{"id":1530,"date":"2006-07-25T23:12:21","date_gmt":"2006-07-25T17:42:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/run-firefox-in-windows-95-and-98-original-release\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T13:54:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T08:24:14","slug":"run-firefox-in-windows-95-and-98-original-release","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/run-firefox-in-windows-95-and-98-original-release\/","title":{"rendered":"Firefox on Windows 98 and Windows 95: Last Versions and What to Do in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Can you run <strong>firefox on windows 98<\/strong> or Windows 95? Back in 2006, several of my friends still used Windows 95 and wanted Firefox, so I looked into it. This article covers which Firefox versions supported these old systems, how people got Firefox working on Windows 95, and what you should do with an old Windows 95 or 98 PC in 2026.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-67141\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/firefox-windows-95-98-2026-1024x538.webp\" alt=\"Firefox on Windows 95 and Windows 98\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/firefox-windows-95-98-2026-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/firefox-windows-95-98-2026-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/firefox-windows-95-98-2026-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/firefox-windows-95-98-2026-768x403.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/firefox-windows-95-98-2026.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> Firefox 2.0.0.20 was the last version that ran on an unmodified Windows 98 or Windows Me, and Firefox 1.5 was the last to support Windows 95. Current Firefox needs Windows 10 or later. These old browsers get no security updates, so don&#8217;t use them on the open internet; upgrade the PC or install a lightweight modern system instead.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aeeb56f8e3b9\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aeeb56f8e3b9\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/run-firefox-in-windows-95-and-98-original-release\/#Firefox_on_Windows_98_and_95_in_2006\" >Firefox on Windows 98 and 95 in 2006<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/run-firefox-in-windows-95-and-98-original-release\/#Last_Firefox_versions_for_Windows_95_98_and_Me\" >Last Firefox versions for Windows 95, 98 and Me<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/run-firefox-in-windows-95-and-98-original-release\/#Should_you_run_Firefox_on_Windows_98_in_2026\" >Should you run Firefox on Windows 98 in 2026?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/run-firefox-in-windows-95-and-98-original-release\/#Better_options_for_an_old_PC\" >Better options for an old PC<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/run-firefox-in-windows-95-and-98-original-release\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/run-firefox-in-windows-95-and-98-original-release\/#What_is_the_last_Firefox_for_Windows_98\" >What is the last Firefox for Windows 98?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/run-firefox-in-windows-95-and-98-original-release\/#What_is_the_last_Firefox_for_Windows_95\" >What is the last Firefox for Windows 95?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/run-firefox-in-windows-95-and-98-original-release\/#Can_I_browse_the_web_safely_with_Windows_98\" >Can I browse the web safely with Windows 98?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/run-firefox-in-windows-95-and-98-original-release\/#What_Windows_version_does_Firefox_need_now\" >What Windows version does Firefox need now?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Firefox_on_Windows_98_and_95_in_2006\"><\/span>Firefox on Windows 98 and 95 in 2006<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Firefox was gaining popularity quickly in 2006, but many people still used Windows 95 even though Microsoft no longer supported it. The official Firefox system requirements at the time asked for at least Windows 98.<\/p>\n<p>A Spread Firefox article pointed me to a guide by John Haller showing how to run Firefox on Windows 95 and the original release of Windows 98. It said that, despite installer problems, Firefox actually worked well under Windows 95, and that much of the advice also applied to Thunderbird and other Mozilla programs.<\/p>\n<p>The guide gave step-by-step instructions, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Updating the Windows Common Controls library.<\/li>\n<li>Applying the Winsock 2 update for Windows 95.<\/li>\n<li>Applying Microsoft&#8217;s library updates for Windows 95 or Windows 98.<\/li>\n<li>Downloading the standard Firefox installer.<\/li>\n<li>Fixing a mouse scroll wheel that didn&#8217;t work in Firefox even though it worked elsewhere.<\/li>\n<li>Uninstalling Firefox by hand, because the uninstaller didn&#8217;t work on Windows 95.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Even then, my advice was to upgrade Windows to enjoy all of Firefox&#8217;s features, since a newer system was faster and more secure.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Last_Firefox_versions_for_Windows_95_98_and_Me\"><\/span>Last Firefox versions for Windows 95, 98 and Me<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Windows 95:<\/strong> Firefox 1.5 was the last version to support it.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Windows 98 and Windows Me:<\/strong> Firefox 2.0.0.20 was the last version to run on an unmodified installation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Firefox 2 support ended<\/strong> on 18 December 2008.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Firefox today:<\/strong> according to the official <a href=\"https:\/\/www.firefox.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Firefox<\/a> system requirements, the current release needs Windows 10 or later.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Should_you_run_Firefox_on_Windows_98_in_2026\"><\/span>Should you run Firefox on Windows 98 in 2026?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>For browsing the web, no. Browsers from 2006-2008 can&#8217;t open most modern secure websites properly and haven&#8217;t had security fixes for many years. Windows 95 and 98 themselves are also long unsupported. Using them online puts your data at risk.<\/p>\n<p>Old Firefox versions on old Windows still have uses offline, for example for retro computing, testing old web pages or running legacy software. Keep such a machine disconnected from the internet, or run Windows 98 inside a virtual machine such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.virtualbox.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">VirtualBox<\/a> on a modern computer.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Better_options_for_an_old_PC\"><\/span>Better options for an old PC<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Upgrade the hardware:<\/strong> more RAM and an SSD can make an older PC usable with a modern system. See my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2022\/12\/upgrade-old-desktop-pc\/\">DIY guide to upgrading an old desktop PC<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Install a lightweight Linux system:<\/strong> many lightweight Linux distributions run on older hardware and include a current Firefox.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use a supported Windows version:<\/strong> if the PC can run Windows 10 or 11, you can install the latest Firefox from the official site.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Replace it:<\/strong> very old Windows 95\/98 hardware is usually better kept as a retro machine and replaced for everyday browsing.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Curious how Firefox looked back then? Read my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/10\/first-experiences-with-firefox-2-web-browser\/\">first experiences with Firefox 2<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_last_Firefox_for_Windows_98\"><\/span>What is the last Firefox for Windows 98?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Firefox 2.0.0.20 was the last version that ran on an unmodified Windows 98 or Windows Me.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_last_Firefox_for_Windows_95\"><\/span>What is the last Firefox for Windows 95?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Firefox 1.5 was the last version to support Windows 95.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_browse_the_web_safely_with_Windows_98\"><\/span>Can I browse the web safely with Windows 98?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No. Neither Windows 98 nor its old browsers get security updates, and most modern sites won&#8217;t load properly.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Windows_version_does_Firefox_need_now\"><\/span>What Windows version does Firefox need now?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The current Firefox release requires Windows 10 or later.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Can you run firefox on windows 98 or Windows 95? Back in 2006, several of my friends still used Windows&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":67141,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-computers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1530"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1530\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67143,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1530\/revisions\/67143"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}