Monday, July 10th 2023

"Windows Update Restored" Project Launched to Support Legacy Operating Systems

by
T0@st
 Discuss (36 Comments)
The Windows Update Restored project was launched not along ago—this community led initiative aims to fill a gap, once occupied by official Microsoft support. The team wants to "restore the legacy Windows Update websites, (allowing) older operating systems (Windows 95, NT 4.0, 98, Me, 2000, and XP) to obtain updates like they used to." Volunteers have so far made the service available to users actively running Windows 95, 98 (& SE), and NT 4.0. Their system is currently limited to a clone of the Windows Update v3.1 website (of 1997 vintage). They hope to get Update v4 (2001) and Update v5 (2004) running in the future. It is stressed to visitors of the page that their project is not affiliated at all with Microsoft, and users are at risk of exposure to security exploits—given the outdated nature of older variants of Windows OS and the recreated update sources.

The Windows Update Restored mission statement reads: "Ever since 2011 when Microsoft pulled the plug on nearly all the Windows Update websites, the Windows Update feature for older Windows operating systems was no longer functional. The only way to install updates after that point was through external third-party installers which didn't cover all the updates that the operating system would fully support. So, with this project, we can now update operating systems as old as Windows 95 all the way through Windows XP RTM like we used to back in the day. The Windows Update Website provides users with security updates, optional updates, driver updates, and other types of software for the operating system. This project only restores the Windows Update website, not the Automatic Updates feature. To find out more about the Windows Update Website and what it does, follow this link."
TecAdam states: "In this video, we will look at Windows Update Restored, the new way to update old Windows operating systems. This revives the old Windows Update websites so you can relive the classic Windows Update experience from the 90s and early 2000s."


Links
Microsoft Windows Update v3/v4/v5 (MSFN Thread): msfn.org/board/topic/183394-microsoft-windows-update-v3v4v5
Windows Update Restored Discord Server: discord.gg/Aqp4GgnWAg
Windows Update Restored Website: windowsupdaterestored.com
Sources: Windows Central, Tom's Hardware, Windows Update Restored Project Site

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36 Comments on "Windows Update Restored" Project Launched to Support Legacy Operating Systems

#1
Dr. Dro
This is amazing. It worked perfectly on the first try on Windows NT 4.0, and turns out I was still missing much from what I could gather from an offline update medium. I still consider it extremely irresponsible that Microsoft took the update servers and their old Download Center down. I know they wanted people to upgrade but that was the worst move they ever made. Hope that someday the guys behind this project manage to bring the Center back. That would be amazing.
Posted on Reply
#2
Assimilator
I can't wait until their servers get hacked and people running ancient OSes without virus protection get pwned.
Posted on Reply
#3
Dr. Dro
AssimilatorI can't wait until their servers get hacked and people running ancient OSes without virus protection get pwned.
Sad thing is that I see that happening. This is a thousand times more intuitive and safer (not due to security risks, but user error) than the myriad standalone hotfix installers you can download off archive.org. I keep this VM around out of nostalgia, I miss Windows 95/98 and the simpler days but I definitely don't miss the unstable garbage they were.
Posted on Reply
#4
R-T-B
AssimilatorI can't wait until their servers get hacked and people running ancient OSes without virus protection get pwned.
If you are smart you'd update and immediately take the machine offline, preferably behind a helluva restrictive firewall.
Posted on Reply
#5
Assimilator
Dr. DroSad thing is that I see that happening. This is a thousand times more intuitive and safer (not due to security risks, but user error) than the myriad standalone hotfix installers you can download off archive.org. I keep this VM around out of nostalgia, I miss Windows 95/98 and the simpler days but I definitely don't miss the unstable garbage they were.
Because NT 4.0 was the pinnacle of stability???
Posted on Reply
#6
R-T-B
AssimilatorBecause NT 4.0 was the pinnacle of stability???
Compared to the 9x kernel family it was, yes. NT always faired better than that mess. Hell, IBMs OS/2 was my preferred OS back then, and it was way better than 9x as well.
Posted on Reply
#7
Assimilator
R-T-BCompared to the 9x kernel family it was, yes. NT always faired better than that mess. Hell, IBMs OS/2 was my preferred OS back then, and it was way better than 9x as well.
Oh yeah, I know that first-hand. Was just pointing out that NT 4.0, while it may have been a paragon of stability compared to the 9x kernel, isn't exactly what I'd consider reliable by today's standards.

God I'm old.
Posted on Reply
#8
R-T-B
AssimilatorGod I'm old.
All us 90s kids are getting there too. Age spares no one.
Posted on Reply
#9
Dr. Dro
R-T-BAll us 90s kids are getting there too. Age spares no one.
One week until I leave my twenties behind, I know the feeling :oops:
Posted on Reply
#10
Dyatlov A
Cool, i will fire up the Win 95 Voodoo2 SLI system and check it :)
Posted on Reply
#11
Solaris17
Super Dainty Moderator
AssimilatorI can't wait until their servers get hacked and people running ancient OSes without virus protection get pwned.
Agreed this is a disaster waiting to happen. I just wonder what will come first. Bringing the service down? Or distributing malware via the network to machines that have no business being online.
Posted on Reply
#12
R-T-B
Solaris17Agreed this is a disaster waiting to happen. I just wonder what will come first. Bringing the service down? Or distributing malware via the network to machines that have no business being online.
Honestly if I have a legacy gaming rig that needs to run true dos games online, my goto is STILL OS/2 because security through obscurity works in this odd case: No ones got time to make malware for that shit.

Still would never advise it for anything remotely important.
Posted on Reply
#13
TechLurker
This would be nice for my older 95, 98, and XP computers that I keep around mainly more for the old games and impulsive nostalgia moments that work perfectly fine on them. Though it's a bit saddening when I occasionally load up old FF or IE and find all those old bookmared websites long-since dead and defunct.

That said, are there any worthwhile anti-malware/anti-virus programs that would be ideal for them for the duration of the update process? I forget what AV/AM software is out there that works well and is still actually compatible with legacy OS's.
Posted on Reply
#14
N3utro
What a terrible idea. It's going to give some people the false feeling of having a secured OS while even with all updates it will still be an exploit hellhole
TechLurkerThis would be nice for my older 95, 98, and XP computers that I keep around mainly more for the old games and impulsive nostalgia moments that work perfectly fine on them. Though it's a bit saddening when I occasionally load up old FF or IE and find all those old bookmared websites long-since dead and defunct.

That said, are there any worthwhile anti-malware/anti-virus programs that would be ideal for them for the duration of the update process? I forget what AV/AM software is out there that works well and is still actually compatible with legacy OS's.
No antivirus can protect you from an OS exploit. Plus nothing tells you the updates you're going to download through this website are not viruses themselves. After an OS is no longer updated just never connect it to internet again
Posted on Reply
#15
A Computer Guy
R-T-BAll us 90s kids are getting there too. Age spares no one.
I whip out this background when I'm feeling nostalgic and set to tile mode.

Posted on Reply
#16
lemonadesoda
Mixed feelings.

Make sure you put any old machine behind a solid firewall, all doors closed, such as sophos, pfsense, opensense, etc. Better an airgap.

I tell you what i would like however; the classic windows update concept where i was in control of the updating!
Posted on Reply
#17
mclaren85
Who will get benefit that kind of nonsensical effort anyway?
Posted on Reply
#18
A Computer Guy
mclaren85Who will get benefit that kind of nonsensical effort anyway?
Maybe if a government wanted to infiltrate Iranian nuclear control facilities running Windows 95b or US election machines running Windows XP? (it's just a wild guess)
Posted on Reply
#19
bobbybluz
R-T-BHonestly if I have a legacy gaming rig that needs to run true dos games online, my goto is STILL OS/2 because security through obscurity works in this odd case: No ones got time to make malware for that shit.

Still would never advise it for anything remotely important.
Harry Truman was President when I was created.
Posted on Reply
#20
ymdhis
This was tried once before, anyone remember Windizupdate?
Posted on Reply
#21
Dr. Dro
N3utroNo antivirus can protect you from an OS exploit. Plus nothing tells you the updates you're going to download through this website are not viruses themselves. After an OS is no longer updated just never connect it to internet again
Seems to be legit. Your suggestion to just ignore updates entirely and never connect the system to the internet for any purpose, while sound, isn't entirely viable because updates to vintage versions of Windows add essential functionality and extremely important fixes to them, to the point I would argue that a naked install aren't even close to fully usable. And the older the media and/or OS version the worse the issue is.

This is particularly a problem on Windows NT, which was a single OS covered through the entire lifetime of the 9x series... naked Windows NT 4.0 and a fully updated installation with Revised SP6a is arguably more radical a difference than upgrading it to Windows 2000 altogether.
Posted on Reply
#22
eidairaman1
The Exiled Airman
lemonadesodaMixed feelings.

Make sure you put any old machine behind a solid firewall, all doors closed, such as sophos, pfsense, opensense, etc. Better an airgap.

I tell you what i would like however; the classic windows update concept where i was in control of the updating!
Its why I killed WUD on 11
Posted on Reply
#23
A Computer Guy
lemonadesodaMixed feelings.

Make sure you put any old machine behind a solid firewall, all doors closed, such as sophos, pfsense, opensense, etc. Better an airgap.

I tell you what i would like however; the classic windows update concept where i was in control of the updating!
Back in the day I used ZoneAlarm
Posted on Reply
#24
JAB Creations
AssimilatorI can't wait until their servers get hacked and people running ancient OSes without virus protection get pwned.
I can't wait until people who make comments with zero value learn that they're wasting everyone's time and find something productive to do with their time instead.
Posted on Reply
#25
sepheronx
Dr. DroOne week until I leave my twenties behind, I know the feeling :oops:
you are young.
Posted on Reply
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