Windows Update
Quick start
Here are the easiest steps if you want to just get your system up to date:
Use windowsupdaterestored.com on the following systems:
- Windows 95
- Windows NT 4.0 (x86 only)
- Windows 98 / 98 SE
- Windows Me
Use legacyupdate.net on the following systems:
- Windows 2000
- Windows XP (x86 & x64 only)
- Windows Server 2003
- Windows Vista
- Windows Server 2008
Use legacyupdate.net or apply quick fixes to restore Windows Update on the following systems:
- Windows 7
- Windows Server 2008 R2
- Windows 8 / RT
- Windows Server 2012
No special action required on:
- Windows 8.1 / RT 8.1
- Windows Server 2012 R2
- Windows 10+
- Windows Server 2016+
Manual patching required on:
- Windows 1.0 - 3.1
- Windows NT 3.1 - 3.51
- Windows NT 4.0 (MIPS, PPC, Alpha)
- Windows XP (Itanium editions)
- Most Windows Pre-releases
!! The following section will be revised soon !!
Windows 1.0 - 3.1
No Windows Update service was available for Windows 1.0 - 3.1
Individual patches were available on the Microsoft website but have since been taken down.
Windows NT 3.1 - 3.51
No Windows Update service was available for Windows 1.0 - 3.1
Various Service Packs have been released that contain hotfixes and security updates. These are:
- Windows NT 3.1
- Service Pack 1 (23 Sep 1993)
- Service Pack 2 (12 Jun 1994)
- Service Pack 3 (5 Oct 1994)
- Windows NT 3.5
- Service Pack 1 (10 Jan 1995)
- Service Pack 2 (4 Mar 1995)
- Service Pack 3 (22 Jun 1995)
- Windows NT 3.51
- Service Pack 1 (6 Sep 1995)
- Service Pack 2 (8 Oct 1995)
- Service Pack 3 (21 Nov 1995)
- Service Pack 4 (7 Mar 1996)
- Service Pack 5 (20 Sep 1996)
Windows 95, 98, Me
Windows Update was available for these versions of Windows. A community project is working on restoring / replicating the service: http://www.windowsupdaterestored.com/
Windows 95
The original edition of Windows 95 (Retail and also called OSR1) received one Service Pack on 14 Feb 1996.
Windows 98
The original edition of Windows 98 received one Service pack in June 1999
A patch rollup for Windows 98 and Windows 98 Second Edition was included on the Windows Security Update CD from February 2004, which also includes Internet Explorer 6, Windows Media Player 9 and DirectX 9.0b.
Windows Me
A patch rollup for Windows Me was included on the Windows Security Update CD from February 2004, which also includes Internet Explorer 6, Windows Media Player 9 and DirectX 9.0b.
Windows NT 4.0
Windows Update was available for this versions of Windows. A community project is working on restoring / replicating the service: http://www.windowsupdaterestored.com/
Various Service Packs and Update Rollups have been released that contain hotfixes and security updates. These are:
- Service Pack 1 (16 Oct 1996) for x86, DEC Alpha, PowerPC, MIPS
- Service Pack 2 (14 Dec 1996) for x86, DEC Alpha, PowerPC
- Service Pack 3 (15 May 1997) for x86, DEC Alpha
- Service Pack 4 (25 Oct 1998) for x86, DEC Alpha
- Service Pack 5 (30 Apr 1999) for x86, DEC Alpha
- Service Pack 6 (27 Oct 1999) for x86, DEC Alpha
- Service Pack 6a (22 Nov 1999) for x86
- Security Rollup - Q299444 (26 Jul 2001) for x86
Windows 2000
Windows Update was available for this versions of Windows. A community project is working on restoring / replicating the service: https://legacyupdate.net/
The functionality of Windows update however can still be restored without third party tools.
Various Service Packs and Update Rollups have been released that contain hotfixes and security updates. These are:
- Service Pack 1 (31 Jul 2000)
- Service Pack 2 (16 May 2001)
- Service Pack 3 (29 Aug 2002)
- Service Pack 4 (26 Jun 2003)
- Update Rollup 1 - KB891861 (29 Jun 2005)
Windows XP
Windows Update was available for this versions of Windows. A community project is working on restoring / replicating the service (x86 only): https://legacyupdate.net/
The functionality of Windows update however can still be restored without third party tools (x86 only).
Various Service Packs have been released that contain hotfixes and security updates. These are:
- Service Pack 1 (9 Sep 2002) for x86, IA-64
- Service Pack 2 (25 Aug 2004) for x86
- Service Pack 3 (6 May 2008) for x86
Windows XP 64-bit Edition Version 2003
Windows XP 64-bit Edition Version 2003 for Itanium systems is based on Windows Server 2003 and is not compatible with Windows XP updates.
No Service Packs were released before support ended for this version, however Updates for Windows Server 2003 can be installed using a workaround.
Windows XP x64-Edition
Windows XP x64-Edition is based on Windows Server 2003. See Windows Server 2003 for all applicable updates.
Windows Vista
Windows Update was available for this versions of Windows. A community project is working on restoring / replicating the service: https://legacyupdate.net/
The functionality of Windows update however can still be restored without third party tools.
Various Service Packs have been released that contain hotfixes and security updates. These are:
- Service Pack 1 (14 Feb 2008)
- Service Pack 2 (28 Apr 2009)
Windows 7
Windows Update is available for this version. Due to a change in how certain Windows Update components are signed, Windows 7 can only connect to Windows Update using a WSUS Server or Proxy, or by installing the following patches to enable SHA-2 code signing support:
- Service Pack 1 (19 Nov 2011)
- KB3172605 (July 2016 update rollup - 13 Sep 2016)
- KB4474419 (2019-09 Security Update - 10 Sep 2019)
- KB4490628 (2019-03 Servicing Stack Update - 12 Mar 2019)
Alternatively the community project https://legacyupdate.net/ can be used instead. The functionality of Windows update however can still be restored without third party tools without installing Service Pack 1.
One Service Pack has been released that contain hotfixes and security updates:
- Service Pack 1 (19 Nov 2011)
