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Retro-computing fans can download the final updates released for '90s-era OSes. The Windows 95 desktop. Andrew Cunningham If you have any interest in retro-computing, you know it can be difficult to round up the last official bug fixes and updates available for early Internet-era versions of Windows like 95, 98, and NT 4.0. A new independent project called "Windows Update Restored" is aiming to fix that, hosting lightly modified versions of old Windows Update sites and the update files themselves so that fresh installs of these old operating systems can grab years' worth of fixes that aren't present on old install CDs and disks. These old versions of Windows relied primarily on a Windows Update web app to function rather than built-in updaters like the ones used in current Windows versions. Microsoft took down the version of the site that could scan and update Windows 95 and 98 sometime in mid-2011. The Windows Update Restored site is a lightly modified version of Microsoft's original code, and the site itself doesn't use any kind of SSL or TLS encryption, so ancient Internet Explorer versions can still access it without modification. You'll need at least Internet Explorer 5 to access the Windows Update Restored update sites; that browser is no longer available directly from Microsoft, but the Windows Update Restored site offers download links to IE5 and IE5.5 in all supported languages. Version 3.1 of the Windows Update Restored site—the only one currently functioning, though support for others is planned—supports Windows 95, both editions of Windows 98, NT 4.0, ME, and some versions of Windows 2000 (but not the newest version, with Service Pack 4 installed). If you're using an early-2000s Windows version like 2000 or XP, a similar project called Legacy Update might be a better choice. Windows 2000 and XP updates are still available from Microsoft's Update Catalog, and Legacy Update simply allows those older operating systems to communicate with the company's modern websites and servers. A straightforward reimplementation of Windows Update is useful for retro-computing enthusiasts who want to download bug fixes while keeping their systems historically accurate. "Unofficial service packs" exist in various forms for all of Microsoft's old operating systems, but they're usually packaged with "helpful" modifications that can extend old operating systems' capabilities but also introduce their own bugs and vulnerabilities. It should go without saying that even a functioning version of Windows Update doesn't make any of these operating systems safe to use on the modern Internet. Updates for Windows 95 stopped in 2001; Windows 98 and ME stopped getting new updates in 2006. The existence of a functioning update site doesn't change the age of the updates available. Modern browsers, antivirus products, and other software stopped supporting these OSes years ago, and they're best used for non-Internet-connected things like playing games, interfacing with legacy hardware, and strolling down memory lane. Some outfits, like Nixsys, are still selling new systems powered by old components, specifically for running old versions of MS-DOS and Windows. Source

Let's face facts: Microsoft has had its share of blunders over the decades, from the launch of Windows 8, to the Xbox 360's Red Ring of Death, to Clippy. However, one of the most memorable gaffs in the company's history happened 25 years ago today, on April 20, 1998. At the time, Microsoft was still developing Windows 98, the successor to the highly successful launch of its Windows 95 OS. During a keynote address at the annual COMDEX trade show in Chicago, Microsoft co-founder and, at that time, CEO, Bill Gates was promoting the development of Windows 98, which was at that time just a few weeks from going gold in May, and officially launching in June 1998. During the presentation, Gates was joined by his assistant Chris Capossela. He wanted to demonstrate the Plug and Play support that was included in Windows 98 to quickly connect external input devices and have them "just work" with the PC. Capossela showed this off by connecting a scanner to a Windows 98 PC. He was talking about how the PC recognized the scanner and it started to load its drivers. And then . . . Well, the Windows 98 PC quickly flashed the infamous Blue Screen of Death. The attendees at the keynote address quickly erupted into applause. We would like to think most of them were sympathetic to Capossela's situation. We have all been there when a major presentation in front of our boss didn't go according to plan. It may just not have happened with thousands of other people watching. To his credit, Capossela kept his composure on stage when the BSOD appeared, and quickly said. "Moving right along . . ." Gates also seemed to give Capossela some slack. Gates was smiling as he stated, "That must be why we are not shipping Windows 98 yet." While the Blue Screen of Death was not created with Windows 98, that COMDEX keynote certainly popularized this "feature" of Microsoft's Windows operating systems. The BSOD continues to appear on PCs, including the recent Windows 11, so it's clear Microsoft doesn't want to redesign its colour for that kind of near-feature PC issues. By the way, Chris Capossela recovered very nicely from that Windows 98 blunder. He's currently the Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Microsoft. However, we do wonder if he has flashbacks to that COMDEX event 25 years ago. The infamous Windows 98 "Blue Screen of Death" event happened 25 years ago today