Windows Update Won't Work on Win 98SE

maybe not.
microsoft no longer producing updates for win98 at all.
it is a not supported version.
only xp has any planned support by the end of this year.
no support for 95, 98, nt, me, or 2k.
( 2k is only one in that list with any support now )

Well as of Tuesday this week I could update 98SE but it is no longer supported so you have a possible limit to any updates that will be available. If you have done a reinstall you should be able to download existing updates but no new ones as there are not any available.

Without knowing exactly what you've tried the most likely problem is a Fire Wall not allowing IE whatever to send data up to MS for get a list of Patches available. The other possibility is that the modem if a dial up is too slow for a reliable connection.

But just thinking about it I did have Office 2000 installed which did make some changes to the OS so that may have been the reason that I could get on. No I've just tried a customers 98 SE computer without Office installed and it is loging on although it is telling me that there are no Updates Available at this time which I know is wrong as it hasn't been updated in well over 2 years.

If you can get on but not get any updates it is most likely because MS is no longer offering any support for this product unless you have a newer version of something like Office installed. But if you can not get on to their Web Site at all it could be that the version of IE that you are using is too old as you need 5 or latter or you have some program preventing the connection. Generally speaking you can access this site but there are some programs that stop the data transfer occurring so you can not find out if you need any updates.

However if you can not open the Web Page at all the most likely thing is that the IP is being blocked by something on your computer.

Col

Check any and all your spyware/adware programs and the firewall.

Many of them have "features" that can block Win updates. For example, Sygate has a "feature" to block (or at least it tries to) the identity of your browser.

Otherwise, check anything that would have to do with Active X too.

They did extend the lifecycle for 98. But it is officialy dead now.

"Critical and security updates only after August 2002; no updates will be offered after June 2006."

This is the corporate site for updates. Your only hope would be to go there.

http://tinyurl.com/qko

Good Luck

Have you used the printspool error trick of replacing spoolss.dll from ME, if so you must first restore to W98 version with SFC. You might also need to download Scripting.
I just fully updated a 7 year old Dell Dimension W98 that was still original install. (even still had the zz.bat file in root.)

I know that WIN98SE can still access downloads. The problem is, that when you go to windowsupdate.microsoft.com for updates, the correct window opens in the browser (IE) but a fraction of a second later it goes to v4.windowsupdate.xxx (or something like that) and the announcement appears that WIN 98 doesn't have Administrator priviliges.

Something is being sensed by the windows update site that thinks I don't have Admin (which doesnt exist in 98). This is AFTER scanning for virus and malware, removing the firewall (Zone Alarm) and reloading windows over itself.

I think it's the Registry, or something the Registry is setting in IE, but can't find it
I got the system back running for the owner by downloading the patches from the corporaate site.

OK backup your data including the stored E-Mail and Address book and wipe the HDD and reload. Yes I know it's painful but as you have obviously got something that is mucking up the system registry it's about your only choice.

You could try a registry scan/repair by downloading a 30 day trial copy of Iolo's System Mechanic {not the Pro version} as it has an AV program which will disable your existing AV program. You can try that and get a copy from

http://www.iolo.com/downloads.cfm

That may do something but I wouldn't be holding my breath. If you have a copy of Norton's System Works running Win Doctor would cure a lot of ills in the registry that are loaded by default when you install Windows but this is your next best option.

Col

http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/downloads/corporate.asp

If it is still there, you should be able to access Windows Update Catalog once you log into the Windows Update site. The link should be there when you use Windows Update. The direct link sued to be:
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/catalog/en/default.asp
or
http://corporate.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp

You may want to consider either upgrading to XP or wait for Vista (Longhorn) to come out next year for your new OS.
Good luck.

steady, men! boy, losing free support for our bootlegged software sure makes everybody grouchy.
your error is not due to MS's 'retiring' win98, it's just that you need to delete your temporary Internet files on the affected machine.
(betcha)

Two things I'd look into;

1) Check that your system date is correct. I've seen WU fail when the system date is more than a couple of months out.

2)http://tinyurl.com/ayup4

Do you use a Proxy to access the net? I had this problem recently with Qbik's WinGate (when operating in NAT mode). It seem to be related to the new MSI V3 and the new MS download policies.

Resolved this configuring the client's IE to access the net via proxy instead of NAT in a first moment. Later, reinstalling WG also solved the problem with the NAT connection

Good luck