Windows NT 4.0 Archives

Winsage

May 29, 2026

IBM ThinkPad T43 enthusiast installs ‘almost’ every version of Windows on the single-core laptop without using virtual machine — 26 years of Windows running bare metal, from 1996 Windows NT 4.0 to Windows 10 22H2 working on legendary hardware

An enthusiastic user of the IBM ThinkPad T43 has successfully installed nearly all versions of Windows from NT 4 to 10 22H2 on the device, complete with driver support, without using virtual machines. The ThinkPad T43, released in 2005, was IBM's last laptop model before the company was acquired by Lenovo. The user documented their process on Reddit, showcasing a gallery of screenshots of various Windows versions. The T43 originally came with Windows XP and has key components including an Intel Pentium M processor, ATi Mobility Radeon X300 or X300SE graphics, a 14.1-inch screen, support for up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, and storage options from 40GB to 100GB HDD. It also features connectivity options such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, and various ports. The laptop is noted for its robust build quality and exceptional keyboard, weighing approximately 2.3 kg (5.1 pounds).

Winsage

May 18, 2026

Windows CE Ported to Nintendo 64

Throaty Mumbo successfully ran Windows CE 2.11 on the Nintendo 64 by leveraging the shared architecture of both systems, which are based on the MIPS R4000 processor family. The project involved a month of reverse engineering, using Microsoft toolchains, custom hardware modifications, and debugging techniques. An EverDrive flash cartridge was used to load custom ROMs, and a USB connection facilitated uploads from a PC. Challenges included crashes with the initial EverDrive cartridge, which were resolved by upgrading to the EverDrive-64 X7. A custom kernel clone was created to troubleshoot issues with the stock Windows CE kernel, ultimately allowing the project to revert to the unmodified version. The Nintendo 64 controller was repurposed as a mouse, and standard Windows CE applications could be launched from the desktop. Comprehensive build details are available on GitHub.

Winsage

January 12, 2026

Windows 2000 still earning its keep running a rail ticket machine in Portugal

A ticket machine in Portugal is still running on Windows 2000 Professional, an operating system retired by Microsoft in 2010. The kiosk shows signs of wear but continues to function, highlighting the operating system's durability and reliability. Windows 2000 was originally launched as a successor to Windows NT 4.0 and was praised for its performance on modest hardware. Despite the lack of mainstream support for over two decades, it remains operational in various devices worldwide. The presence of a keyboard in the kiosk evokes nostalgia for earlier technology, and the simplicity of navigating Windows 2000 is manageable for experienced users.

Winsage

November 26, 2025

Microsoft preloads File Explorer to mask performance issues

Microsoft is addressing sluggish launch times for File Explorer by preloading the application in the background, rather than streamlining its code or removing features. This update is available in a Windows Insider build for the Dev and Beta Channels. The preloading feature is experimental and can be disabled by users in the Folder Options under the View tab in File Explorer. Microsoft previously open-sourced the classic Windows File Manager in 2018, which was a lightweight tool for file system activities. Over time, File Explorer has increased in size and complexity, leading to performance challenges.

Winsage

October 29, 2025

Crowbarring Windows 95 into Windows NT with CAPITALS

The early versions of Windows NT transitioned from the Program Manager of Windows 3.1 as Windows 95 was developed, leading to the integration of the Windows 95 shell into Windows NT. The Windows NT team, while preparing for their launch, considered how to incorporate features from Windows 95, resulting in Windows NT 4.0. The teams maintained communication, with the NT team integrating the Windows 95 user interface and window management capabilities into their system. The integration involved using Windows 95 as a reference for reimplementing features rather than merging code directly. Explorer was integrated into Windows NT's architecture, allowing updates in Windows 95 to avoid redundant changes. To prevent bugs from affecting Windows 95, the NT team enclosed new code within #ifdef WINNT directives. They faced challenges with the sizeof operator due to Windows NT's Unicode awareness, leading to a macro definition for tracking verified instances. Microsoft used an internal source code management system called SLM, which lacked branch support, making the transfer of changes between Windows 95 and Windows NT a manual process.

Winsage

September 21, 2025

Microsoft’s pivotal Windows NT 3.5 release made it a serious contender, 31 years ago today

Today marks the 31st anniversary of the public release of Windows NT 3.5. Windows NT was targeted at the enterprise sector, contrasting with Windows 3.1, which was aimed at casual users. It was a fully 32-bit operating system requiring a minimum of an 80386 processor and 12MB of RAM. Windows NT featured cross-platform capabilities, with builds for various architectures, including MIPS, DEC's Alpha, and PowerPC. The user interface of NT 3.5 resembled Windows 3.1, which may have affected its adoption among professional users. Nine months after NT 3.5, Windows NT 3.51 was released, enhancing compatibility with Windows 95 applications. Windows NT 4.0, released in 1996, integrated the Windows 95 shell, leading to Windows 2000 and ultimately Windows XP in 2001, which unified workstation and consumer markets under a single NT codebase. Windows NT 3.5 was a crucial transitional release that laid the groundwork for future operating systems.

Winsage

September 9, 2025

Former MS engineer Dave Plummer admits he accidentally coded Pinball to run ‘at like, 5,000 frames per second’ on Windows NT

Former Microsoft engineer Dave Plummer shared insights about the development of the Pinball game, known as Space Cadet 3D Pinball or Microsoft 3D Pinball, which was included in Windows NT 4.0. Plummer created a resource-intensive game engine while transitioning the game from Windows 95 to Windows NT, achieving a frame rate of 60-90 fps on a MIPS R4000 processor at 200 MHz. Another engineer, Chen, introduced a frame rate limiter that capped the game at 100 fps, allowing users to play Pinball while building software. Plummer referred to the oversight in the game's development as the worst bug he ever shipped, reflecting on the strict software quality standards of the time. Despite initial embarrassment, the legacy of the bug is fondly remembered by Plummer and his colleagues, especially in light of advancements in technology and multi-core processors.

Winsage

March 24, 2025

New Browser-Based RDP for Secure Remote Windows Server Access

Cloudflare has launched a clientless, browser-based Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) solution that enhances its Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) capabilities for secure access to Windows servers. This solution eliminates the need for traditional RDP clients and utilizes IronRDP, a high-performance RDP client developed in Rust, which operates within the browser. The implementation secures RDP sessions using TLS-based WebSocket connections and integrates with Cloudflare Access for authentication through JSON Web Tokens (JWT). The system supports modern security standards, including Single Sign-On (SSO), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and device posture checks. Cloudflare plans to add session monitoring, data loss prevention features, and pursue FedRAMP High certification for compliance with government standards.

Winsage

November 5, 2024

Black screens persist for Windows 10 AVD users

Microsoft has acknowledged ongoing issues affecting Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) users after the installation of July's non-security preview update (KB5040525), leading to a black screen that can last 10 to 30 minutes. This issue is linked to a deadlock between the Azure Active Directory broker and the AppX deployment service, as well as the Background tasks infrastructure service. Users with FSLogix user profile containers in multi-session environments are more likely to face these problems. Additionally, Windows 11 24H2 users are experiencing issues with Task Manager displaying zero counts for Apps, Background Processes, and Windows Processes after the October 2024 non-security preview update, particularly when the 'Group by Type' view is enabled. Dave Plummer, the original author of Task Manager, described this as a "fairly severe bug."

Winsage

October 18, 2024

Kernel shellcode persistence technique in APT attacks and SAS CTF challenge

On May 18, 2024, Kaspersky’s Global Research & Analysis Team conducted the qualifying round of the SAS Capture the Flag (CTF) competition, which involved over 800 teams addressing cybersecurity challenges. One significant challenge highlighted a security vulnerability in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 systems, allowing kernel shellcode to be concealed in the system registry and executed during boot. This vulnerability is linked to an incomplete fix for CVE-2010-4398. Despite the end of security updates for Windows 7 in early 2020, the flaw was known to be only partially addressed, with exploitation evidence dating back to 2018. The vulnerability affects Windows operating systems from NT 4.0 through Windows 7, allowing kernel shellcode to persist and execute at boot. Attackers exploit it through stack buffer overflows in the "dxgmms1.sys" and "dxgkrnl.sys" drivers using the RtlQueryRegistryValues function. In the CTF challenge, participants analyzed registry hives to identify a crash source, set up debugging for blue screen events, and examined a keylogger payload. The final competition of the SAS CTF will take place in Bali from October 22-25, 2024.