The Redmond company is locking in the history drawer two of its most popular Windows versions - "Windows 98" and "Windows Millennium Edition".

According to a Neowin.net pose, Microsoft will end public and technical support for "Windows 98", "Windows 98 Second Edition", and "Windows Millennium Edition" (Me) on July 11, 2006. The lack of technical support implies the lack of future security updates.

The reason invoked by the software giant is that these products are outdated and the OSs can expose customers to security risks.

As expected, Microsoft recommends those who are still using "Windows 98" and "Me" to switch to a new and safer operating system, that is still receiving security patches every month, we might add. The OS recommended by the company is "Windows XP".

For those who no longer remember what happened eight years ago, let's go back in time a bit and find out.

"Windows 98" (codename - Memphis) was released by Microsoft on June 25, 1998 and it was an improved version of "Windows 95". The hybrid, 16-bit/32-bit, operating system had better AGP support, functional USB drivers, and support for multiple monitors and WebTV. It was also the first version of Windows to support ACPI. One of the most memorable events from the OS presentation was the blue screen of death, which occurred when an employee attempted to connect a scanner. Bill Gates found himself in a rather embarrassing situation, and this is what he had to say: "This is why we haven't shipped Windows 98 yet."

"Windows Millennium Edition" (code-named Millennium), also known as "Windows Me", was released on September 14, 2000, as a 16-bit/32-bit operating system.

The most important features of the new OS were System Restore, Windows File Protection, Universal Plug and Play and Windows Image Acquisition. One of the biggest criticisms brought to "Windows Me" was its instability, mainly due to problems generated by the incompatibility with older drivers.