Lab Notes
Jason Byrne jbyrne@gcn.com Michael Cheek, mcheek@gcnlab.com Connection failed. If you're among the Microsoft Windows 98 users who installed the operating system's critical-up-date notification feature, you probably are regretting it now. Microsoft recently released a Java Virtual Machine update, and Win98 users with critical updates are receiving a daily reminder to download it to patch a year 2000 readiness problem.
Connection failed. If youre among the Trouble is, every such user got the notice at the same time, in mid-March. Even over Maybe by the time 2000 rolls over the lab will get the patch. For now, all we get is the daily reminder and numerous installation failed A rare first edition? You might be one of Due out this summer, the new edition echoes the dreaded Windows 95 Service Releases. Many readers will recall that Windows 95 OSR1, or Version 95a, could not be completely Wondering if the same situation would stymie Win98 users, the lab searched for a Diamonds are not IE5s best friend. There are workarounds, but the best advice is to continue using your current driver
Jason Byrne
jbyrne@gcn.com
Michael Cheek, mcheek@gcnlab.com
Microsoft Windows 98 users who installed the operating systems critical-up-date
notification feature, you probably are regretting it now. Microsoft recently released a
Java Virtual Machine update, and Win98 users with critical updates are receiving a daily
reminder to download it to patch a year 2000 readiness problem.
the GCN Labs T1 Internet connection, the lab staff has had great difficulty
downloading the fix.
messages. Visit the site at windowsupdate.microsoft.com.
the not-so-proud owners of a first edition of Windows 98. Yes, like popular works of
fiction, Win98 will have a reprint.
Although there is a lot of talk about its new drivers, new Internet Explorer 5.0 browser
and other accoutrements, current Win98 users may be left out in the cold like the early
Win95 adopters, who had no real way to harmonize their existing operating system with the
new edition.
upgraded to Windows 95 OSR2, or 95b. Many of the patches could be installed individually,
but some required a full installation of Windows 95b. Problem was, OSR2 was available only
on new computers.
uniform resource locator to explain things at Microsofts Web site. After hours of
looking, we could not find one. Lets hope the company wont repeat the same
mistake.
Before you rush to upgrade to Microsofts Internet Explorer 5.0 browser, check to see
what kind of video card you are using. Some users have reported trouble when installing
the new browser and updating their Diamond Multimedia Systems Inc. video card drivers. A
Windows Dynamic Link Library file problem has caused some of the systems not to boot
correctly again.
until the situation is sorted out. Most of the driver updates on Diamonds Web site
at www.diamondmm.com were posted before the release of IE5, so you might already have the
latest drivers and need no update.