuming will have nothing to do with the software itself, or the hardware for that matter, but it will be entirely because of red tape and psychological issues. What I would like to do is install Edubuntu school-wide for all of the students to use. The existing WindowsXP installations would remain (as these XP machines are used by the teachers). The problems facing me, I am guessing, would be due to licencing issues and the availability of the appropriate educational software for students under the Linux operating system.

But, I will endeavour to produce a table of comparison between existing software solutions (Windows 98 and third-party educational software suites versus Edubuntu and its associated educational software suites). Hopefully I can produce a meaningful comparison and prompt a conversion.

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