Windows 95, 98, and other decrepit versions can grab online updates again

Retro-computing fans can download the final updates released for '90s-era
OSes.

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.


https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/07/windows-95-98-and-other-decrepit-versio ns-can-grab-online-updates-again/

or

https://bbs.lc/W8A2k


Jay

... When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2023/04/30 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Northern Realms (21:3/110)

Retro-computing fans can download the final updates released for '90s-era OSes.

I'm glad someone did that. I know it doesn't make the systems secure, with the latest updates being quite old, but there was a variety of important things that came out after the initial release on a disc.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/24 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)

On 11 Jul 2023 at 12:14p, Warpslide pondered and said...

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

interesting, I just came across this the other day, I was wondering if it would really be 'safe' to trust those updates?

Kerr Avon [Blake's 7] 'I'm not expendable, I'm not stupid and I'm not going' avon[at]bbs.nz | bbs.nz | fsxnet.nz

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On 12 Jul 2023, Avon said the following...

interesting, I just came across this the other day, I was wondering if
it would really be 'safe' to trust those updates?

That's a good question. I suppose if someone wanted to run malware on my 1 core CPU, 128MB RAM Windows 98 SE VM, they'd have to write some pretty efficient code.

I tried the site yesterday and was able to download one update and then the site seemed to stop working, so I'm not 100% sure it's ready for primetime.


Jay

... What did the coffee report to the police? A mugging

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2023/04/30 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Northern Realms (21:3/110)

interesting, I just came across this the other day, I was wondering if
it would really be 'safe' to trust those updates?

I mean, there's absolutely nothing "safe" about running Windows 95 or 98, regardless.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/24 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)

On 12 Jul 2023 at 05:52p, Adept pondered and said...

interesting, I just came across this the other day, I was wondering i it would really be 'safe' to trust those updates?

I mean, there's absolutely nothing "safe" about running Windows 95 or 98, regardless.

which is a little bit why I am thinking 'why' offer such a service?

Kerr Avon [Blake's 7] 'I'm not expendable, I'm not stupid and I'm not going' avon[at]bbs.nz | bbs.nz | fsxnet.nz

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Agency BBS | Dunedin, New Zealand | agency.bbs.nz (21:1/101)

On 12 Jul 2023 at 05:52p, Adept pondered and said...

interesting, I just came across this the other day, I was

wondering i

it would really be 'safe' to trust those updates?

I mean, there's absolutely nothing "safe" about running Windows 95 or

98,

regardless.

which is a little bit why I am thinking 'why' offer such a service?

Non-Internet connected gaming systems? It's about the only use I can think
of, possibly in a non-connected VM.

---
Shurato, Sysop Shurato's Heavenly Sphere (telnet, pop3, ftp, nntp)
(ports 23, 110, 21, 119) shsbbs.net


*** THE READER V4.50 [freeware]
---
* Origin: Shurato's Heavenly Sphere telnet://shsbbs.net (21:2/148)

On 12 Jul 2023, Shurato said the following...

Non-Internet connected gaming systems? It's about the only use I can think of, possibly in a non-connected VM.

i see no real issue running a DOS bbs on it.. assuming you can get the software to run on it. if you're a hobbiest and write your own software for it, even better. if the machine starts out fresh-install-clean and you don't use it for anything else you're golden.

i might be a bit more concerned with XP since a good chunk of chinese users still use it and there are still browsers backported to it.. "convenience temptation" perhaps to browse around for door game serials and whatnot with it. same for windows 7, and it gets antivirus/malware updates still..

basically any malware you'd get will come from the browser, or warez. i don't really know why you'd be running photoshop on your bbs or retro gaming machine or whatever. and if you didn't get it from a cdrip on archive.org well.. oof ;) even still, irc-based botnets were popular.. and i'd guess the second your pc joined a botnet channel you'd be k-lined.. all this stuff has been discovered for 20 years..

i'd totally run a bbs on '98 .. too bad all the telnet bbs stuff for it is crusty af

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/25 (Windows/32)
* Origin: cold fusion - cfbbs.net - grand rapids, mi (21:1/616)

Adept wrote to Warpslide <=-

I'm glad someone did that. I know it doesn't make the systems secure,
with the latest updates being quite old, but there was a variety of important things that came out after the initial release on a disc.

There are some important Y2k fixes floating out there - I don't know if Microsoft released them or if they were 3rd party, but I've got them in
a NAS folder just in case...



... Did you find what you were looking for?
--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
* Origin: realitycheckBBS.org -- information is power. (21:4/122)

Avon wrote to Warpslide <=-

interesting, I just came across this the other day, I was wondering if
it would really be 'safe' to trust those updates?

It would be interesting to see someone create a web application firewall
in a container catering to protecting old insecure systems. Updates
wouldn't be possible without someone paying for the infrastructure, but

Not sure if this is feasible, but interesting to think about creating a
legacy LAN with a different firewall at home.



... Did you find what you were looking for?
--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
* Origin: realitycheckBBS.org -- information is power. (21:4/122)

Avon wrote to Warpslide <=-

interesting, I just came across this the other day, I was wondering if
it would really be 'safe' to trust those updates?

Most of the legacy updates I've seen are developed with good intentions. There's a possibility of a supply-chain intrusion where the repositories
are compromised, but the risk of that seems pretty low.

Low, that is, unless you have a specific high-value target we discover
is running Windows95 or OS/2 on a cash-facing system...

Windows95 Ransomware? I think most Windows95 installs now are
throwaways or secondary (at best) systems.

Windows95 botnet? The slowest DDOS in town!


... Did you find what you were looking for?
--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
* Origin: realitycheckBBS.org -- information is power. (21:4/122)

Warpslide wrote to Avon <=-

That's a good question. I suppose if someone wanted to run malware on
my 1 core CPU, 128MB RAM Windows 98 SE VM, they'd have to write some pretty efficient code.

Now, if someone could write malware that did remote code execution
against the host OS, that'd be interesting. Way too niche to be
practical unless we're going for artisanal, bespoke botnets.



... Where is the center of the maze?
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I mean, there's absolutely nothing "safe" about running Windows 95 or regardless.

which is a little bit why I am thinking 'why' offer such a service?

Because it's safer than running the CD versions. But also because there were a variety of feature updates, too. Without this sort of service, the feature updates are also lost.

And, yeah, no one should be running Windows 95/98 systems exposed directly to the internet, but... we're on a network that includes systems approaching 4 decades old. Of _course_ this sort of thing should exist, just like of _course_ FSXnet should exist.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/24 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)

Adept wrote to Avon <=-

I mean, there's absolutely nothing "safe" about running Windows 95 or
98, regardless.

Take out the network card and play games, maybe? :)


... Don't be frightened of cliches
--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
* Origin: realitycheckBBS.org -- information is power. (21:4/122)

I mean, there's absolutely nothing "safe" about running Windows 95 or 98, regardless.

Take out the network card and play games, maybe? :)

Peak computing was when computers were air-gapped, right?

I wonder how good Apple //e games would be, at this point...

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/24 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)

Re: Windows 95, 98 can grab online updates again
By: Warpslide to All on Tue Jul 11 2023 12:14 pm

Windows 95, 98, and other decrepit versions can grab online updates again

I heard about this.. Years ago, I remember using Windiz Update for old versions of Windows, but I think that site went down.

Also, after all this time, I'm a little surprised nobody has made install discs for those old versions of Windows that include all the updates on the install disc so you don't have to download a bunch of updates after installing. But maybe that's not possible with Windows 9x? I do remember with Windows 2000, XP and later, you could 'inject' updates & such into the install media.

Nightfox
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