Necroposting...
Bitman you're wrong.
a. see the diehards at msfn. Using kernels/APIs from XP and later they can keep 2K secure, there's even one who has managed to get 2000 to run on a six-core CPU, as for firewalls, Outpost still works.
Myself I just ran out of the time to tinker, it is not for everyone, you have to know what you're doing.
I've moved to an nLited XP for my HTPCs and Win7 SP1 for workstation use but with Aero turned off and the classic desktop theme "Maple" , the machine runs a little faster without Aero.
b. The Plus! pack from Win '98 still functions in 7, I have my red pointers, not black or white, indeed the core of the old 32-bit OS is still there, for the most part it is just the installers that are
the problem, if the utility vendor has moved to VC+2010 because M$ consciously altered the compiler as not to include code for 2000. Like I said that only affects the web installers.
One can still do a 'hard' installation of the core, again see msfn. As for firewall in 7, in order to have more control I added "TinyWall", see it at Majorgeeks.
Anyhoo....enough for a dead thread.
I will either create a new one for my next concern or join if someone else has brought up the query I want to pose.