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View Full Version : Newbie to the forum with a Win 98 question

Katness
10-21-2006, 06:51 AM
I read somewhere that Windows 98 doesn't need an antivirus protection because it is old/older. I was wondering if this is even remotely true??. I searched this forum and couldn't find my answer.

Thank you in advance. :D
Katness
10-21-2006, 07:54 AM
Oh yeah. I meant to add. Feel free to move this post if it is in the wrong section.
jlreich
10-21-2006, 08:57 AM
Welcome to the PC Guide forums.

Yes it does need antivirus protection. Even more so now that MS doesn't support it (or ME) any longer and there are no more security patches being released for it.

I am sure that once MS announced they are no longer supporting it the bad guys made a mad dash to write malware for it knowing whatever flaws they exploited would not be fixed. ;)

I know those that love 98/ME don't want to hear this, but it time to upgrade to win2000 or better. With it no longer being supported it's a free for all for the bad guys. :(
classicsoftware
10-21-2006, 09:35 AM
I agree 100% with JLR.

1) Any PC on the Internet needs protection.

2) It's time to dump Windows 95, 98 and ME. They are no longer supported and there will be no more security update from MS.
Budfred
10-21-2006, 11:00 AM
I used virus protection when I used DOS and Win3.1... It is essential on ALL versions of windows or any other OS...
Katness
10-22-2006, 04:21 AM
Cool. I figured as much.
Paul Komski
10-22-2006, 05:27 AM
Some may say I'm foolish but I dont bother with an anti-virus on Linux installations or on a standalone PC with no floppy drive. CDs can introduce viruses but this is very rare. Always if a microsoft OS and always if on any network and not just the internet. Mac's too, though not immune (http://antivirus.about.com/od/macintoshresource/), rarely get viruses nowadays.

Also - its pointless to install an a/v if you don't keep it updated.


I was wondering if this is even remotely true?The DOS based OSes were immune from infection using RPC vulnerabilities (so they didn't become viral-infected by merely going on line) unlike the NT-OSes - but that would not be a reason for not using an anti-virus.

Of course, in a way, spyware and hacking are as much or more of a problem nowadays and the best way of avoiding them is to avoid MS as much as possible as well.