Does Microsoft still support older versions of Windows?
July 11, 2006 will bring a close to Extended Support for Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows Me as part of the Microsoft Lifecycle Policy. Microsoft will retire public and technical support, including security updates, by this date.
October 10, 2006 Microsoft will end assisted support and security updates for Service Pack 1. If you currently use Windows XP, Microsoft recommends the free upgrade to Service Pack 2 to continue receiving the latest securtiy updates.
You can read more about the announcements from Microsoft at: