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Legacy Update

@legacyupdate.net
1.9K followers 4 following 102 posts

Get back online, activate, and install updates on your legacy Windows PC. Legacy Update continues support where Microsoft left off. By @kirb.me legacyupdate.net · legacyupdate.net/discord

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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 11/08/2026
Someone needs to photoshop (not AI) this into a Huge Nintendo DS-type meme
A giant yellow Windows NT 3.1 CD displayed on a hallway wall of a Microsoft campus building
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 02/08/2026
There are new articles this week, citing StatCounter, stating that Linux rose to 10% market share in the US. Exciting if true, but I doubt it is. More bots pretend to be real users than ever now, and as with last time, that messes with the numbers. Web market share stats are no longer reliable.
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 02/08/2026
There are new articles this week, citing StatCounter, stating that Linux rose to 10% market share in the US. Exciting if true, but I doubt it is. More bots pretend to be real users than ever now, and as with last time, that messes with the numbers. Web market share stats are no longer reliable.
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 21/07/2026
🌎⬆️ Legacy Update 1.13.2 addresses a security issue in the ActiveX control. Please update as soon as possible.
legacyupdate.net
Legacy Update 1.13.2: Security advisory
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 21/07/2026
🌎⬆️ Legacy Update 1.13.2 addresses a security issue in the ActiveX control. Please update as soon as possible.
legacyupdate.net
Legacy Update 1.13.2: Security advisory
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 03/07/2026
In response to recent industry changes, we’re making the entire 576 KB Legacy Update program available as freeware on a floppy disk. Just send $1 to: Homer Simpson, Jr. Vice President Compu-Global-Hyper-Mega-Net 742 Evergreen Tce Springfield, USA Offer void in Nebraska.
Windows XP floppy disk icon overlaid on a stack of colored floppies on a desk.

Image credits:
Windows XP High Resolution Icon Pack by marchmountain https://www.deviantart.com/marchmountain/art/916042853
“Pile of Old Disks” by Jason Coleman https://www.flickr.com/photos/jason_coleman/3614327264/
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 27/06/2026
Microsoft quietly extended Windows 10 Extended Security Updates to add another year. We updated our article about Windows 10 ESU to reflect this. If you haven’t seen it before, you might find it a useful read to know how to safely continue using Windows 10.
legacyupdate.net
How do I continue receiving updates for Windows 10?
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 14/06/2026
Is the Microsoft Office Ribbon causing people to have fewer children? A provocative new working paper explores the persistent drop in birth rates since Office 2007 was introduced nearly two decades ago.
The top-left corner of Microsoft Word 2007, showing the ribbon.
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 16/05/2026
🌎⬆️ Legacy Update 1.13.1 fixes a few bugs introduced in 1.13, and adds workarounds for issues with some Lenovo devices and Intel Macs. It also addresses a potential security issue.
legacyupdate.net
Legacy Update 1.13.1
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 17/03/2026
Features nobody asked for: You can now subscribe to Legacy Update news as an Internet Explorer Web Slice. Just click the green button in the toolbar (it’s green to show that Internet Explorer is really excited a website is actually using this feature), or the Add Web Slice link in our News section.
Internet Explorer 8 open to a page on the Legacy Update website, where the Subscribe to RSS and Add Web Slice buttons are visible. A popup from the Favorites bar is open on top of the website, displaying the news article for Legacy Update 1.13.
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 16/03/2026
🌎⬆️ Legacy Update 1.13 improves handling of some edge cases you might run into while using Legacy Update. It includes 23 fixes and improvements (and plenty more small changes).
legacyupdate.net
Legacy Update 1.13
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 12/03/2026
Mozilla extended support for Firefox 115 ESR on Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 and macOS 10.12 – 10.14 until August. It was due to end support last month, and they may consider extending it again. Firefox ESRs are old versions that continue getting security updates. support.mozilla.org/kb/firefox-u...
Firefox 115.33.0esr showing itself as up-to-date on Windows 7
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 11/02/2026
Introducing our improved website: If it seems like nothing has changed, that’s a good thing! I worked hard to build something that’s easier for me to maintain, while making sure everything is just as it was before. It will help us continue to expand our archive and help page resources.
legacyupdate.net
Introducing our improved website
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 13/01/2026
Today, Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 (based on Windows Vista and 7) finally, truly reach end of support. Windows Vista and Server 2008 is the longest supported version of Windows, at 19 years. Behind it is Windows XP at 17 years, and Windows for Workgroups 3.11 at 16 years.
support.microsoft.com
January 13, 2026—KB5073697 (Monthly Rollup) - Microsoft Support
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 07/01/2026
You’ve been asking me for years, and I finally did it. Windows Live Essentials was a suite of free add-on software from Microsoft. It’s a perfect fit into the Windows 7 experience, but it’s been hard to find official download links. Now, we have them easily accessible on a dedicated page:
legacyupdate.net
Windows Live Essentials - Microsoft Download Center Archive - Legacy Update
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 07/01/2026
What is the Silverlight logo supposed to be, anyway?
The Silverlight logo. It’s like some kind of liquid or ribbon in highly reflective and yet transparent shades of blue.
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 15/12/2025
Just a little update after getting a lot of attention from the Download Center archive v2 launch. Thanks to everyone who helped to spread the word about it!
patreon.com
The Download Center Archive is getting some attention | Adam Demasi
Get more from Adam Demasi on Patreon
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Reposted by Legacy Update
The Register @theregister.com · 11/12/2025
Legacy Update expands archive of vanished Microsoft downloads
dlvr.it
Legacy Update expands archive of vanished Microsoft downloads
Preserving not just updates, but also lots of the now-deleted optional extras Legacy Update was already extremely useful if you chose to disembark from Microsoft's upgrade railroad. Now it's even more so.…
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 01/12/2025
Legacy Update has significantly expanded its archive of the Microsoft Download Center all the way back to 2012. It now indexes 41,000 downloads, of which over half have been deleted by Microsoft. More about what went into this, and what we’re still planning to do:
patreon.com
Expanding the Download Center Archive | Adam Demasi
Get more from Adam Demasi on Patreon
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 24/10/2025
Just a friendly reminder that, particularly when coming from search result summaries, AI only knows as much as it can glean from sources it deems to be authoritative. Often, those are news outlets that use clickbait, and put writers under pressure to push out articles without much critical thought.
A conversation with DuckDuckGo’s AI chat feature. The conversation starts with the search query “windows 7 september 2025”. Assist (DDG’s search summary feature) says that “In September 2025, Windows 7 experienced a surprising resurgence in market share, increasing by tenfold, particularly in Asia, as users began to shift away from Windows 10, which was nearing its end of life. This trend indicates that many users are opting to continue using the older operating system despite its lack of official support since 2020.”

I continue the conversation by challenging it on the validity of the data. It searches and then says “The claim is almost certainly invalid - StatCounter reported a large September 2025 jump for Windows 7, but multiple technical analyses and follow-ups flag it as a reporting anomaly […]”.
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 14/10/2025
After 10 years, Windows 10 has reached end of support. Don’t panic. Your Windows 10 computers will not explode. You will not catch every piece of malware in existence. You should enrol in ESU, or switch to Windows 11 or Linux, but this is not the end of the world. Our guide on what to do now:
legacyupdate.net
How do I continue receiving updates for Windows 10? - Legacy Update
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 12/10/2025
Wait, Windows 10 is legacy now? 😳 Windows 10 reaches end of support in a few days’ time, and there’s been an increasing number of questions about what will happen to Windows 10 and Windows Update. We put together a new guide to answer your questions:
legacyupdate.net
How do I continue receiving updates for Windows 10? - Legacy Update
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 02/10/2025
So long, Windows Update website 🫡 This week, Microsoft took down the old Windows Update v6 web app entirely. It was a time capsule locked in the Microsoft.​com design from 2005. It’s been broken since 2021. You can still see it preserved through Windows Update Restored.
The Windows Update v6 website open to its homepage on Windows XP, as preserved by the Windows Update Restored project.
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The Register @theregister.com · 29/09/2025
Legacy Update updated – so your old Windows can be, too
dlvr.it
Legacy Update updated – so your old Windows can be, too
Need – or prefer – an EOL version of Windows? Don't panic! Legacy Update is a third-party Windows Update client which can update old, unsupported versions of Windows, from Windows 10 and 11 all the way back to Windows 2000.…
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 29/09/2025
🌎⬆️ Legacy Update 1.12.1 fixes some issues from 1.12. (Surprisingly few issues for a big rewrite!) github.com/LegacyUpdate... More on 1.12 in the quoted post below 👇
github.com
Release 1.12.1 · LegacyUpdate/LegacyUpdate
ImportantIf nothing happens when you open Legacy Update setup on Windows XP, follow these steps to work around a Windows bug. This release fixes some issues from Legacy Update 1.12. Refer to that ...
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 25/09/2025
Steam powered? No no, *Windows* powered
Screenshot of a Windows 2000 desktop with Start menu, About Windows, and Legacy Update’s System page open. All of them call it Windows Powered, with its own unique logo.
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 24/09/2025
🌎⬆️ Legacy Update 1.12 is a huge rewrite release. We switched from compiling with Visual C++ 2008 (and 2010, and 2017, and 2022…), a setup which Microsoft recently broke, to a streamlined open-source MinGW/GCC toolchain. The result: 1.12 is 50% smaller than 1.11, which was already below 1 MB!
github.com
Release 1.12 · LegacyUpdate/LegacyUpdate
ImportantIf nothing happens when you open Legacy Update setup on Windows XP, follow these steps to work around a Windows bug. Legacy Update 1.12 features a significant rewrite of our ActiveX contr...
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 23/09/2025
root: boring, not scary at all, can just access it with sudo NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM: loud, asserts dominance, requires service hacks to access, shows The System is in charge
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 14/07/2025
Last week, apparently because a broken update was pushed, every running Windows Server on the planet with WSUS installed went and re-synced their entire database, causing a DDoS of Microsoft’s WSUS servers. Not a good past few weeks for Windows Update!
bleepingcomputer.com
Microsoft confirms Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) sync is broken
Microsoft has confirmed a widespread issue in Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) that prevents organizations from syncing with Microsoft Update and deploying the latest Windows updates.
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 02/07/2025
Getting an error that the Windows Update service isn’t running, or is Microsoft Update not being enabled for you on Windows 7, 8, or 8.1? Microsoft just let a config file expire… *again*. It took 2 days for them to fix it in 2017 🤷‍♀️ We’re monitoring and will take action if they don’t fix it soon.
github.com
Microsoft Update authorization expired on Windows 7 - 8.1 · Issue #369 · LegacyUpdate/LegacyUpdate
Spotted by @renodr: As of 2025-07-01, midnight UTC, the Microsoft Update service has expired and is no longer eligible to be enabled on Windows 7, most likely also 8 and 8.1, and possibly early 10 ...
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 28/06/2025
What is going on with Windows Update and drivers? A fair few people asked me what is going on with Microsoft’s recent announcement that drivers will be deleted from Windows Update, so I wrote up some notes about it:
adamdemasi.com
What is going on with Windows Update and drivers?
Well-intentioned but poorly communicated.
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 21/06/2025
Well, of course we’re not at the end of the Windows Update drivers saga. Like I’ve said before, I strongly believe this is to do with WSUS struggling with a huge database. Security is just a convenient additional benefit. Still a legitimate one though - old vulnerable drivers can be used by malware.
bleepingcomputer.com
Microsoft to remove legacy drivers from Windows Update for security boost
Microsoft has announced plans to periodically remove legacy drivers from the Windows Update catalog to mitigate security and compatibility risks.
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 29/05/2025
This might seem huge, but I’ll point out that Microsoft already opened Windows Update to 3rd party apps 12 years ago. It’s called the Microsoft Store, and it uses Windows Update on the backend. This really rather shows Microsoft is terrible at convincing developers and users what’s good for them.
theverge.com
Microsoft wants Windows Update to handle all apps
A dream come true for IT admins
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 23/05/2025
Using Legacy Update on Vista or Server 2008 and getting error 80244021? Don’t worry, it’s not just you. We’re looking into what we can do to fix it. I’ll be posting updates as we learn more about the issue here:
github.com
80244021 on Windows Vista · Issue #360 · LegacyUpdate/LegacyUpdate
Starting on May 20, Legacy Update is completely non-functional on Vista, both Legacy Update and Windows Update give the error code 80244021. This appears to only affect Vista, XP and 7 are unaffected.
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 24/04/2025
The Microsoft Vulnerable Driver Blocklist, known for such hits as breaking your crappy RGB drivers, includes an Asus driver named AsHitIo_Drv.sys, or as Microsoft calls it, ASHITIO
Screenshot of the driver blocklist XML file in Visual Studio Code (SiPolicy_Enforced.xml). Highlighted is a line for “Asus AsHitIo_Drv FileAttribute”, which blocks a driver named AsHitIo_Drv.sys between version 0.0.0.0 and 27.0.0.0.
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 20/04/2025
Ever thought about how Windows Aero assumed desktop PCs would become thin clients, and servers would be empty glass rectangles?
The “PC” and “server” icons used by Windows Vista through 8.1. The PC is a sleek tall silver rectangle with a stand, and a green LED on the front. The “server” is a glassy blue tower box with horizontal vent lines, a power button, and an opening for front I/O.
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Adam Demasi @kirb.me · 28/03/2025
The Microsoft support forums, in their mission to be the most useless website on the internet, has found a new trick: You don’t need humans to write low quality non-answers. AI pretending to be an employee can do it just as well! (Context: WSUS’s deprecation was announced in September)
A Microsoft forum post titled “Clarification on WSUS End of Life and Support Timeline”, posted on the 13th of Feb 2025. The poster is wondering when WSUS will stop being supported, so they can plan accordingly to move off of it.

A reply from an account with 22,706 points and a title of “Microsoft External Staff” says:

As of my knowledge cutoff in October 2023, Microsoft has not announced an end-of-life (EOL) or end-of-support date for Windows Server Update Services (WSUS). WSUS remains a supported component of Windows Server, and Microsoft continues to provide updates and security patches for it. However, it's important to stay informed about Microsoft's lifecycle policies and any potential changes in the future.

For the most up-to-date information on WSUS support, refer to the official Microsoft documentation: [links]
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 16/03/2025
Wew, ok, I did it. Legacy Update 1.11 is out. It fixes, like, everything. Ever had a bug installing Legacy Update? We probably fixed it. It also installs updates even faster on Windows Vista/7, and yes, the bootloop bug is fixed. Huge thanks as always to everyone who contributed to this release! 🌎⬆️
github.com
Release 1.11 · LegacyUpdate/LegacyUpdate
ImportantIf nothing happens when you open Legacy Update setup on Windows XP, follow these steps to work around a Windows bug. Legacy Update 1.11 makes some quality-of-life improvements, and comes ...
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The Register @theregister.com · 01/03/2025
Windows 7 lives! How to keep your favorite fossil running
dlvr.it
Windows 7 lives! How to keep your favorite fossil running
You probably shouldn't, but if you must, you can As the expiration date for Windows 10 presses ever closer, spare a thought for its classic forerunner. No, not Windows 8 – nobody ever loved that – but Windows 7, with its classic Start menu, tasteful…
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 21/02/2025
Depending how Microsoft does this, it may mean driver updates no longer appear on pre-Windows 10. But this is pretty much necessary. There’s a LOT of drivers, mainly for Windows 10/11. Just the metadata is over 100GB, and enabling driver syncing on a WSUS server makes it choke and become unusable.
bleepingcomputer.com
Microsoft reminds admins to prepare for WSUS driver sync deprecation
Microsoft once again reminded IT administrators that driver synchronization in Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) will be deprecated on April 18, just 60 days from now.
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 28/01/2025
Well it’s about time someone thought of the cats 😻
Apple Intelligence very incorrectly summarises an email as “Google Alerts announces a legacy update for cats”
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 21/01/2025
Wait what?
Above a Windows Update window with a "Windows could not search for new updates" error, a dialog says:

Sorry, Windows Update isn't available right now
A law banning Windows Update has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can't use Windows Update for now.
We are fortunate that Bill Gates has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate Windows Update once he takes office. Please stay tuned!
[Learn more] [Close app]
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 13/01/2025
Therapist: Generic Microsoft Windows isn’t real, it can’t hurt you Generic Microsoft Windows:
The Windows XP boot logo, but “xp” is missing, making it just Microsoft Windows. The progress dots are in Windows Server 2003 grey.

(This comes from Server 2003’s Windows PE mode, which is used to install Small Business Server, Storage Server, Home Server, etc.)Windows Server 2003 desktop with a wallpaper from early Codename Whistler Server builds, which has the same Windows logo without “xp”.
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Bob Pony @bobpony.com · 01/01/2025
HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 🎉 Please update all of your computers to ensure that it's year 2025 compliant ASAP!!!
Installing the year 2025 update in Windows 98 from Microsoft Windows Update.
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 26/12/2024
“You’ll be visited by three spirits” The three spirits:
Windows XP: Windows Update website says “404 - File or directory not found.”Windows Vista: Windows Update control panel says “Windows could not search for new updates, code 80072EFE”Windows 7: Windows Update is checking for updates, while 99% of the CPU is being used by svchost.exe
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 09/12/2024
Just added a bunch more people to our starter pack! Lots of retro tech creators have joined Bluesky in the past few weeks. I recommend following all of them 😊 bsky.app/starter-pack...
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 16/11/2024
If only I knew how far it would come 🙃
A tweet from @hbkirb from November 2022, showing the statistics page with 929 total/recently active PCs, 10,342 recently installed updates, and 35 unique locales.
“Thanks to everyone who learned about and started using Legacy Update in the past week. There was a massive growth spike I'm extremely happy to see!”The same statistics page, now with 189,634 total PCs, 15,457 recently active, 2 million recently installed updates, and 136 unique locales.
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Legacy Update @legacyupdate.net · 15/11/2024
👋 Welcome! We’re an open source project that continues support for Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, and 8 where Microsoft left off. 💬 Join the Legacy Update community on Discord! We talk about everything - not necessarily just tech! discord.com/invite/Y9rbX...
discord.com
Join the Legacy Update Discord Server!
Legacy Update fixes Windows Update and lets you enjoy your retro PCs again. Like retro tech? Join us! | 1973 members
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