Editing Windows 98 (section)

==Development==
Following the success of Windows 95, the development of Windows 98 began, initially under the development codename "Memphis". The first test version, Windows Memphis Developer Release, was released in January 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.itprotoday.com/windows-8/windows-97-beta|title=Windows 97 in Beta|last=Thurrott|first=Paul|work=IT Pro Today|date=January 5, 1997|access-date=October 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622203419/http://www.itprotoday.com/windows-8/windows-97-beta|archive-date=June 22, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

Memphis first entered beta as Windows Memphis Beta 1, released on June 30, 1997.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.cnet.com/Next-Windows-goes-into-full-beta/2100-1001_3-201072.html |title=Next Windows goes into full beta |website=CNET |date=June 30, 1997 |access-date=May 20, 2013 |first=Alex |last=Lash |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714203435/http://news.cnet.com/Next-Windows-goes-into-full-beta/2100-1001_3-201072.html |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> It was followed by Windows 98 Beta 2, which dropped the Memphis name and was released in July.<ref name="Memphis">{{cite web |url=http://news.cnet.com/Memphis-is-Windows-98/2100-1001_3-201734.html |title=Memphis is Windows 98 |last=Lash |first=Alex |date=July 23, 1997 |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |work=[[CNET]] |access-date=May 25, 2015 |archive-date=September 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929062323/https://www.cnet.com/news/memphis-is-windows-98/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Microsoft had planned a full release of Windows 98 for the first quarter of 1998, along with a Windows 98 upgrade pack for Windows 95, but it also had a similar upgrade for [[Windows 3.0|Windows 3.x]] operating systems planned for the second quarter. Stacey Breyfogle, a product manager for Microsoft, explained that the later release of the upgrade for Windows 3 was because the upgrade required more testing than that for Windows 95 due to the presence of more compatibility issues, and without user objections, Microsoft merged the two upgrade packs into one and set all of their release dates to the second quarter.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/computerworld3138unse|title=Users unfazed by Windows 98 delay|last=Jacobs|first=April|magazine=[[Computerworld]]|date=September 22, 1997|volume=31|issue=38|page=3}}</ref>

On December 15, 1997, Microsoft released Windows 98 Beta 3. It was the first build to be able to upgrade from [[Windows 3.1x]], and introduced new startup and shutdown sounds.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://windowsitpro.com/windows-server/microsoft-releases-windows-98-beta-3 |title=Microsoft releases Windows 98 Beta 3 |publisher=Windows IT Pro |date=December 15, 1997 |access-date=May 20, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130912025545/http://windowsitpro.com/windows-server/microsoft-releases-windows-98-beta-3 |archive-date=September 12, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Near its completion, Windows 98 Release Candidate was released on April 3, 1998,<ref name="winsuper">{{cite web |url=http://winsupersite.com/windows/windows-98-review |title=Windows 98 Review |publisher=Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows |date=June 25, 1998 |access-date=May 20, 2013 |first=Paul |last=Thurrott |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170712095647/http://winsupersite.com/windows/windows-98-review |archive-date=July 12, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> which expired on December 31 of the same year. This coincided with a notable press demonstration at [[COMDEX]] that month. Microsoft CEO [[Bill Gates]] was highlighting the operating system's ease of use and enhanced support for [[Legacy Plug and Play|Plug and Play]] (PnP). However, when presentation assistant [[Chris Capossela]] [[hot swapping|plugged]] a USB scanner in, the operating system crashed, displaying a [[Blue Screen of Death]]. Bill Gates remarked after derisive applause and cheering from the audience, "That must be why we're not shipping Windows 98 yet." Video footage of this event became a popular [[List of Internet phenomena|Internet phenomenon]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9804/21/windows.98/index.html?iref=allsearch|title=CNN – Computer users on Windows 98: It's not revolutionary – April 21, 1998|last=Lefevre|first=Greg|date=April 21, 1998|work=[[CNN]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414110931/http://edition.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9804/21/windows.98/index.html?iref=allsearch|archive-date=April 14, 2016|access-date=April 17, 2019}}</ref>

Build 1998 was compiled as Windows 98 on May 11, 1998,<ref name="KB206071">{{kb|206071|General information about Windows 98 and Windows 98 Second Edition hotfixes}}</ref> before being fully released to manufacturing on May 15.<ref name="WITP-Release" /> The company was [[United States v. Microsoft Corp.|facing pending legal action]] for allowing free downloads of, and planning to ship Windows licenses with, [[Internet Explorer 4.0]] in an alleged effort to expand its software monopoly. Microsoft's critics believed the lawsuit would further delay Windows 98's public release;<ref name="wsj-may98">{{cite web |last=Mossberg |first=Walter S. |date=May 14, 1998 |title=Windows 98 Offers Users Useful, Not Vital, Features |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB895095011249520500 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191014142701/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB895095011249520500 |archive-date=October 14, 2019 |access-date=October 14, 2019 |work=[[Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref> it did not, and the operating system was released on June 25, 1998.<ref name="WITP-Release">{{cite web|url=http://windowsitpro.com/article/articleid/17693/windows-98-release-date-set-june-25.html|title=Windows 98 release date set: June 25|date=March 11, 1998|access-date=February 18, 2017|publisher=WinInfo|author=Paul Thurrott|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100131180448/http://windowsitpro.com/article/articleid/17693/windows-98-release-date-set-june-25.html|archive-date=January 31, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

A second major version of the operating system called Windows 98 Second Edition was later unveiled in March 1999.<ref>{{cite web |author1=John G. Spooner |author2=Mary Jo Foley |author-link2=Mary Jo Foley |title=Windows 98 second edition? |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-98-second-edition/ |website=[[ZDNet]] |access-date=October 13, 2019 |date=March 16, 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629110533/http://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-98-second-edition/ |archive-date=June 29, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="98Relaunch">{{cite web |author1=Stephanie Miles |title=Windows 98 to be relaunched with new IE |url=http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-340104.html?tag= |website=[[CNET]] |access-date=October 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000823031920/http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-340104.html?tag= |archive-date=August 23, 2000 |date=March 18, 1999 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Microsoft compiled the final build on April 23, 1999, before being fully released to manufacturing on May 5,<ref name="KB206071"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition Released to Manufacturing |url=http://news.microsoft.com/1999/05/05/microsoft-windows-98-second-edition-released-to-manufacturing/ |publisher=Microsoft |access-date=June 18, 2018 |date=May 5, 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150811215335/http://news.microsoft.com/1999/05/05/microsoft-windows-98-second-edition-released-to-manufacturing/ |archive-date=August 11, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> and publicly released on June 10, 1999.<ref name="release"/> Windows 98 was to be the final product in the Windows 9x line until Microsoft briefly revived the line to release [[Windows Me]] in 2000 as the final Windows 9x product before the introduction of [[Windows XP]] in 2001, which was based on the [[Windows NT]] architecture and kernel used in [[Windows 2000]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.itprotoday.com/windows-millennium-edition-windows-me-faq|title=Windows Millennium Edition ("Windows Me") FAQ|last=Thurrott|first=Paul|work=[[IT Pro]]|date=October 6, 2010|access-date=October 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191023202400/https://www.itprotoday.com/windows-millennium-edition-windows-me-faq|archive-date=October 23, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>