Legacy Update, is now a thing

[codezer0]

First heard about it, with this video on Michael MJD's channel talking about it, here...

What's this for? Well, the author of the program/site combination found that many of the files needed to fully update OS's that were since legacy'd out of support are still hosted on Microsoft's servers; though the common denominator is that the update service and the encryption algorithm from those old operating systems is what's no longer supported. Prudent, but still sucks if you have a computer/VM/et al, that cannot just upgrade to a newer, supported environment. Or, like me, you have project builds specifically to run certain Operating Systems.

While I've personally only tested with a pair of machines for Windows XP, the program claims to support Windows 2000, XP, up to 8.1, and the server counterparts. The site will even load directly on a build of Internet Explorer for the old OS (provided you can get online), and the executable appears to simply re-tunnel the updates through their proxy so you can download and update your OS as it was during its actively supported lifetime. Product updates, (dot)net, directx... I can only speak personally from a Windows xp environment, but it was all accounted for. Which is good, because some unofficial service packs unfortunately seem to like breaking stuff when used or integrated ( Looking squarely at the RyanVM USP4 ).

Personally, the only thing that could have made this better for me, is if it was also able to somehow replicate the old WSUSOffline package that would download the updates from their servers and package them in a way to be able to deploy or even make an ISO with a deployable mode where it would automatically update the install offline. Annoyingly, even the LTS build of WSUSOffline now won't go back that far.

 

[Davdi]

Why bother, just install Linux.

 

[nickdalzell]

I go out of my way to disable updates so I don't even care. Heck one of the updates that were already installed on my Dell running Windows 7 kept making DWM.exe repeatedly crash and mess with Aero. Had to uninstall it to fix it. BTW Why is Windows 7 even still getting updates? Wasn't it EOL in 2020? Or, is Pro version still supported?

 

[kate]

Why is Windows 7 even still getting updates?

It appears Windows 7 Pro received paid extended updates until January 10, 2023:

Product Lifecycle FAQ - Extended Security Updates

Lifecycle FAQs around the Extended Security Update program.

learn.microsoft.com

Support for Windows 8.1 ended the same day:

Windows 8.1 support ended on January 10, 2023 - Microsoft Support

Support for Windows 8.1 will end on January 10, 2023. Learn what it means for you and how to move to a supported version of Windows.

support.microsoft.com

 

[codezer0]

Why bother, just install Linux.

Linux doesn't game. No, seriously, it doesn't.

Never had a single Radeon anything be able to give me video under linux.
Never had a single instance of Audigy or X-Fi sound working under Linux, either.

I don't care if the steam deck runs Linux, because it's not like I'm ever going to buy one. The only *nix based anything that hasn't made me want to throw the thing out the nearest window in frustration is OS X; full stop. I'm not interested in buying a Macintosh, either; that's neither here nor there.

Nevermind that, the "not safely removing" behavior of Linux is to just instantly wipe the usb flash drive of data, compared to the relative inconvenience of "you didn't remove this safely" nanny reminder from Windows.

I go out of my way to disable updates so I don't even care. Heck one of the updates that were already installed on my Dell running Windows 7 kept making DWM.exe repeatedly crash and mess with Aero. Had to uninstall it to fix it. BTW Why is Windows 7 even still getting updates? Wasn't it EOL in 2020? Or, is Pro version still supported?

In retail it is. To my understanding, there are certain extended support contracts some businesses did for environments where anything newer would have broken functionality or worse. Hell, a lot of chinese factories that manufacture new silicon for stuff like the RTX gpu's are still running XP because it'd be more than the entire cost of the machine to replace it for something that could run 10 or 11. Since those aren't expected to ever see the internet at large, that shouldn't be a problem.

If Windows 7 is still seeing updates served to them from Microsoft directly (Read: without something like this), it's likely more to do as a side effect of those extended support contracts.

In either case, this is a thing to get an otherwise working system patched up from a fresh install.
☕

 

[nickdalzell]

Linux games fine if you use ProtonDB. Steam includes it by default and all the games except one (Flight Simulator 2020) work. In fact I'd dare say they work better than in Windows. All mods working too, from Fallout 4 to Subnautica.

The one reason my gaming rig runs Linux (Ubuntu Gamepack) is because I despise Windows 10 that much (flat UI design is UGLY!!!) but I wanted the games I was playing to be supported, and Windows 7 stopped supporting most Steam games after Fallout 3 came out, plus wouldn't install on the Ryzen system. I couldn't even boot the USB for Windows 7 it just skipped entirely.
The GPU is a Radeon RX750 and runs fine in Gamepack Linux. Even got Core control to work for overclocking. Your linux issues seem to be from back in the late 1990s when you had to compile tarballs to install X.

I don't need to patch a 'working system'. The old phrase from the CP/M era and FORTRAN days was "NEVER TOUCH a running system" and for good reason. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[codezer0]

Your linux issues seem to be from back in the late 1990s when you had to compile tarballs to install X.

Try 2002~2008. The "instant usb wipe" was such a problem for the web server class that the professor eventually had to just make a separate server for us to have a script to back up our work onto, because well, most of us at the time couldn't afford to have separate flash drives for every class and considering I had used my tax return at the time to even have *an external hard drive* at all, I would have been atomic if I lost everything because of work for that one class.

The Radeon thing was a constant misery for me there; even changing the resolution couldn't be done without literally recompiling or just having it crash to a terminal that wouldn't accept any commands. Nevermind the evangelists that wanted the most esoteric flags and howto txt files that promoted scripts that felt like the IT equivalent of going up to a prostitute and asking if they accept corporate expense cards. 🤢

Yet even now, with stuff like UBCD that would have a portable linux distro to boot for managing and being able to secure wipe hard drives and ssd's to re-jigger them for other uses? It will detect any given Audigy or x-fi sound card I do have in the system. It will detect them, and give me a volume control panel, but I literally can't get any sound from it to save my goddamn life.

 

[nickdalzell]

These days Linux and Nvidia are the bad relationship. If your GPU has Nvidia on it forget Linux entirely.

Odd how the turn tables...

I only use Linux on two machines. The one mentioned gaming rig that outright refused to accept my favorite OS which is Windows 7, plus gaming support no longer working on 7, and one Toshiba laptop that won't boot USB nor CD versions of Windows anymore. It boots Linux fine but not Windows. It came with Windows 8 so something's amiss there. It hardly ever gets use though due to wonky graphics issues as well as wonky wifi. It only works for a half hour then freezes. Just started doing that after a decade.

In the future, Linux might be used if only to maintain ability to browse the modern web and use YouTube, once Windows 7 no longer has third party hacks to maintain such support (Pale Moon and Legacy Update and other apps keep the few of us who love Windows 7 and Vista going for now). I just refuse to throw away tech just because it's old, especially when it often has more features than the new stuff.