Upgrading the base components included with Windows 98 SE (like IE 5.0 and DirectX 6.1) is critical for software compatibility.
Ironically, Win98 SE was the "Y2K compliant" version, but rollup patches were still required. windows 98 se official updates
If you are performing a clean install of Windows 98 SE today, follow this chronological order to avoid dependency hell. Upgrading the base components included with Windows 98