List of Updates that do not require SSE2?

[maxtherabbit]

I'm sorry if I'm missing something obvious here, but does anyone have a list of Windows 7 updates that are safe to install on a non-SSE2 processor? Or is it more like a "you just can't install any updates at all after 2018" kind of thing?

Edited June 13, 2019 by maxtherabbit

[alacran]

See: https://www.ghacks.net/2018/06/21/windows-7-support-dropped-for-cpus-without-sse2/

There they mention The troubles started with March 2018 Security Updates, so you may assume any update made before March 2018 should be safe for a non-SSE2 processor. On the other hand as updates are cumulative now, and there is not a fix for that issue, to be on the safe side I suggest DO NOT install any update made on March 2018 or latter.

Edited June 12, 2019 by alacran

[maxtherabbit]

10 minutes ago, alacran said:

See: https://www.ghacks.net/2018/06/21/windows-7-support-dropped-for-cpus-without-sse2/

There they mention The troubles started with March 2018 Security Updates, so you may assume any update made before March 2018 should be safe for a non-SSE2 processor. On the other hand as updates are cumulative now, and there is not a fix for that issue, to be on the safe side I suggest DO NOT install any update made on March 2018 or latter.

So it's a hard cutoff then? I was hoping that at least *some* of the post 3/18 updates would still work. (Similiar to the situation with the POSReady Windows XP updates where some of them require SSE2 but most do not)

[alacran]

Well what I answered is the safer way to deal with this, but if you want you may try and install the updates after 3/18 one by one and see the results by yourself.  But be aware you will find troubles.

[erpdude8]

though I find it better long term just to replace or upgrade those old PCs using non-SSE2 processors with those that are SSE2 capable as I stopped using non-SSE2 CPUs for good in early 2018 and have overhauled a few old desktop PCs that had either Intel Pentium 3s or AMD Athlon XPs and replaced them with used motherboards that feature either Intel Socket 775 or AMD Socket AM2/AM3 CPUs so I am able to install any Win7 updates made after March 2018 without problems

I didn't have to spend much just to overhaul them

Note: Any Win7 update from KB4091290 and earlier are safe to install on non-SSE2 based systems and won't crash with a blue screen error (BSOD).  Attempting to install the KB4088875 or KB4088878 update or higher may result with a BSOD on startup after a reboot on these non-SSE2 systems

 

Edited June 20, 2019 by erpdude8

[dencorso]

+1 Non-SSE2 is a lost game. One has to choose carefully which things to be die-hard about, IMO.
Below, some quotes of old posts regarding it.

On 2/13/2019 at 1:21 AM, dencorso said:

That's why I decomissioned 3 perfectly working Athlon XP machines and sold or gave away to friends all their parts. Had I kept one to use as a hardware firewall, I'd have a 600 W PSU running all the time... instead, I do that with a Raspberry Pi running OpenWRT. Makes sense in my book.

The last one of 'em was retired before the end of 2015... that's almost 4 years ago, already... time flies!

On 12/7/2014 at 7:21 AM, dencorso said:

They're separate issues.

One thing is programs failing to work because of lack of SSE2 support: since MSVS 2012 MS decided to enforce a (generally unnecessary) default standard of requiring SSE2... Which, in fact it can be turned off by simply compiling with the with /arch:SSE and /Oi- command-line switches. Then again, recompilation is mandatory for removing the SSE2 requirement, and most developers don't bother to do it at all. This spells the decomissioning of most non-SSE2 processors (all AMDs from before the introduction of AMD-64 and all Intel processors preceeding the Pentium IV). This cannot be worked around.

The other thing is programs refusing to work on XP because of missing software functionality. This can be overcome by kernel extenders, WDM extenders and the like, and by simple patching of the problem executables, when the refusal to run on XP is just due to version recognition, without absent functionality being required.

[maxtherabbit]

On 6/20/2019 at 7:22 AM, erpdude8 said:

though I find it better long term just to replace or upgrade those old PCs using non-SSE2 processors with those that are SSE2 capable as I stopped using non-SSE2 CPUs for good in early 2018 and have overhauled a few old desktop PCs that had either Intel Pentium 3s or AMD Athlon XPs and replaced them with used motherboards that feature either Intel Socket 775 or AMD Socket AM2/AM3 CPUs so I am able to install any Win7 updates made after March 2018 without problems

I didn't have to spend much just to overhaul them

Note: Any Win7 update from KB4091290 and earlier are safe to install on non-SSE2 based systems and won't crash with a blue screen error (BSOD).  Attempting to install the KB4088875 or KB4088878 update or higher may result with a BSOD on startup after a reboot on these non-SSE2 systems

 

I am a retro hardware enthusiast, replacing the processors with SSE2 ones would defeat my entire purpose

[erpdude8]

On 6/25/2019 at 9:44 AM, maxtherabbit said:

I am a retro hardware enthusiast, replacing the processors with SSE2 ones would defeat my entire purpose

well maxtherabbit the only recent Win7 updates I can think of that may work on pre-SSE2 systems are the following:

KB4474419 (SHA-2 update - replaces KB2868626, KB3033929, KB3161561, KB3175024, KB3177186 security updates)

KB4490628 (replaces KB3177467 & KB3020369 servicing stack updates - install this one first AND by itself)

those two updates are required before installing new Win7 updates beyond August 2019.  Windows Update won't offer any new updates beyond mid-2019 until both of these updates are installed (see MS support KB article 4472027).  all other recent Win7 updates could be hit or miss on non-SSE2 systems (may cause restart loops, unexpected freezes/hangups, etc.).  you're completely on your own if you attempt to install other recent Win7 updates.

test these on a system running an AMD Athlon XP or Intel Pentium 3 "Tualatin" processor and see if Win7 will work after these 2 updates are installed.

Edit 7/2 - then again, I would not even bother running a non-SSE2 system in 2020 & beyond.  nobody, I mean, NOBODY should be using those ancient CPUs in the next decade (unless for certain testing purposes).  All my old PCs use CPUs that not only have SSE2 support but also have PAE and NX/XD support - I'm doing what Ed Bott of ZDNet said in this article from June 2018.  Even he has little or no sympathy for those using non-SSE2 systems.

Edited July 2, 2019 by erpdude8