Refer to our Windows XP page for a list of Windows XP sites.

This is not a definitive list. You may have your own favorites. Good. Let me know so I can include them. I have included security sites. They may not be Windows 98/Me specific but all of us should be security aware.

Some of the site descriptions I have taken directly from the Web sites. I encourage you to visit each of the sites and make your own decision on it’s importance to you.

All the sites listed are http sites. Only one of them is a FTP site and its full address is shown.

To add your favorites to this list contact me at: links@windowsassistance.com.

Downloads Use this page to find software that you can download or click the Find button at the bottom of the page to get a listing of all available software for download.

Support Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base of technical support information and self-help tools for Microsoft products.

Product Support Center For information on any Microsoft product start here. All Microsoft products have a Support Center page. Their all listed here.

TechNet Subscribe to TechNet Flash e-mail Newsletter, FREE technology information and updates, expert insight and updates on product issues, glitches and other information we'd prefer didn't exist. Go to: About TechNet and select Free bi-weekly updates.

Windows Microsoft’s front page to all of the Windows products.

Insider Newsletter Online and e-newsletter for home and personal users of Windows 98. 

Windows 98 Go directly to Windows 98.

Microsoft Updates This is where you can get your Windows 98 updated. You should have a Windows Update selection on your Start button.

Microsoft Software Drivers Before going to this site you will need to know what file you are looking for. Go to Microsoft driver infomation site for a listing of devices and what files to download. For even more fun start at ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/.

Typography This is for all you font freaks. If you haven't downloaded the extension to font properties then head over to this site and click on Free utilities and TrueType fonts.

Windows 2000 Professional Microsoft's Win2k Pro pages.

Windows 2000 Magazine Hands-on, technical information for Windows IT professionals. The magazine's Web site.

Windows Me Support This is Microsoft answer to your problems. Well, kinda'.

C|Net Help Windows Me C|Net headquarters for their Windows Me coverage.

5 Star Support is a global computer support site that has helped thousands of people in need of computer help. With the help of talented support volunteers, we hope to continue to provide free quality support for years to come. We are constantly adding to this site to better serve the guests that come to us for help.

ActiveWin.com, was created by Robert Stein, Byron Hinson and Wayne Flyers in 1997 after the succession from the original site ActiveIE.com, with the goal of providing the latest Microsoft company news, information, downloads, drivers, tips, support, software news, hardware news, and much more. On June 25, 1998 the site you see today was opened.

Windows For Newbies They have moved (now called the Newbie Club) but you can use the site as a starting point for beginners and those who think they're better than the rest of us.

Another Win95 is about anything and everything Windows related not just the OS itself.

Driver Files One stop location for any driver file you may need. Webmaster claims there are over 10k downloads a day. That's a bunch! 

Driver Guide You have to register (it's free), but once inside you'll find links to download sites from a huge searchable database of driver info. And for rare or no-longer-supported drivers, there's a member-to-member area where people can share the driver they have with others seeking same.

Fix Windows is a troubleshooting site for Windows. 

File Extension Definitions: Need to know what program goes with a file extension? Here are sites that will aid you in your search.

Extension Search Just input in your questionable file extension for short definition. It can also take you directly to the extension's definition page at Wotsit.

Computer User - File Types Complete listing of file extensions. Search page to find an extension definition.

Techweb - Encyclopedia More than 14,000 definitions of computer terms and concepts.  

Wotsit A programmer's resource site that has file format information on many file types.

Inside Outlook Express  Inside OE5 is a source of technical information, help and tips for users of Microsoft Outlook Express 5 & 6 for Windows®.

Virtual Plastic: Surgery for Windows. This site gives help with the all facets of the Windows environment.  

Windows TechFiles On this page you will find an Index of the InfiniSource Windows TechFiles. The Windows TechFiles provide more in-depth coverage of various issues encountered in the everyday use of the Windows operating systems.

Windows Scripting Guide Provides technical resources, information and source code to help you automate the Windows operating system using Windows Script Host (WSH) and the VBScript and JScript scripting languages.

Windows Startup:  If anyone is having problems diagnosing some of those anonymous apps that appear in your startup folder, go to this site for a very extensive and informative list. The startup tips section of this site is also very helpful and informative for troubleshooting and information.

win98central.com/ Another general purpose Windows 98 site. 

Win Applications List Here you will find a large variety of shareware, freeware, and commercial software products.

Windows Explorer Robert Clemenzi has pulled together an impressive collection of tips and tricks for Windows Explorer.

Windows-Help.Net Windows Tips and Help.

Windows 98 Annoyances One visit and you will understand why I list this site.

www.98lite.net/ Find out how to uninstall parts of Windows 98 and lighten the load on your resources. Want to remove Internet Explorer and Outlook Express? They will show you how.

Windows files Good site for all types of software. If I am looking for any software I generally look here first.

Windows Registry Guide, Formerly Regedit.com, provides an extensive range registry tips, tricks & tweaks for optimizing, enhancing and securing the Windows operating system. 

Windows 9x Shutdown Troubleshooter Solutions to shutdown problems.

eWeek Resources Part of PC Week's eWeek web site. This page offers links to getting help with your desktop. It has links to: downloads, product finder, help, tips, news, reviews and more. 

Freeware Plus  Another site for freeware programs. Site claims to be nothing but free software. More than just Windows. 

InfiniSource Listings of Shareware Archives, libraries and download sites on the Internet.

How Stuff Works  More than just a computer site. But does provide plenty of computer and internet information. Find out how e-mail works. Then take a quick course on Operating Systems.

Los Angeles Times Tech Section This link will take you to the Cutting Edge section of the Times. There are also several regular columns posted on the site. Try: 411, PC Focus, Click Here, DoIt, and Tech Q&A.

My Help Desk Not just a Windows help site.

PC Nine-One-One It's a site that offers computer help in the form of tutorials that cover everything from how to use the Internet to installing hardware and even over clocking

O'Reilly & Assoc. A really good publisher, O'Reilly & Associates, now has Windows books up the yazoo. 

Home Network Help What do we all dream of? More speed! This well-diagrammed little piece gives cable users some ideas that we're sure the cable companies won't like. How's 1.3 Mbps sound for a download? There are piles of stuff available here. A tutorial on setting up a home network? No problemo. Only for Wintel users, though. 

Microsoft Updates This is where you can get your Windows updated. You should have a Windows Update selection on your Start button.

BigFix This Windows Update-like service provides daily alerts of security updates, patches and so on from a variety of companies and lets you install them (or ignore them) on the spot.

C|net Catchup Requires free Catchup software. Though they have different interface I think Catchup and My Updates is the same thing under the covers. The major difference between is that Catchup will list software before it searches for possible updates. You can uncheck software you don't care about. The search for updates itself is fast. 

PC Support Must register to use. Uses Catchup software. If getting information on updates for your system is your only requirement then go to C|net Catchup or Ziff-Davis My Updates.

Attune Aveo Requires download of Attune software. Installation is automatic and doesn't give any information where it is located on the disk. Because of this I un-installed the program before ever using it. I have one basic requirement with software installation: I determine where the software is to be installed.

Ziff-Davis My Updates This site will examine your computer (requires a plug-in) and advise you on what updates you need. My Updates results is very close to Catchup. My Updates requires less clicking and therefore is faster than Catchup. 

3D Spotlight Provides information on Windows OS's. Windows 98 First Edition not listed. Since Microsoft does this for me already, and painlessly, I will stick with with the big kahunna.

CERT Coordination Center - CERT/CC is a major reporting center for Internet security problems. Visit their page on safe online security.

Central Command - Virus protection site. Good, straight-forward main page. Worth looking at.

F-Secure Corporation Virus Hoaxes - Sometimes that latest computer virus you hear about via email or listserver isn't really a virus at all. Some people don't write viruses -- they just start rumors about viruses. To find out what's what, take a trip to F-Secure Corporation's site and read the latest list of hoaxes.

Information System Security [infosyssec] The Security Portal for Information System Security Professionals. The most comprehensive computer and network security resource on the Internet for Information System Security Professionals

Microsoft's Security Center  [updated] located within it's Technet site. Required reading. Check this page frequently. As noted this page has been updated and now list all bulletins and has a search engine available.

www.privacy.net Along with Gibson Research this is a required site. Learn how to secure your computer. They also provide information on Cookies.

Cookie Central: Learn everything you didn’t want to know about those information tidbits called cookies.

Gibson Research. Excellent site for security information. Go to the ShieldsUp! page and check your security.

John's Navas's "Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide." This site is geared for more advanced users than is Gibson's; so the technical depth differs, as it should. 

National Infrastructure Protection Center. 

Trend-Micro Anti-virus software PC-Cillin Virus Information Center. Used by this site. 

Security Focus: Security Focus is designed to facilitate discussion on security related topics, create security awareness, and to provide the Internet's largest and most comprehensive database of security knowledge and resources to the public.

Symantec Research Center 

Windows Security Guide  provides information and resources to secure the Windows operating system and networks with details about the latest vulnerabilities and fixes, articles and technical support. 

Since McAfee does not allow reviews of its software to be published without their permission you can find this site on your own. 

Andy McFadden's CD-Recordable FAQ This document attempts to answer Frequently Asked Questions about CD-Recordable technology and related fields. It is a Usenet newsgroup FAQ, updated and posted around the middle of each month. The main foci are explaining CD-R technology, describing hardware and software solutions for creating audio CDs and CD-ROMs, and helping people find solutions to common problems.

PC Motherboards A guide to PC motherboards.

www.motherboards.org/ Has a new look but still an excellent reference site.

Tom's Hardware  Said to be the 800 pound gorilla of hardware sites.

www.x86.org/ Microprocessor Center. Learn about the different types of x86 chips and what they can and can’t do.

Shark Extreme All kinds of info about all kinds of hardware, especially CPU chips. Includes installation guides, reviews, latest hardware news, and more.

www.allusb.com/ Get the latest news and information on USB products.

www.usbworkshop.com/ Another site featuring USB know how and USB products.

www.usbman.com/ Get help with your USB woes and find the hardware you need. 

Firewire or IEEE 1394 is a high-speed input/output port. Firewire is an Apple trademark. Products for the PC may be identified as IEEE 1394.

www.firewireworld.com/ 1394/Firewire Information and Resources

www.dvcentral.org/ This site is devoted to DV (and its related formats - DVC, DVCAM, DVCPRO, etc.) and Firewire (also known as IEEE-1394). DV™ is a digital video format, supported by a consortium of over 50 companies. Firewire™ is a serial data transfer protocol and interconnection system, used (amongst other things) to transmit DV. Firewire was originally developed by Apple Computer, Inc. In 1995, Firewire was standardized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers as IEEE 1394-1995. 1394 Trade Association maintains extensive amount of information on IEEE-1394.