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Microsoft has ended support on some older Windows versions.

Do you still use Window 98 (either the standard version or Special Edition) or ME? On July 11, 2006 Microsoft ended support on these operating systems. Users of those versions will no longer have the protection of software fixes issued by Microsoft. If there are any previously unknown flaws in these operating systems and hackers begin attacking them, Microsoft will do nothing to fix them. Many of the anti-spyware, anti-virus and software firewall programs have never run on these systems or have already phased out support.

Then again Windows 98 and ME users already have a minor degree of security through obscurity. Most of the malicious code created today will not run properly on those systems.

It was estimated that at the beginning of 2006, 13% of the people using Windows still were using one of these no longer supported versions. Marketing research firm IDC estimates that about 48 million computers were still running licensed versions of Windows 98, and 25 million were running Windows ME.

The same Marketing firm estimates that by the end of 2006 only 6% of the Windows users will still be using one of these versions. They don’t think that the end of Microsoft support will be the reason that they change systems. Many of these systems are older than six years and people will be replacing them anyway, due to computer failure or needing to upgrade to run some newer programs.

But there will always be laggards that won’t change systems until the last blinking light on the systems finally blinks out.

Then again Windows 98 and ME users already have a minor degree of security through obscurity. Most of the malicious code created today will not run properly on those systems.

If you are using Window XP with Service Pack 1 (SP1) you need to remember the date October 10, 2006. This is the date that Microsoft will end technical support and stop developing patches for this version. An October/November 2005 survey of large enterprises found 39 percent of American users had not upgraded to SP2. SP2 for Windows XP came out in September of 2004. Microsoft has a published policy that states support for a service pack ends 12 months after the successor of that service pack is released, although the company may extend support for 24 months.

It may be large businesses most affected by the cut off. Individuals, small and medium-sized businesses may have already been upgraded. SP2 was set up to be sent via automatic updates and Microsoft encourages use of that feature.

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