Win 98

My wife read online that come April next year, Microsoft will no longer support Windows 98 with updates that protect from viruses, or it is being sunset. We have Win 98, does this mean we must buy a new computer, or can a supported operating system be installed on the Dell we have? If so, is that something we can walk into a store and buy, and what is the procedure? I'm guessing back up all our documents/programs, and stick a disc in to upgrade? Thanks in advance for any insight.

 

Windows dropped support for W98 about seven years ago.

If you mean XP, support will end in April. We need your particular system specifications to know what type of operating system it will support. If you visit Dell's website and enter the seven digit service tag which is labeled on the back of the PC, it will tell you. Or, you could post it for us to research.

 

Windows '98 already isn't supported by Microsoft. April 8, 2014 is when Microsoft support for Windows XP will end.

As far as updating the Operating System on your computer, what model of Dell are you using? Windows Vista may run on it, but it's not likely to be available for "off the shelf" purchase. Yes, back up ALL of your important files and documents. As far as the programs, some may run in compatibility mode but not natively. Some may not run at all.

If you were to walk into a computer store now, all of the Windows based PCs would have Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 installed. They're a far cry from Windows '98 and you may have some difficulties adjusting to the new interface. But, there are plenty of people here with experience in Windows 8/8.1 and you can feel free to post any questions you may have.

 

Gosh sorry meant to say XP. Do any of the following appear to be "service tag"? x11-45376, Jdd68961, OX5543

 

service tag found is JDD6891

 

Looking at your specs, this should be a WinXP machine. It's a P4 with DDR2 RAM and should be able to run Windows 7 without issue.

Any other queries?

Processor type Intel® Pentium® 4 Socket-T with Hyper-
Threading or Dual-Core support

Cache 2 MB

Memory
Type dual-channel 533- and 667-MHz DDR2

Memory connectors four

Memory capacities 256 MB, 512 MB, or 1 GB
Minimum memory 512 MB
Maximum memory 4 GB

 

According to your Service Tag, your system came with 512MB of RAM. In order to run Windows 7, you'll have to upgrade your system to at least 1GB of RAM.

Dell has a 1GB module for $35.99 US. Crucial may have it for less.

You would put this module in slot "A" and move the module that's currently in slot "A" to slot "C" giving you a total of 1.5GB of RAM. The system can be maxed out to 4GB of RAM if you wish.

 

Windows 7 will run Ok on 2GB of RAM, but it runs really nice on 4GB. Your motherboard seems to support 4GB of dual channel 533 or 667MHz DDR2 RAM, and has four RAM slots. DDR2 RAM is pretty cheap right now, so my advice would be get as much as you can afford.

Unless I am mistaken, the RAM modules you use have to be the same size and type for the dual channel to work, so adding in a 1GB module and keeping the 512 (if that's what you have) would probably prohibit dual channel operation and that has a significant impact on memory performance.

Any RAM you choose to buy (If you choose to buy any) should be unbuffered, non-ECC memory. And it should "Low Density" RAM, unless your motherboard information states it will function with the less expensive "High Density" RAM . . . some do, most don't. Consult your computer manufacturer's page for information on this.

Newegg has 1GB modules for a decent price:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231106

Ebay is also a decent place for RAM, if you know what to look for and make sure the seller is established and has gotten good feedback, and has a decent return policy.

To see if there are any other components that may need upgraded Microsoft has a compatability tool on their site you can run.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=20