'Windows Update Restored' Site Provides Updates for Classic Windows Versions

Windows Update Restored project — (Image credit: Windows Update Restored)

A community-based project recently went live, providing access to the long-lost Windows Update pages, which work with classic versions of Windows to enable updating the OS. The Windows Update Restored site enables updating some classic versions of Windows, and the team members are busy getting their update locations ready. The team eventually hopes to provide service to those installing and updating systems with Windows 95, NT 4.0, 98, Me, 2000, and XP. The site's compatibility pages also have Windows Server 2003, plus Windows "Vista and Newer" entries, indicating they could eventually be part of the roadmap.

Right now, the update site that is working and available is limited to a clone of the Windows Update v3.1 website (1997), which covers Windows 95, NT 4.0, and Windows 98 (and SE). The folks behind the project flag to site visitors that isn't an official Microsoft-backed project, and neither are the update pages it links to. Use these pages at your own risk, they warn, and they also stress that the update pages are for "archival purposes only." However, the below video shows that this site is functional for updating an OS.

The above video demo walkthrough shows likely scenarios that ancient Windows version users will encounter. At the start of the video, updating Windows 95 looks extremely quick and easy. After firing up the default Internet Explorer (works in v5 and v5.5), the user hits the 'Product Updates' button on the left column of the site. A 'Security Warning' pops up, where you must accept the authenticity of the Windows Update Control Package. Then a 'Please Wait' prompt appears to be replaced by a page full of checkboxes allowing you to select the updates that have been detected to be useful for your Windows system.

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Watching this first Windows 95 update example unfold, it is startling to see download sizes so small relative to what we're used to today. The critical updates package offered to this OS was just 3.1 MB, a security update weighed in at just 124 KB, and the biggest download we saw was DirectX 8a (recommended, optional) at 11.2 MB. Multiple update page visits and PC restarts might be needed to complete the updating process.

Elsewhere in the video, you will see similar demonstrations with other aged OSes. Specifically, the video host also uses the Windows Update Restored v3.1 site to update Windows NT4 to Service Pack 6a and Windows 98 SE with many critical and optional packages. All critical updates for these OSes should be available now, but some optional updates aren't linked at the time of writing. For example, DX8.1 currently won't be downloaded and installed in Windows 95, even if you check the box on the update page.

Windows Update pages which work their similar updating magic on Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and support for Windows Vista or Newer are still being prepared. No timescale has been given for these pages appearing, so you will have to wait and see or check on the project's MSFN Forum posts. Windows Me and Windows 2000 are also not yet covered by the update service, but the video mentions a "near future" launch target for support for these OSes.

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Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.

47 Comments Comment from the forums

COLGeek

What can possibly go wrong with this?

While interesting, it is time to let these OSes go.
Reply
mitch074

COLGeek said:
What can possibly go wrong with this?

While interesting, it is time to let these OSes go.
Retro computing is a thing. A marginal one, indeed, but still. And these old OSes didn't have slip streaming like Win2000/XP and more recent that allowed creating "final" ISOs with all published fixes integrated.
Reply
Friesiansam

COLGeek said:
What can possibly go wrong with this?

While interesting, it is time to let these OSes go.
I strongly suspect most people using this service, will be retro computing enthusiasts, who will be fully aware of the risks of using very outdated OSes.
Reply
USAFRet

Friesiansam said:
I strongly suspect most people using this service, will be retro computing enthusiasts, who will be fully aware of the risks of using very outdated OSes.
Most, yes.
But not all.
And those others are those who are the problem.
Reply
And as this isn't Microsoft sanctioned just who is going to be vetting these updates to ensure nothing nefarious is going on? Bad idea all the way around.
Reply
ezst036

Seeing screenshots like these brings back fond memories. It's kind of sad in a way.

Often times with W95/98 it was the little things. I liked the extension packs and stuff that had extra sounds, and I also liked the power packs that would offer more tweak settings. Playing games was fun, browsing the internet was fun, seeing those old websites with the weird and funky html banners, it was all fun. Microsoft was there to help, Windows was there to add ease, and nothing(or very little) got in anybody's way.

I don't know about what everybody else thinks, but it seems to me like the browser wars is really where Microsoft went off the rails. As a full time Linux user now, there's probably always going to be a part of me (but back then) that misses those old 95/98 days, and even 2000, which was the last MS operating system I cared to use. Microsoft stopped being fun to use like they used to be.

Steven Vaughan-Nichols has a good write up about the Netscape situation: https://www.zdnet.com/home-and-office/networking/how-ie-really-beat-netscape/
Maybe Microsoft always was this way, but it seems to some people like me that while they were competitive, which is one thing and that's not a problem, but when they crossed over into being anti-competitive they just became bullies. That's just their corporate culture now. It shines through on so many different things they offer now, like Windows Update in that screenshot above, which used to be somewhat clunky but it was never dreaded. I did used to look at Windows Update and think to myself "wow, they are trying to be helpful, they are trying to make this even easier. That's great. It's not quite working as it should yet, but I'm looking forward to when they get there". Then later on Microsoft just continued until they're the MS we know today, best (probably) exemplified by the TPM 2.0 controversy.

Everything that MS is today, TPM 2.0 is - the - statement. Microsoft doesn't just bully their business rivals, they bully their own customers. Windows Update is not helpful, it strikes fear into people. It sucks. WU isn't what it used to be.

Microsoft! We are not your competition we're users! Stop treating people this way! Stop bullying us!

And that's why for the last 15 years they keep losing marketshare. They have deserved every -1% loss, it's been well-fought-for. And Microsoft is to this very minute, working as hard as they can to lose another -1% tomorrow. I really hope they more -1%s. They're adding up quite nicely.

Maybe when Microsoft only has 40% of the OS market left, that will be the wallop they need across their head to wake up and realize what they've done. I just don't know what its going to take. They're down below 70% now and you would think that would be enough.
Reply
Friesiansam

USAFRet said:
Most, yes.
But not all.
And those others are those who are the problem.
I shouldn't think "those others" even bother with updates, let alone use the site in the article.
Reply
USAFRet

Friesiansam said:
I shouldn't think "those others" even bother with updates, let alone use the site in the article.
And this is how we got the WannaCry virus.
Reply
Amdlova

That good news who want a retro pc updated :)
Reply
Ogotai

might have to take a close look at this page, have quite a few old games that i might want to make a comp for that i even still have old hardware for. might be fun to see if my old K6 3 or K7s,and FX 60 still boot :-)
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