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Windows 98SE

Microsoft Windows 98
A version of the Windows 9x operating system
Microsoft Windows 98 Logo.png
Windows98.png
Screenshot of Windows 98 displaying its desktop, taskbar, and channel bar.
Developer Microsoft
Source model Closed source
Released to
manufacturing
May 15, 1998; 18 years ago (1998-05-15)
General
availability
June 25, 1998; 18 years ago (1998-06-25)
Latest release Second Edition (4.10.2222 A) / May 5, 1999; 17 years ago (1999-05-05)
Kernel type Monolithic kernel
License Commercial software
Preceded by Windows 95 (1995)
Succeeded by Windows ME (2000)
Official website www.microsoft.com
Support status
Mainstream support ended on June 30, 2002
Extended support ended on July 11, 2006

Windows 98 (codenamed Memphis while in development) is a graphical operating system by Microsoft. It is the second major release in the Windows 9x line of operating systems and the successor to Windows 95. It was released to manufacturing on May 15, 1998 and to retail on June 25, 1998.

Like its predecessor, Windows 98 is a hybrid 16-bit and 32-bit monolithic product with an MS-DOS based boot stage. Windows 98 was succeeded by Windows 98 Second Edition (SE) on May 5, 1999, which in turn was succeeded by Windows ME on June 19, 2000. Microsoft ended mainstream support for Windows 98 and 98 SE on June 30, 2002, and extended support on July 11, 2006.

The famous startup sound for Windows 98 was composed by Microsoft sound engineer Ken Kato, who considered it to be a "tough act to follow."

Development of Windows 98 began in the 1990s, initially under the development codename "Memphis." Many builds were released or leaked, starting with build 1351 on December 15, 1996 and ending with Windows 98SE.

Windows 98 includes Internet Explorer 4.01 in First Edition and 5.0 in Second Edition. Besides Internet Explorer, many other Internet companion applications are included such as Outlook Express, Windows Address Book, FrontPage Express, Microsoft Chat, Personal Web Server and a Web Publishing Wizard, NetMeeting and NetShow Player (which was replaced by Windows Media Player 6.2 in Windows 98 Second Edition).


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