Last versions of software for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008

[burd]

4 hours ago, i430VX said:

So why do you guys think iTunes continues to work? Did they just forget?

Don't ask them, they'll probably "fix" it!

maybe the number of people on xp and vista using itunes has changed their minds or their so called block didnt work

[WinClient5270]

Perhaps if they do decide to actually block XP/Vista in the future, the TLS 1.1/1.2 updates for POSReady 2009 and Server 2008 respectively will keep the iTunes Store accessible from XP and Vista. 

Anyway, now I'll recreate my Haswell + Vista documentation post since that was lost to the server crashes. 

Edited June 11, 2018 by WinClient5270

[WinClient5270]

How to install/run Krita in Windows Vista (WORKS AS OF JUNE 2018):

1. Download and extract the installer with 7zip. You should get a folder that looks like this:

2. Next, navigate to "bin" and open Krita.exe. The application should load just fine in Windows Vista, however Aero is automatically disabled for some reason (this could be due to me using a VM, this hasn't been tested on a Vista host):

[WinClient5270]

SUMMARY OF CHANGES TO THE LIST FOR JUNE 14, 2018:

• Re-added "Web Browser Plug-ins" -> "Final versions of Plug-ins/Add-ons for Firefox 52 ESR" subsection.
• Added Norton Family v3.7.0.55 as last version for Vista to "Web Browser Plug-ins" -> "All Browsers" section (this is subject to change if Norton decides to update this plugin again for XP/Vista).
• Added NoScript 5.1.8.X and Umatrix 1.0.0 to "Web Browser Plug-ins" -> "Final versions of Plug-ins/Add-ons for Firefox 52 ESR" subsection.
• Added Norton AntiVirus Basic v22.14.2.13, Norton Internet Security 2015 v22.14.2.13, & Norton Security v22.14.2.13 as last versions for Vista to "AntiVirus & Security Software" section (this is subject to change if Norton is updated again on XP/Vista).
• Added Infix PDF Editor and Master PDF Editor to "PDF Viewers/Editors" section.
• Added Atlantis Word Processor & WPS Office 2016 - All Editions to "Office Suites" section.
• Re-made and re-added link to tutorial on how to install/run Krita on Windows Vista in "Video & Photo Editing Software" section.
• Added OhSoft oCam to "Video & Photo Editing Software" section.
• Added Forte Notation - All Editions to "Audio & Music Creation/Editing Tools" section.
• Added link to my Haswell + Windows Vista documentation post in "Intel Chipset & Graphics Drivers" section.

Edited June 15, 2018 by WinClient5270

[UCyborg]

FileZilla entry is outdated. Support for Vista was dropped with version 3.25.2-rc1, released on 23rd April 2017. Can't say whether it still works or not since I don't have Vista installed anywhere ATM. Here's the changelog.

Edited June 16, 2018 by UCyborg

[WinClient5270]

1 hour ago, UCyborg said:

FileZilla entry is outdated. Support for Vista was dropped with version 3.25.2-rc1, released on 23rd April 2017. Can't say whether it still works or not since I don't have Vista installed anywhere ATM. Here's the changelog.

Thanks for letting me know. I'm pretty sure I meant to have it marked as UNS as I recall testing newer versions after Vista support was dropped, and they still worked. Haven't tested the latest version though. 

I'm on vacation and don't have access to a Vista machine right now, but I'll be back tomorrow so I'll test it to see if it still works or not. 

[slayer1994]

On 6/16/2018 at 5:05 AM, WinClient5270 said:

Thanks for letting me know. I'm pretty sure I meant to have it marked as UNS as I recall testing newer versions after Vista support was dropped, and they still worked. Haven't tested the latest version though. 

I'm on vacation and don't have access to a Vista machine right now, but I'll be back tomorrow so I'll test it to see if it still works or not. 

Does it work?

[WinClient5270]

Sorry for the delay. I am happy to report that the latest version of FileZilla works on Windows Vista SP2 + Platform Update & Supplement without any issues whatsoever:

You get a little nag when launching the installer for the latest version of the software, but the developers were very generous and decided to allow installation on unsupported OSes anyway:

@UCyborg, do you care to repost your findings on how to get Wolfenstein: The Old Blood working in Vista by modifying the game's executable? Your post got deleted when the servers crashed so I can't link it on my list anymore. 

SUMMARY OF CHANGES TO THE LIST FOR JUNE 17, 2018:

• Updated FileZilla entry to UNS status, as the software stopped supporting Vista as of version 3.25.2-rc1, however the latest versions continue to work in Vista.
• Added WPS Data Recovery Master to "System Management, Cleanup, and Analysis" section.
• Updated information about Steam support: the software will stop supporting Windows Vista on January 1, 2019. Click here to read more.

Edited June 18, 2018 by WinClient5270

[UCyborg]

11 hours ago, WinClient5270 said:

@UCyborg, do you care to repost your findings on how to get Wolfenstein: The Old Blood working in Vista by modifying the game's executable? Your post got deleted when the servers crashed so I can't link it on my list anymore.

This one worked out-of-the box at the time, still have the screenshot:

I mentioned Sound Blaster X-Fi MB3 installer in that post, which refused to install. I didn't modify the executable itself because GetVersionEx function was called from a bunch of different places.

The installer could be launched and the welcome page worked without any workarounds, at which point I ran OllyDbg (version 2.01) , selected File->Attach and picked the installer's process. After analysis is complete, right-click in the main pane, Select module->ntdll, press Ctrl + N and start typing RtlGetVersion, double-click on the highlighted entry and press F2 to set the breakpoint at the function.

The installer can now be unpaused hitting F9 key, and clicking Next should eventually cause RtlGetVersion to be called (it's used internally by GetVersionEx, which is what applications normally call). Pressing F8 a few times will eventually move the current instruction pointer to a series of instructions that look like this:

MOV EAX,DWORD PTR DS:[EDI+0A4]
MOV DWORD PTR DS:[ESI+4],EAX
MOV EAX,DWORD PTR DS:[EDI+0A8]
MOV DWORD PTR DS:[ESI+8],EAX
MOVZX EAX,WORD PTR DS:[EDI+0AC]
MOV DWORD PTR DS:[ESI+0C],EAX
MOV EAX,DWORD PTR DS:[EDI+0B0]
MOV DWORD PTR DS:[ESI+10],EAX

These fill the first 4 significant members (dwMajorVersion, dwMinorVersion, dwBuildNumber, dwPlatformId) of OSVERSIONEX structure pointed to by the pointer passed to GetVersionEx called by application.

When MOV EAX,DWORD PTR DS:[EDI+0A4] is highlighted, you should see something like this in a pane below:

[0033A0A4]=6

The part after the equal sign is important, it represents the value that will be copied to dwMajorVersion, the pointer on the left could be anything. Pressing F8 two more times highlights the next instruction that takes the value that will be copied to dwMinorVersion. On Vista, this is 0, so you double-click the entry and change it to 1, which is what happens on Windows 7, so your OS version now reads 6.1 instead of 6.0. Selecting Detach from the File menu then detaches debugger from installer and continues its execution.

So this was rather specific example. Some programs may need to be launched from debugger to be able to catch version check. For 64-bit applications, you'd need to use a 64-bit debugger (x64dbg comes in both 32 and 64-bit flavors) and the instructions look a bit different, but the pattern in the RtlGetVersion function is practically the same. Other programs may employ anti-debugging tricks, so you'd probably need some plugin for the debugger to hide it. I never dealt with that kind.

PS: Equalizer APO might work on Vista, but wasn't tested by developers.

Edited June 18, 2018 by UCyborg

[WinClient5270]

Thanks @UCyborg for your extremely detailed post. I've linked it on my list next to the Wolfenstein: TOB entry. 

Anyway, in other news, it looks like Malwarebytes will no longer be supporting Vista (and XP) with new program versions or feature additions, however it will continue to receive definition updates and bugfixes on an as-needed basis for a limited time (an end date for this has yet to be specified):

https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/191650-malwarebytes-3-frequently-asked-questions/?do=findComment&comment=1243649

On 3/1/2016 at 8:31 PM, WinClient5270 said:

Malwarebytes 3.5.1 build 2522 component package 1.0.365 (all editions) ($$$ & FREE versions available, CS) Download from vendor here. Will continue to receive on-going protection updates only; no new program versions or features will be created for XP/Vista.

[UCyborg]

@WinClient5270
You misunderstood, Wolfenstein: The Old Blood works great without any workarounds. But downloading it and running it on Vista machine could become the problem when Steam drops Vista support.

On an unrelated note, I could play Wolfenstein: The New Order on Windows XP x64 some time ago. This game was compiled with an older compiler and id Software's engines were historically minimalistic in Windows API usage, though recent games use more functions.

Those instructions are for unrelated commercial piece of software, Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi MB3. It does use InstallShield installer. If there's a known method for those like with Windows Installers (I'm personally not aware of it), it oughtta be easier than attaching a debugger and hunting for version check routines.

I know some small pieces of the puzzle when it comes to programming for Windows, so I used that knowledge to get that particular installer to cooperate. 

Edited June 18, 2018 by UCyborg

[WinClient5270]

58 minutes ago, UCyborg said:

@WinClient5270
You misunderstood, Wolfenstein: The Old Blood works great without any workarounds. But downloading it and running it on Vista machine could become the problem when Steam drops Vista support.

On an unrelated note, I could play Wolfenstein: The New Order on Windows XP x64 some time ago. This game was compiled with an older compiler and id Software's engines were historically minimalistic in Windows API usage, though recent games use more functions.

Those instructions are for unrelated commercial piece of software, Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi MB3. It does use InstallShield installer. If there's a known method for those like with Windows Installers (I'm personally not aware of it), it oughtta be easier than attaching a debugger and hunting for version check routines.

I know some small pieces of the puzzle when it comes to programming for Windows, so I used that knowledge to get that particular installer to cooperate. 

Oops - sorry about that. Fixed the entry. Thanks for all your work. 

I might create a separate thread called "Compatible Hardware for Windows Vista", similar to the 9x thread. I'll link your findings there since there's really nowhere to put it on this list. I'll have to do a ton of research too, but hopefully I'll have it up by the end of the week. 

[UCyborg]

On 6/18/2018 at 11:06 PM, WinClient5270 said:

I might create a separate thread called "Compatible Hardware for Windows Vista", similar to the 9x thread.

Sound Blaster X-Fi MB3 is not hardware, it's pure software solution. The download link is on this page. Normally, when you run it and click Next, activation prompt requiring activation key will open, except on Vista, where you get an error that Windows operating system running on this computer is not supported. But, if you attach debugger to the installer and do what I said before clicking Next, the activation prompt will open. Of course, you can't proceed from this point onwards without license key.

Edited June 19, 2018 by UCyborg

[WinClient5270]

16 minutes ago, UCyborg said:

Sound Blaster X-Fi MB3 is not hardware, it's pure software solution. The download link is on this page. Normally, when you run it and click Next, activation prompt requiring activation key will open, except on Vista, where you get an error that Windows operating system running on this computer is not supported. But, if you attach debugger to the installer and do what I said before clicking Next, the activation prompt will open. Of course, you can't proceed from this point onwards without license key.

Ah okay, I see. When I viewed that link for the first time, I just glanced at it and assumed it was some sort of audio driver for Sound Blaster cards. 

Sorry about all the misunderstandings and confusions... I've had a lot going on lately so I've been quite tired for the past few days, so my mind isn't working clearly right now, lol. I'll add the software to the list when I'm on my PC again (I'm on mobile now and it's difficult to edit such a large document on here). 

[UCyborg]

32 minutes ago, WinClient5270 said:

Ah okay, I see. When I viewed that link for the first time, I just glanced at it and assumed it was some sort of audio driver for Sound Blaster cards. 

Sorry about all the misunderstandings and confusions...

No biggie. The name is very similar to how they name their sound cards. You're maintaining quite a list there, GJ!