• NUSB
• 7-Zip
• RetroZilla
• FileZilla
• VLC
• KernelEx if desired
• IE & OE 5.5 (because OE 5.5 is first version to be able to connect to modern Gmail)
• MS Office 97 or 2000 (97 was first version to be mostly compatible with modern Office, but I still use RTF for compatibility)
• Adobe Reader 3 or 4, later versions are more compatible but I think are much more bloated AFAIK
• Windows Media Player 9 - major upgrade from default player, even though it has the ridiculous bubbly skin - lets you do a lot of streaming stuff you can't do with the default. Not too much need for a codec pack if you have both this and VLC, as between the two they will handle nearly anything.
• GIMP 1.2

FWIW, you can use the latest NUSB on 98lite, you just have to drop to DOS and copy your 98lite explorer.exe back into C:\WINDOWS before rebooting. I haven't had any issues with this.

Other than that you've mostly covered it. I don't use RetroZilla, instead substituting Opera, either 10.63 or some 12.x version depending on if I've got KernelEx on that particular machine. FileZilla is nixed in favor of Novell NetDrive. I use Reader 4.0 on my T2130CS (Win95, 24MB RAM, DX4-75) and Al-Jalima, but haven't had any notable incompatibilities with any PDF files I've been reading -- Glenden Wood runs Reader XI but I wonder if it's really needed...

Office 97 is the version I standardized on for all my retro machines running 95 or better, and on 2000 or better I also install FileFormatConverters to get docx support. Although if you still use Microsoft Office on your main machine, it's less of a problem than you'd think to have "incompatible" file formats, you can disable some security features and open files all the way back to Word for Windows 2.0 in Word 2019.

I stick to WMP6.4 and the codec pack from 7 or 9, plus Winamp 2.95 with the FLAC plugin and AVS for non-MMX machines installed as-needed, and foobar2000 0.8.3. Video is VLC 0.8.6i. I don't bother with GIMP 1.2, but I do install Photoshop 7.0 since I have a copy.

One thing I always, always, always install is 7-Zip 9.20. On anything 95 and up with the DCOM95 update and the Visual C 6 runtime.

Mounting disk images is Daemon Tools Lite 3.47. I use this on anything 95 and up, it's great. Even on 2000/XP I stick to 3.47 rather than try to bother with anything else. Minimum specs say something like a PII with 256MB RAM or something like that, I've never had a single issue with it on Al-Jalima no matter if I'm running 98lite or NT4. WinImage 8.1 for working with floppies. WinImage 6 on Win95.

Notepad++ 5.9.6 ANSI with the Hex Editor plugin. I don't usually need it, but it's nice to have. IrfanView 4.30 for image viewing.

EDIT: I second Deksor in saying forgo DX9. Latest I'll install is DX8.1b, and that much is only if something demands it or if I'm running a DX8-class GPU. If I'm running DX9... why am I running 9x?

I'd stay away from DX9 because it breaks some compatibility with older games and only makes games well into the XP era compatible, so it kinda defeats the propose of having a Windows 9x installed.

Same as on Win10. 7zip and notepad++ 😁

Looks like I need to go back through and update my versions since I know some newer versions work in 9x. Also some of this isn't necessary on a gaming machine:

ADDONS

HIMEMX to limit memory

OPENAL

MSI 2.0

NET 1.1 SP1 w/
NDP1.1sp1-KB953297-X86
NDP1.1sp1-KB979906-X86

C++ redist
Visual C++ 2010 SP1
Visual C++ 2008 SP1
Visual C++ 2005 SP1
Visual C++ 6.0

JAVA
I'd leave java off by default considering the vulnerabilities. Anyone needing Java for internet use would need to use newer browsers anyway and they'd have to use KernelEx. For those need it for non-Internet use then they'd know how to use it without installing it.

FLASH

Not sure if there's much point in installing this for Internet use. For those needing it for games then they could install it.
Adobe Flash 10.3
Adob Flash 11.0 (KernelEx)

ANTIVIRUS
Avast setupeng1368
Can't remember if Virus Total works on 9x or not

COMPRESSION
7-zip 9.30
7-zip 19.00 (KernelEx)

Add to path:
7zdec1700 for DOS

VIDEOS

PLAYERS
VLC 0.8.6d
VLC 2.2.8 (KernelEx)

OTHER
PotPlayer1.5.29601 (KernelEX)
MPC-HomeCinema.1.5.0.2827.x86 (KernelEX)

The above tailored more for video, likely use Winamp for audio.

CODECS
ffdshow_rev2352_20081124_clsid
Indeo iv5setup
klmcodec345

Codec packs may be overkill for 9x. Possibly ffdshow would be enough?

EDITING
Audacity

CHAT
Miranda IM 0.9.20-ansi

IMAGES

I seem to remember Irfanview being useful back in the day but haven't used it since would probably load ALOT faster than gimp if you want to quickly load or convert an image.

gimp-2.2.17-i586-setup w/ gtk+-2.6.10-20050823-setup
gimp-2.6.7-i686-setup (KernelEx)

OFFICE

OpenOffice 2.4.1
OpenOffice 3.0.0 (KernelEX)

PDF
Ghostscript may be the least bloated. Not sure which ver is 9x compatible

OTHERS
PDFCreator 2.1.2
Foxit 2.3
Foxit 4.31 (KernelEX)

FIREWALL
Softperfect Personal Firewall

BROWSERS

Retrozilla

OPERA

UNMODIFIED
Opera 10.63 (Unable to browse TLS 1.2 without a proxy)

MODIFIED
Opera 10.70 Build 3488 for TLS1.2
List of Web Browsers For All Operating Systems

Opera 12.02 Build 1578 (KernelEX)

FILE TRANSFER
Winscp v4.32

CIFS
Windows 98 can access SMB1 shares from modern operating systems but requires some registry changes. I can dig up if needed.

CD BURNING
imgburn 2.5.8.0

CD MOUNTING
Daemon Tools 3.47

OTHERS
The following do not support copy protection:
MagicDisk 1.05
VirtualCloneDrive 5450

ALCOHOL
Has to be purchased and free ver of Alcohol wasn't around then but a year newer than Daemon Tools 3.47, likely not a concern for old 9x games:
Alcohol120_retail_1_9_5_3105

EMULATORS
DOSBox 0.74-3
Mame (Can't remember the last compatible version)
Stella
ScummVM
Winuae
XGS32
Xformer 2000
Is the VDMSound beta for 9x worth using?

UTILITIES
Windirstat
Kernelex with Core Update 22
isobuster
rawwrite

Does anyone know what the last version of Notepad++ is that runs correctly on 9x?

FAR.

I hate to be that guy but I have to strongly disagree with the suggestions provided by almost everyone in this thread so far. You do not need 99% of the things being listed here at all to play games on windows 98. 😘 sorry but these suggestions while they are helpful a lot of them are just more bloat and unnecessary software.

*The only damn things you need are 7zip to extract game,
*Retrozilla to view HtML manuals although you might not need that if you didn't uninstall IE.
*If you uninstalled IE with 98lite then simply the IE 5.5sp2 Core files because applications and some games might depend on the APIs.
*Iffanview to view JPEGs, or some other game files or manuals that might be in an image format.
*A light wieght PDF viewer like Foxit, to read manuals I am not sure if there is a version of sumatra pdf reader that works without kernel EX but sumatra would be my 1st pick if it will work without kernel EX
*Only Direct X7, really for retro gaming, you can use 8, 8.1 or 9 if a game needs that but i dont think it should be standard.
*windows ME notepad or a notepad replacement to get around errors of text files that are too big.
* program to mount ISO files, personally I like ELBY clone CD just becasue it will mount MDF/S, NRG, ISO and quite a few other non standard file formats.
*I think this is pretty much all but I could have overlooked some things. 🤣
edit **A version of winimage or a similar froe program to work with floppy disks.

For 95 - Microsoft Plus! - HUUUUUUGE nostalgia factor.

Deksor wrote:

I'd stay away from DX9 because it breaks some compatibility with older games and only makes games well into the XP era compatible, so it kinda defeats the propose of having a Windows 9x installed.

Any particular older games that break with dx8-9 installed? Because everyone keeps mentioning that but no one seems to be listing specific titles.

DX9 is being force-installed by creative audigy drivers, and is useful to have for things like fraps 1.9 working properly, or for using nglide wrapper, and I cant find any games that break with it?

Apparently A3D 2.0 drivers have trouble with direct X newer than 7.0A. I have the card but I haven't run into it yet, but people say it so I trust them 🤣

God Of Gaming wrote:

Deksor wrote:

I'd stay away from DX9 because it breaks some compatibility with older games and only makes games well into the XP era compatible, so it kinda defeats the propose of having a Windows 9x installed.

Any particular older games that break with dx8-9 installed? Because everyone keeps mentioning that but no one seems to be listing specific titles

DirectDraw

I have these tools:

- PATCHMEM from rloew (website down at the moment)
Without this, I can't use more than 512MB RAM or the system gets extremely unstable up to the point of data corruption.
- Daemon Tools 3.47 - for mounting all of my "backup copies" of software and games
- 7-Zip 9.20 - for compressed archives
- CD Bremse - if I want to use real CD's without the drive blowing out my eardrums
- USB20DRV.EXE combined with nusb36a.exe and the VIA USB 2.0 drivers - these backport some files from the Windows XP USB stack and I need all of these to get USB 2.0 speed and my USB keyboard recognized. I can now use a 122 key IBM Model M on Windows 98SE (it does not speak PS/2) 😀
- to make the DOS shell of Windows 98 a bit more bearable: NDN and Cutemouse

And that's basically it to get a super stable system. I also installed Office 97 Pro to handle larger text files, DX9 and WMP9 - but these are really not essential.

Warlord wrote:

I hate to be that guy but I have to strongly disagree with the suggestions provided by almost everyone in this thread so far. Y […]
Show full quote

I hate to be that guy but I have to strongly disagree with the suggestions provided by almost everyone in this thread so far. You do not need 99% of the things being listed here at all to play games on windows 98. 😘 sorry but these suggestions while they are helpful a lot of them are just more bloat and unnecessary software.

*The only damn things you need are 7zip to extract game,
*Retrozilla to view HtML manuals although you might not need that if you didn't uninstall IE.
*If you uninstalled IE with 98lite then simply the IE 5.5sp2 Core files because applications and some games might depend on the APIs.
*Iffanview to view JPEGs, or some other game files or manuals that might be in an image format.
*A light wieght PDF viewer like Foxit, to read manuals I am not sure if there is a version of sumatra pdf reader that works without kernel EX but sumatra would be my 1st pick if it will work without kernel EX
*Only Direct X7, really for retro gaming, you can use 8, 8.1 or 9 if a game needs that but i dont think it should be standard.
*windows ME notepad or a notepad replacement to get around errors of text files that are too big.
* program to mount ISO files, personally I like ELBY clone CD just becasue it will mount MDF/S, NRG, ISO and quite a few other non standard file formats.
*I think this is pretty much all but I could have overlooked some things. 🤣
edit **A version of winimage or a similar froe program to work with floppy disks.

Beautiful, exactly the kind response I was looking for. Yeah, everyone seems to have misinterpreted my DirectX 7 listing. It really means "DirectX 7 (8 or 9 ONLY if your driver requires it)". There's a good number of AMD cards which require DX8.1 or DX9.

keenmaster486 wrote:

Does anyone know what the last version of Notepad++ is that runs correctly on 9x?

I think Al-Jalima ran 5.9.6 ANSI when it ran 98lite.

I find it interesting that 7-zip, usb drivers, daemon tools, notepad++, and directx 7 are near universal but everyone seems to disagree on codec, pdf, and browser solutions. I should also mention that this is to be an out of the box pack just to run games, so kernelex doesn't count.

schmatzler wrote:

I have these tools:

- PATCHMEM from rloew (website down at the moment)
Without this, I can't use more than 512MB RAM or the system gets extremely unstable up to the point of data corruption.

Well I'm sorry to say that I think it will never come back online ...

https://kraussfuneralhome.com/tribute/details … w/obituary.html

RIP 😢

Deksor wrote:

Well I'm sorry to say that I think it will never come back online ... […]
Show full quote

schmatzler wrote:

I have these tools:

- PATCHMEM from rloew (website down at the moment)
Without this, I can't use more than 512MB RAM or the system gets extremely unstable up to the point of data corruption.

Well I'm sorry to say that I think it will never come back online ...

https://kraussfuneralhome.com/tribute/details … w/obituary.html

RIP 😢

Oh my god. I just emailed him the other week asking him which of his packages could be slipstreamed, in hopes that I could purchase them and integrate them as an option (providing the user purchased them) in my slipstreamer. This explains why he never got back to me. Rest in peace man.

Deksor wrote:

Well I'm sorry to say that I think it will never come back online ...

https://kraussfuneralhome.com/tribute/details … w/obituary.html

Damn. 😢
May he rest in peace. His software gave me countless hours of fun.

I have uploaded the memory limitation patch to archive.org so it may be preserved and be useful to this community in the future.
https://archive.org/details/PATCHMEM