How Windows 98 Differs From Windows 95

How Windows 98 Differs From Windows 95

Windows 98 is basically the same operating system as Windows 95, having the same basic core components and providing the same fundamental services to software, hardware, and the user. However, it does offer some added features and improved performance over Windows 95.

Some of these features, including FAT32 and support for USB and DVD, became available with Windows 95, Release 2.

Windows 98 also includes some new system tools to monitor and improve system performance, new hardware support, and additional Web tools. The following table summarizes the changes from Windows 95 to Windows 98. Windows 98 and Window 95 load, run, and install very much the same way.

Windows 98 Upgrades

Microsoft has produced two upgrades for Windows 98: Windows 98 Second Edition (Windows 98 SE) and Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me). Each upgrade has significant enhancements over its predecessor. Windows 98 SE includes several patches, or fixes, for the first edition of Windows 98, updates of existing components, and some new components. Most new features involve networking and Internet access. Improved support for ATM networks includes the addition of Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) over ATM, which allows a dial-up connection over an ATM network. Security for a dial-up connection over regular phone lines was also upgraded.

A new feature is Internet Connection Sharing (ICS), which makes it possible for a Windows 98 PC to access the Internet through another computer on a local network so that only one computer requires a direct connection to an ISP. This feature means that several PCs on a small home network can share the same access to an ISP without incurring additional charges and without installing third party software.

Support for modems that use a USB port and support for a wake-on-LAN connection are also included. Wake-on-LAN means that a PC can go into a low-power state and then return to standard power when the network card detects activity from another computer on the network.

Windows Me takes us one step closer to the merging of Windows 9x and Windows 2000 as it contains features from each operating system, although, at its core, it is still a Windows 9x upgrade. It’s designed for the home user and not for business. It focuses on enhancements to multimedia features such as support for video cameras, digital cameras, scanners, and a jukebox recorder. It includes a compression utility for video files and a video editor.

True to its goal as a home PC operating system, the operating system is very user friendly, including more informative error messages and troubleshooting utilities.

To know which version of Windows is installed, right-click on the My Computer icon and select Properties from the shortcut menu. The System Properties window opens. Click the General tab.

The Windows 98 Upgrade Process

Before you begin upgrading your operating system from Windows 95 to Windows 98, you should create a Windows 95 rescue disk for use in the event the installation fails. Follow these steps when performing an upgrade installation of Windows 98 in order to get to the setup screen:

1. Start the PC, loading the current operating system.

2. Close all open applications including any antivirus software running.

3. Insert the CD in the CD-ROM drive or the floppy disk in the floppy drive. When

upgrading from Windows 95 to Windows 98, open the Run dialog box and enter

the command D:\Setup.exe, substituting the drive letter for the CD-ROM drive or

floppy drive in the command line. Click OK. When upgrading from Windows

3.x to Windows 9x, enter the same command using File Manager.

4. Follow the instructions on the setup screen to complete the upgrade.