Enhancing Windows 98 with Microsoft Plus! (Unboxing & Exploration)

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Today we're taking a look at Microsoft Plus! for Windows 98. This enhancement package was released alongside the operating system in 1998, and it brought a handful of utilities and games to your computer!
Plus! 95 Video Remake: • Enhancing Windows 95 w...
Chapters:
00:00 - Unboxing
03:22 - Installation
07:11 - Maintenance Wizard Improvements
09:05 - Golf 1998 Lite
13:41 - Lose Your Marbles
18:26 - Spider Solitaire
19:45 - VirusScan
21:41 - Deluxe CD Player
24:41 - Desktop Themes
31:39 - Organic Art Screensaver
34:00 - Picture It! Express
37:24 - Disk Cleanup Improvements
41:15 - Compressed Folders
41:47 - Outro
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Some materials in this video are used under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, which allows "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, commenting, news reporting, teaching, and research.
#MichaelMJD #Windows98 #Microsoft

[@chrisdigitalartist]

I agree MJD. Windows used to be fun. That is what is missing now. There is no fun! It needs more customization. Sure can still change icons, cursors, sounds...but only one color and in windows 11, no color title bars...and you can't change system fonts! You can change every little thing you can think of in the 9X Shells. I still love that old classic look.

[@LiamVidya]

In Windows 10 you can change the system font through the registry, there's no reason it should be so obfuscated though. I care more about having the classic theme back and working properly, I still think it looks best.

[@chrisdigitalartist]

@LiamVidya True and I used Winaero too but I noticed some fonts would end up being missing.

[@kyoudaiken]

My Windows 11 has colored title bars?!

[@chrisdigitalartist]

@@kyoudaiken But not in the file explorer?

[@kyoudaiken]

@@chrisdigitalartist Not there and not in terminal. All Win32 windows have colored title bars in my case.

[@fpdctsi22]

Back then we didn't have internet and not that many games. For the most part this was how I played with the computer- changing themes, listening to the sounds, watching the screen savers, not to mention Paint and Encarta Encyclopedia. Good times, good times...

[@aikidoboynj]

yes so true. I spent hours just bored going through stuff like settings and what not. I knew where all the settings for everything would be. Now a days forget it, I just type it into the win10-11 bar. I guess it is better today technically, but now I couldn't tell you were half the shit is!

[@larrywhitney]

The reason Windows 10 doesn't have any Plus it's because it comes pre-installed as bloatware

[@mayro64fan]

True

[@miregoji2959]

No classic theme either

[@samuel-wankenobi]

Same with 11 I guess

[@ChaseMC215]

@@samuel-wankenobi It even keeps installing bloatware on new updates, even if you uninstalled them on the previous update.

[@gamingglatiator69]

@@ChaseMC215 really? Im using windows 11 for a year now and never had bloatware reinstall after an update

[@AmbivalentMind]

17:03 that was smooth af

[@RiverTripleSeven]

Dude he didn’t even mean to do it and he still pulls it off lmao

[@NoahClevinger]

I have very fond memories of me and my cousin spending so many hours on our family's old Windows 98 computer. Those were some really fun times.

[@blainepalmerza]

Awesome video , Michael!

[@rebeccanevill2294]

​@@blainepalmerzathis is The replys not the actual comments

[@ArtDumbster]

The comments were talking about how smooth the transition to the sponsor was And it still surprised me, love the video!

[@LordHorst]

That startup sound sure is amazing. I even set up my Linux PC to play the Win98 startup sound.

[@user-is7xs1mr9y]

How did you do that? I'm still a Linux noob lol. I'm using Linux Mint Cinnamon.

[@LordHorst]

@@user-is7xs1mr9y I used a command like this: cvlc /path/to/file/startsound.mp3 vlc://quit & As you can see, I use VLC to play the sound, and then quit immediatly afterwards. The ampersand at the end of the command is used to chain commands together. Without it, the startup process stops for as long as the sound plays. With the ampersand the rest of the commands are executed normally. I put this command in the Application Autostart tab under the Session and Startup settings (I am using Manjaro). I believe Linux Mint has a sound setting for startup sounds of it's own.

[@Koofteh]

If I remember correctly, the Active Desktop themes were just animated GIFs. Back then it was super cool to have an animated wallpaper but Active Desktop would crash like once an hour. I bought this thing back in the day for my P2 HP Pavilion. Deluxe CD Player was actually my favourite feature, I think it was the first CD player to connect to CDDB which became Gracenote.

[@GYTCommnts]

"Organic Art" was a thing back in the day. There were CD software about it, from the author of the idea, one of them being "Organic Art Deluxe" for PC. The software was meant to be some sort of artistic expression, with base forms moving in a way that formed a pattern, making shapes and in some cases filling the screen. A similar example of what it did was the victory effect of the classic Solitaire game, with the cards leaving a trace behind. Was something similar, but with lots of combinations. Somewhat hypnotic for a while, pushing the rendering limits of the hardware back then, a little. You can find the CDs archived, even a later website about the software still online, maybe not totally functional. Cool stuff maybe worthy of just a short video on its own, with the details and showing better examples with more powerful hardware or by emulation. It maybe similar a bit too (for understanding it) to the Winamp AVS plugin and some of the visualizations and presets (other subject on its own, the classic Winamp, that I still use nowadays and it keeps being great for an all around mp3 / audio player for Windows).

[@user-is7xs1mr9y]

Oh man, me and my brother used to be obsessed with "Organic Art". We would spend so much time listening to the music of an astronomy program we had (sadly forgot the name) and watching all the cool shapes. We were around 6 or 7 years old, such good memories.

[@WindowsOnWindows]

26:15 Actually LOLing! The crash dialog timing was perfect. The sound just makes it even better. I fricking love Windows 9x. 😂

[@futur3sn0w]

Dude I had to pause the video because I was laughing so hard 😂😂 That timing could NOT have been better 😂

[@pikachu896]

I was about to comment that lmao I couldn't stop laughing

[@diablow1411]

My dad had bought this pack sometime around 2000 or 2001. Still miss them days, thanks for uploading, MJD!

[@k6kaysix675]

I remember seeing the Windows 98 computers at my local electronics store as a kid with the cool Plus themes and went home spending hours working out how I could do the same with my parents Windows 98 PC...I obviously didn't get very far! (as I didn't know it was a seperate product to the standard Windows 98 back then!)

[@ryanglaser5336]

And then you settled for Jungle theme

[@usernamesrbacknowthx]

I remember that marbles game!!!!! You just brought up a memory suppressed so far in my head. I remember my uncle installing Windows 98 Plus one day and I remember sitting there in awe with my jaw on the floor when I saw the "Plus" logo on the splash screen. Thanks for this vid.

[@fabiandimaspratamathesecond]

I remember when we were a child customizing the wallpaper and theme of our computer class' PCs we sitting in.. lol. Windows 95 & 98 have so much customization options including the gradation of the title bar! I miss this. Some of the computers had 98! Plus installed, some were not. And our computer teacher was cool. He allowed us to play games 30 minutes before the class was ended. Back then I also had Pentium II 233 MHz PC at my home and it has Windows 98 with Plus! Entertainment Pack installed. I remember there were Garfield and Peanuts (Snoopy) theme pack. Still, good times.

[@Vlad-1986]

Man, I love the Windows 95Plus! thing, I had it when came out, and always wanted a 98Plus. I waited for years, and looked online years ago, but didn't found it. I tough my knowledge of its existence was a dream! I am so glad this exists. Might try to find it again and install it :D

[@davinp]

Windows 10/11 is less customizable then Windows 95/98.

[@scajk29]

The Space theme was originally in Plus for Kids and became one of the default themes included in Win 98 & Me. I remember it because it was my 2nd favorite theme after Science.

[@cutieclysm]

great video as always michael!!! that segue to the ad was smooth 😊❤

[@ryanglaser5336]

512 MB RAM was unheard of, most systems were 128 MB or 64 MB. It was rare to even have 256 MB. That screensaver performed too poorly to use without disabling everything else running in the background.

[@K9arcade]

I remember the Space theme! I got hand-me-downed my dad's win98 pc and recall this was his fave theme because he's a trekkie. You sir just unlocked a memory in my mind.

[@andyz6306]

I had Plus! 98 as a kid and got days of entertainment from themes and screensavers alone.

[@thatguywiththemitsu9696]

I bought this in 1999, just because of "Cityscape" theme. Wallpaper and sounds of start and stop is awesome.

[@PhirePhlame]

I think Golf 98 is one of those that has a two-click timing bar. That is, you click while it's rising for power, and then again while it's going back down to determine your angle. See how a second yellow guideline appears after your first click? I'm no golf fan, but I played enough Mario Golf to recognize what looks like a similar (if more dynamic than MG) system.

[@miro007ist]

Definitely you’re my favorite channel on youtube. I’m loving the quality of the production.

[@skepisLT]

We need more of these long videos

[@MasonDaWorst]

i spend all day binge watching all of mjd's videos when im bored i pull upthis page and binge watch

[@DavidWonn]

Ah the nostalgia of when add-on Plus! CDs and resource kits actually had some useful stuff on them. I often used Plus! 95 for some of the themes and the handy ability to see window contents while dragging, which was already present by default in NT 3.51 and up.

[@tallpaul9475]

It amazes me how it did not seem that long ago when I bought and installed Plus! on my Windows 98 PC. Packard Bell 486DX2 66Mhz upgraded with Intel Pentium overdrive 83Mhz CPU, 8MB RAM, 2.1 GB Fujitsu HDD upgrade, 2MB VRAM upgrade, and 8X CD-ROM upgrade. Things were so much simpler back then.

[@SaM64pes]

I love your videos keep up the good work

[@philtkaswahl2124]

Newer Windows OSes taking cues from Apple in limiting its customizability to not mess with their precious "OS design language/aesthetic" makes me a bit sad.

[@GleepVonReticuli]

Some of those 3d renders wallpapers are awesome.

[@ChloeKenobi]

Love the notice at 2:28 lol. Let’s hope it works effectively

[@normalichu]

17:03 Ok, didn't see that coming. Well played!

[@TomBudin]

ahh the memories i was playing lose your marbles the other day what a throwback

[@XMD007]

Cathy the comic strip finished on October 3, 2010. Foxtrot Finished on December 30, 2006. Doonesbury, Garfield and Peanuts are still active.

[@cartercool680]

I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL SO MUCH!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@Lestercortez128]

I love it! I still run a virtualized Windows 98 with Microsoft Plus in Mac OS X with VirtualBox in 2024. These extra desktop themes and customization is so cool!

[@hoteny]

Remember modern websites on wii browser thing? Can you do that with a ds family system? (Old 3ds or ds lite maybe) Spoiler: 3ds browser refreshed forever instead of working fine like the wii

[@richardestes6499]

From what I remember, Picture It! Express was also included with certain HP printer models around the same time. My family had a copy of it installed but we didn't have the other Microsoft Plus software (other than what came with Windows 98).

[@Santor-]

Back then it felt like windows gave you something of value. Nowadays it feels like windows is taking from you, your data, personal info, contacts etc, less and less is included, one find oneself attempting to avoid using it and uninstalling crap vs installing extras.

[@sharmsma]

Thank you for another great video, Michael! You should definately keep that horror theme. The sound effect combines perfectly with Mario's facial expression on the desktop wallpaper. On the other hand, that golf game does not look like fun. I think I'd rather defragment my hard drive.

[@Spaztiq]

He was playing it wrong. You have to click three times total to swing. One to start, one at the "ideal" yellow line and once again on the new yellow line.

[@Speedy4you10]

Merry Christmas!

[@EBTheOriginalMaster]

The gift that keeps on giving!

[@aikidoboynj]

That cd is so fresh and so beautiful. The good ole days!

[@andrive]

I like the cityscape theme, the sounds are badass

[@elija3924]

Ok look it was so tempting to donate again so yeah You're welcome ;) Fun fact: I watch your videos everyday cuz I like watching you install stuff on 46 floppy disks

[@MichaOstrowski]

That WIndows 98 startup sound just brought me back to when I was 14 or thereabouts, and that sound meant that all I'd need to do during that summer vacation day would be to wait for a friend to come over so we'll be playing Heroes 3 for hours. Good times.

[@rodhester2166]

In install this on every 98 machine I build.. and sometimes I install this before upgrading to xp to keep the added features. The horror had some sound/crashing issues during reboot and shutdown but there were fixes for it. Also one of my favorite screen savors of all time is the organic art.. I would spend time just watching it.. lol. enable hardware for the organic art can help or hurt depending on the card.

[@oglothenerd]

[38:58] Listening to this video in the background while working on video game textures, and I can't remember if the word "cursor" ended in an "er" or an "or". And then, I see the spelling in the video! Awesome!

[@kevinwetsch5209]

I always enjoyed the Windows 98 startup sound.

[@madekillasam1553]

i wish we could turn back time to the good old days

[@hsdkitty-chan_official]

This is great!

[@registradus]

There was also a "Microsoft edition" of Organic Art that used all Microsoft images (Start button etc)

[@BrokenCircus]

The Cityscape screensaver is my favourite ever. It's so dumb and I love it

[@goqwertygo]

You know you can take all the old windows screensavers and themes and put them on WIndows 10. You have to locate everything manually and save everything in your windows directory. then set all the sounds, Icons, coursers and wallpapers manually. The maze screen saver is hilariously fast on a modern PC😂 Video suggestion challenge maybe 🤔import all the theme content to a Windows 10/11 PC and manually set up a complete wallpaper, screensaver, sounds, icons, and coursers theme on a modern PC bonus challenge get all the pinball sound effects and make a windows 10 sound theme with them😄👍 I would use some of those sounds with the science or inside your PC sound themes. its a bit tedious, I've done it on my main desktop. My laptop I just have inside your computer desktop wallpaper❤

[@squ1dd13]

30:32 “this is science fiction, you’ve got some… some science fiction going on here” as michael tries to describe what he’s seeing made me laugh so much

[@MCPesari]

cool video mjd!

[@MikeFromDownUnder]

Love this❗❤

[@KrashyKharma]

It was ALL about the Jungle theme for me

[@registradus]

The science fiction theme background is from the organic art screensaver!

[@neophytealpha]

Had plus packs for 95 and 98. Went upgrade pack, 3.11, 95, 98, XP. So I had all the stuff from each of the versions.

[@archivethearchives]

That mario wallpaper is a worthy candidate for being a mainstay on this channel.

[@archivethearchives]

Also, you have a very enjoyable voice. B) good to hear someone talking about computer things.

[@BrunoHuerta24]

Grandeee michael mjd

[@SetariM]

Norton used to also have a virus vault that showed you what the viruses looked like, etc. I could never find it again before our W98 computer was scrapped :

[@britishagent]

You can make Plus98 work on Windows 10 by setting it’s .exe to run as administrator and making it launch in 98/ME compatibility mode in properties. However the only part that works well are the sound effects. It’s only the sounds that i liked anyway as the colour schemes and other graphics are too low-res to be any good anyway and may crash out.

[@soupinacan5955]

what the fuck... that ad read transition was so flawless it should be classified as a jumpscare

[@Kevin-jb2pv]

"Inside Your Computer" was my main theme for years and years.

[@Roboterpunk]

Ah true 90s Microsoft Experience. Thanks for taking us old folks back.

[@deyhoogaming]

fun fact: GID files are just files that help file create automatically so they are 100% safe to delete,cuz if you open .hlp file with the same name as .gid one it will create this thing again and i'm 100% sure it won't break anything, its like index file that fastens the process of searching through that file

[@Thiesi]

2:28 - Hi Michael, I just wanted to let you know that _Webmaster_ is actually a job description because it seems you confused it with the funny wording _Web master_ on that card. I think it's really important to point this out to you and thus _correcting_ you because you not specifically defining what a _Webmaster_ is in the video is IMHO pretty strong evidence you're not fully aware of what this term actually describes. And if you are wondering why I felt the need to leave a comment _correcting_ you on this important matter - it's because _I correct therefore I am._

[@VoVilliaCorp]

The space theme was my favorite from my childhood

[@c.r.4742]

a long and depressing winter.. everyone does these 30-60min videos today.

[@elija3924]

Hey Michael! Love all your videos. Take this dollar (USD) as a thank you for the amazing content. Merry Christmas (early cuz it's the 23rd for me)

[@MichaelMJD]

Thank you so much!

[@elija3924]

@@MichaelMJD np bro

[@BiohazardX9]

There was one thing missing, in disk cleanup there was an add on for registry cleaner but it was accessed in disk cleanup app.

[@ChrisLincoln]

I definitely played that Marbles game

[@davethewastelander8326]

I have 3 discs of win98 both editions, I love it

[@britishagent]

Back in the days when Microsoft made PC’s fun for everyone before they become a corporate dinosaur. Remember their video wallpaper “Dreamscene”, well that was their last “fun” release that they pulled and even removed the code so it can’t be reactivated. Well done Microsoft, your development team get the BORING badge !,

[@Austin_159]

Damn that golf game actually looks like a pretty good game and good graphics for 1998.

[@TestECull]

30:12 I want that whole UI back, unaltered, in its entirety. I want my computer to look like I'm still using windows 98. If the next Windows offers that...and gives me control over whether it can phone home for an update...I'll probably move from Windows 7 to it.

[@schreiberstein]

29:07 😂😂😂 Good advice!

[@arthurmartinsgoncalves6468]

Inside Your Computer was the goat i grew up on Win7 btw

[@Ryuujin1024]

10:54 I think that is the voice of Liam Neeson.

[@Daniel-be6cj]

lose your marbles brings back good memories

[@TheCoolDave]

I had/still have the plus pack for the 95, 98 and XP.... The XP version still works on Windows 11 (most feature, not all)

[@meligarcia]

At least we get to play Golf 98 this time

[@sutorippuwebmaster8783]

"Thankfully we don't have any viruses..." *danooct1 flailing in the distance*

[@LovelyAlanna]

I still play Lose Your Marbles regularly, the last bonus round is so hard I've beaten the game only once

[@PlantedWave5190]

Fun Fact: Lose Your Marbles was also available as a standalone game, and is even available as part of the SEGA Puzzle Pack for PC, alongside Columns III and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine.

[@PlantedWave5190]

Another fun fact: SEGA Puzzle Pack was the second volume in the SEGA Smash Pack trilogy for PC, known in Japan as SEGA Archives from USA.

[@Retro80sMan1]

PINGUS

[@PlantedWave5190]

@@Retro80sMan1 Snooping as usual, I see?

[@summerishere2868]

You need to find a CRT for the complete experience. :)

[@Zoditu]

Is the "Send to" from the Compress Folder really a feature that took up to Windows 7 to be part of Windows Explorer?

[@sadrhogollsodia9505]

I miss getting instruction booklets with things. What's the matter with getting physical copies of the things you own; especially if you keep them in good condition or discard electronics properly when broken? You could even better learn to fix the electronics yourself.

[@troyBORG]

you keep missing the 2nd part of the swing, I'm guessing your suppose to click on the first line that appears and click again on the 2nd. not just let it go all the way to the bottom of the thing (Talking about the golf game)

[@ksrele]

Where is TalkIt program? I remember playing with it in Plus packet, only I don't know is it in Plus 95 or Plus 98...

[@tailsprower9542]

40:08 that Mario folder tho...

[@tailsprower9542]

29:10 wym 0_0 that sound was kinda sus tho lol!

[@RaptorNet]

So inside your computer is part of the standard Win98 install?

[@wiredmind]

I used to use that more Windows theme back on win7 too, I remember being really disappointed when I moved to 10 and it stopped working :(

[@typingcat]

09:52 You have entered, POWER DRIVE!

[@FlipidusX]

the deluxe CD player was shipped with windows 2000 by default

[@EdgeOfPanic]

I Still have nightmares from the sound themes because somebody in the student house I lived used it all day long. Even to this day the first thing I do is turn all sounds off when I get a new computer 😅