# Windows 98 vs. Windows 98SE **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 2, 2004, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-98-vs-windows-98se/277623 "2004-12-02T02:38:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-98-vs-windows-98se/277623/1 "2004-12-02T02:38:46Z")
What does SE mean, and what does it have that Windows 98 doesn’t? Related to this, I have just bought a portable memory stick (I guess you’d call it). It’s a handy little device, like a portable mini-drive with 256 MB of memory that can plug into any USB port. However, for older Windows, it needs a driver. And, for some reason, the driver is for Windows 98SE only. So, what’s the problem with Windows 98? - Jinx 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Oat1957](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Oat1957](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oat1957)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-98-vs-windows-98se/277623/2 "2004-12-02T02:42:27Z")
Win98SE was/is the Special Edition. It had updated security and other files including drivers. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-98-vs-windows-98se/277623/3 "2004-12-02T02:44:55Z")
> [@Oat1957](#): > > Win98SE was/is the Special Edition. It had updated security and other files including drivers. Ah! That would explain it, wouldn’t it…partly? Still, the driver seems to be geared for Windows SE only. I’ll have to contact the company. Thanks… ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-98-vs-windows-98se/277623/4 "2004-12-02T03:33:48Z")
I believe it’s Second Edition, not Special. I don’t know the technical details but improved USB support was one of the major difference between the original and SE. There’s a good chance you have the SE version - the original version was only out for a couple years before it was replaced by the SE. Go to the Control Panel, then System. You’ll see the version number of Windows. If it has an “A” in the end, you’ve got the SE version. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-98-vs-windows-98se/277623/5 "2004-12-02T04:14:15Z")
It is second edition, not special edition. SE had: - A newer version of explorer - Internet connection sharing - Better support for USB - Better support for IEEE 1394 - Better support for DVD You might try poking around microsoft’s site to see if they have maintenance patches available for 98 that would upgrade its USB support to be equal to that of 98 SE. I’m thinking probably not, since (1) that was one of the selling points of SE at the time and (2) microsoft doesn’t like supporting old operating systems so even if there was a patch at one time it may no longer be on their site. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-98-vs-windows-98se/277623/6 "2004-12-02T15:48:48Z")
If you have Win98 and do an update at MS’s web site, you will have all necessary patches and OS upgrades to make your system effectively the same as Win98SE. The Win98SE CD did come with extras that are not available via the web site upgrade: Internet Connection Sharing being one of them. But you don’t need any of the extras as far as drivers, patches, etc. go.