# Windows Update site says I'm running a Mac



## Alex Ethridge (Apr 10, 2000)

When I attempt to go to the Windows Update site, I get the following error page:

*Thank you for your interest in obtaining updates from our site.

This website is designed to work with Microsoft Windows operating systems only.
To find updates for Microsoft products that are designed for Macintosh operating systems, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/mac/. *

I'm running Windows 98 with IE6. Is this what they are doing to people still running '98 or is there something gone wrong on this system? This is a fresh load of '98.


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## kiwiguy (Aug 17, 2003)

MS support for Windows 98 ceased on July 11, 2006.
Perhaps its a subtle message!


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## Alex Ethridge (Apr 10, 2000)

I work on a Windows 98 system at least once a week and this is the first time I have gotten this message.


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## Geekotheweek (Feb 24, 2007)

Rebuilding pc with me, did first update which was ie6 etc, now get same error.
Following http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=817144 and deleted registry key, now attempts to scan machine but does nothing, sits at 0%. YT$^%#^$^#[email protected]_*(&


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## Geekotheweek (Feb 24, 2007)

Removed ie6 update and now scans again, loading dx9 first, then going to get other criticals before trying ie6 again


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## noterom (Jan 27, 2004)

hi, i posted same problem on the 24/2/07 but on the 25/2/07 everything was back
to windows 98 s.e..
noterom


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## Alex Ethridge (Apr 10, 2000)

Same here.


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## Geekotheweek (Feb 24, 2007)

Had ports redirected for pcanywhere, why that fixed it I don't know, but took care of my situation! 5631 and 5632. Hope it helps!


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## newbii (Oct 15, 2005)

The same Mac warning just happened to me, having Me. Close you internet connection, Right click the IE icon>properties>delete cookies>delete files>delete all offline content then try again. I read this on Microsoft site and it worked for me.


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## Anaxis (Feb 28, 2007)

I have found a number of threads on this subject within the last week. But no body blames microsoft. After trying registry fixes and numerous others this is what worked for me.

http://www.bu.edu/pcsc/internetaccess/winsock2fix.html

download and run winsock fix for windows 98


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## Alex Ethridge (Apr 10, 2000)

I have another Win98 system here and I get that error occasionally. I've found that if I simply turn the machine off and wait until the next morning to try again, it will clear up. Then if I try with the same machine again, the problem is back.

Being suspicious about this, I've started occasionally rebooting my own systems to Windows 98 (dual boot) and I get the error sometimes and then sometimes not. I'm not changing anything or doing any updates, just accessing the Windows 98 update site.

I've come to the conclusion this is not a problem on the individual machines as it is happening to too many people and there has been a world-wide surge (source: Google) in recent months.

I think it's Microsoft running around yelling B-o-o-o, B-o-o-o-o, B-o-o-o-o trying to scare people into Vista.


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## mikekie74 (Mar 1, 2007)

If you open two IE browsers (just have them open) and then fire off Windows Update from Start Programs, Windows Update will take you to the Win 98 update page.

Good luck!

:down: to Microsoft and Vista!


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## seanobrien3 (Mar 3, 2007)

Ive got a pos notebook and all I wanted to do was do some simple spreadsheets for work 
and when I went to ms updates it told me I was running an apple (uhg) thanks for letting me get the updates to run right You saved me soo much work thanks again.
Sean


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## ferdd (Mar 5, 2007)

I have Win ME and experienced the same problem. After reading this forum, decided to try a new approach, and IT WORKED! It seems like you could wait til next day and all seemed to work fine again, so I just rebooted the pc, changed the pc clock to tomorrow's date and tryed again. ALL WORKED FINE. While still in the site, I just changed the clock back to the proper date and finished the site procedures. Hope this helps.


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## Elf-stone (Jan 30, 2005)

Hopefully I can help end some of the confusion with Windows Update for 98/ME leading to the "Thanks anyway but you have a Mac" screen.
It seems to me that Microsoft is having problems with the site that they're not in a hurry to fix.
My experience after a reinstall was that I could not reach Updates for about a half hour. Then I reached it and downloaded critical updates. When I went back to download some optional updates, I got the "Mac" screen again. I just tried again every 15 minutes or so untill I got back on.
Opening two browsers did nothing, deleting cookies and temp internet files did nothing, and the Winsock Fix definately has nothing to do with the problem. I think it was just coincidence that those things seemed to work.

Be patient and keep trying and you'll get there. And prepare for the day when you can't access the 98/ME updates at all.  :down:


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## Alex Ethridge (Apr 10, 2000)

I agree with everything except the part about 'microsoft having a problem'. They aren't having a problem; we are--and I think it is deliberate. It's just another part of the push toward Vista.

You see, at least ten percent of computers out there are still on 9x and ME and Microsoft sees that as a potential source of revenue. It's sort of like the artificial message one gets when he tries to load Windows Defender onto Windows 2000. Windows Defender runs just great and is fully functional on Windows 2000. Thanks to some anonymous techie person who released a 'fix' for the artifical message, I am running Windows Defender on all my 2000 systems.


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## scottieh (Apr 22, 2007)

I was able to resolve the problem with Windows Update on my Windows ME computer by removing all temporary internet files and cookies, and then renaming the \windows\wupdmgr.exe file to .old. I then manually entered the following url in IE:

http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com

This took me to the old windows update website and I was able to download updates.


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## wallie215 (Apr 24, 2006)

Found a website to do updates and I am D/L them now as I type. I knew some one had to have these for all the 98 users
www.w98upg.net.tf


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## edwincupely (Apr 12, 2008)

I was experiencing this problem for a few days as far as I could be aware, and none of the solutions hacking the user agent entry in the registry worked for me. Finally I got a hint from a search in Google that it could be related to a Network Threat Protection Setting in Symantec Endpoint Protection software. Absolutely right, the setting is Enable stealth mode Web browsing under Stealth Settings.

Once you uncheck this setting, you dont even need to restart the pc to get to Windows Updates web page. So If you have any Symantec or Norton antivirus software, or any other brand with this setting, try it before any more advanced solution like getting in the registry or installing / uninstalling the browser or the operating system.


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