No. Nobody here tells or will tell you to use an unsupported operating system. Fundamentally, we believe in the choice of operating systems. The Windows 7 system (released in October 2009) is the last version of Windows that supports the use of the classic user interface. However, many people prefer the older styles over simplified modern designs. We believe that people who accept the relevant risks have the right to use whatever software they want. This project is specifically aimed at making the Windows Update website usable again for Windows XP and earlier. This project assumes no responsibility for security issues arising from the use of unsupported Windows versions. We do this for archival purposes only.

Fun and nostalgia. While this project does not offer newly made security updates and does not make Windows 95 to XP secure against modern threats, it revives the nostalgia of using classic update websites from different eras. We believe using these interfaces is a far more engaging and authentic way to update vintage PCs than running command-line scripts. This project is also integrated with retro-computing networks like Protoweb.

Absolutely not! We are associated and work closely together to ensure a smooth, bug-free updating experience. You can learn more about their sister project at legacyupdate.net.

Our server actually costs us nothing. Hosting is gracefully provided to Windows Update Restored by Xoggy without charge. The only cost we cover is the domain name, which is about 13€/year (paid by WULover). We do not run ads or trackers on our site, as we believe they would only ruin the authentic retro user experience.

We are not paid in any form. Each project featured on our site has been manually reviewed and verified as relevant to the vintage preservation space. We list them for free to support the community and encourage users to participate in their growth.

The websites on Windows Update Restored rely on a proprietary ActiveX control developed by Microsoft. This control is securely downloaded and run within legacy Microsoft Internet Explorer versions (4.0 and newer). Once initialized, the control reads local system files, checks for missing updates, and coordinates the direct download and installation of CAB packages directly onto your computer.

Yes. Every legacy Server edition of Windows is supported, except for Windows 2000 Datacenter Server. Note that Server editions newer than Windows Home Server require additional system modifications to function properly.

Yes. These websites are fully compatible with embedded versions of Windows starting from Windows XP Embedded up to Windows Embedded POSReady 2009, including Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs and Windows XP Mode on Windows 7.

No. Windows Update does not support, and has never supported, Compact (Windows CE/Mobile) editions of Windows. Those systems received update packages as MSI files through Visual Studio installations.

Yes. 64-bit operating systems are supported starting from Windows Update V5 and newer. This includes Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows Server 2003 x64, and newer x64 systems (which may require minor modifications).

Not officially. While V5 can technically provide updates for Windows Vista and newer, it is highly complex and requires significant system modifications. We highly recommend using the Legacy Update project instead for modern NT-based platforms.

Yes and no. The vast majority of updates you download through Windows Update Restored are unmodified, official packages originally released by Microsoft. However, because some updates were completely lost over the years, we have safely recreated some packages. Recreated updates will display a digital signature warning popup featuring "test@example.com" or "windowsupdaterestored.com" during installation (if you do not have the Windows Update Restored certificate installed). You are always free to deselect these updates and only install original Microsoft files.
Patched updates do not contain malware as well. We mostly patch the source they take their updates from, to redirect it to our servers instead of Microsoft's. Examples may vary (Windows Critical Update Notification, Windows Millennium Edition Automatic Updates, Windows Update V5/V6 ActiveX controls, etc.).

Check the provider name on the digital signature certificate. Packages recreated by Windows Update Restored will be signed by "test@example.com" (old certificate name) or "windowsupdaterestored.com" (new certificate name). Original Microsoft files will remain signed by "Microsoft Corporation". If a package is not signed by one of these verified providers, do not run it and report it immediately.

We retrieve files from Microsoft servers (such as download.windowsupdate.com) and move them to our custom repository (CabPool). This ensures that even if Microsoft deletes files from their servers, they are preserved for you. Updates that Microsoft has already deleted are pulled from legacy CD-ROMs, MSDN collections, and the Wayback Machine (each checked extensively for security and malware before hosting).

Yes! The Windows Update Restored Public Database is publicly accessible for free. It hosts every single update file we maintain, including V4 files. For operating system service packs or browser installation packages, please refer to our Download Center.

We're looking for original Windows Update and Office Update files from before August 2011, date where Microsoft shutdown any versions of Windows Update before version 5. Visit the Contribute page to learn more.

While we collect vintage update files for preservation and translation purposes, Windows 95 and NT 4.0 both rely on the V2 and V3.1 engines. This means that without the corresponding inventory files (such as .INV, .CIF, or .DES files), we cannot utilize loose executable files. Please refer to the previous answer to see the specific files we need to make them work.