Endangered Software Archive - Operating Systems
The files here are compressed using 7zip, so as to keep download times down and to enable us all to keep larger archives. Operating systems are also divided into disk image sets; .iso for CDs and .ima for floppies, which can both be opened using WinImage or similar software.
NOTE: While I am making this software freely available, I wish to make it clear that I am
not in any way claiming ownership of their copyrights. Neither am I intending to prevent people
from legitimately acquiring new software; I merely wish to encourage people to remember what
software looked like in times long gone. The copyrights of each of the programs here belong to their
respective manufacturers.
Boot Disks
| ||
|---|---|---|
Microsoft MS-DOS 3.21 |
Very good for old machines, especially those that can't take a 1.4MB disk drive. To write this image, either take a 720KB disk and write to it, or else you can take a 1.4MB disk, and put tape over the hole that is not the write-protect notch. | Download |
Microsoft Chicago 122 |
Just for fun, a bootable of the first beta of Windows 95. | Download |
Microsoft Windows 95 |
With CD drivers, you'll need this disk to install Windows 95 or 98. You can also initiate a Windows NT setup with it as well. | Download |
Install Images/Archives
| ||
Microsoft MS-DOS 2.11 |
A good early version of MS-DOS to play with. Use it either on VirtuaPC, PCem, or else maybe a real computer. | Download |
Microsoft Windows Development Release 5 |
The very earliest known build of Windows, dating from October 1984. Uploaded here with permission from BetaArchive. | Download |
Microsoft Windows Alpha |
Another early build of Windows 1, from about January or so (I'm not sure exactly when), 1985. The NE format is still vastly different to the final, so software that comes with this will not run on any later build of Windows. Uploaded with permission from BetaArchive. | Will be available this evening. |
Microsoft Windows Premiere Edition |
The long sought-after Windows 1.00, which was actually known as Windows Premiere Edition. | Download |
Microsoft Windows 1.01 |
If you'd like to play with an old version of Windows, this might possibly be the one you want. This was the first version of Windows to become widely available. | Download |
Microsoft Windows 2.03 |
This is the second big release of Windows. It wasn't anywhere near as good as 3.1x or even 3.0, but it was the first that real sofrware was written for. | Download |
Microsoft Windows 2.11 (386) |
The last 2.x version of Windows, which incudes a memory-mapping feature. The first version of Windows, in fact, to use that features. | Download |
Microsoft Windows 3.00 |
Windows 3.00, the first release that was popular among computer users througout the world. It was this version that saw the debut of home users programming for Windows, in the shape of the Visual Basic IDE. | Download |
Microsoft Windows 3.1 |
Windows 3.1 saw many improvements over 3.0, including the eventual ability to run programs written for the Win32 API. | Download |
Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.11 |
Windows for Workgroups 3.11 was basically Windows 3.1 with small bug fixes and native networking support. It is beieved by many that it was a beta version of this that was forked to start the Chicago project - though the evidence suggests other possibilities as well. | Download |
Microsoft Windows Chicago 58s |
Being the earliest publically available build of what eventually became Windows 95, this naturally carries a great historical interest. To install, first boot up the VM (only someone who's terminally daft would try to install this on a real machine) with the Windows 95 boot disk that is also on this page. Don't try to install it using the SETUP.EXE or SETUP31.EXE files; use DOSSETUP.BAT. When setup is finished, Chicago will ask for a Beta Site ID. Just type a jumble of six digits. '000000' worked fine for me. | Download |
Microsoft Windows NT 3.1 |
Windows NT 3.1 was the high-power alternative to Windows 3.1x, being based on a 32-bit fully protected-mode kernel descended from OS/2. On machines with a processor newer than a Pentium (or Pentium-class), a fix needs to be applied to it, after the setup program has rebooted once, so that it will be able to work properly. This fix is available on the "Miscellaneous Programs" page. Please note, also, that no 3.x version of Windows NT will work at all on any version of Microsoft Virtual PC that is newer than the 2004 release. | Download |
Microsoft Windows NT 3.51 |
Windows NT 3.51 was the last version of Windows NT 3.x to be released, and is possibly the best version of all of them. The kernel is close in its design to that of a microkernel, meaning that if a program dies it won't just knock the system over; the system will recover. | Download |
Microsoft VirtualPC Images
| ||
Microsoft Windows Chicago 58s |
Chicago 58s, just like above, but this is ready-installed for use with Microsoft VirtualPC 2004 and above. | Download |
Microsoft Windows Chicago 122 |
Chicago 122 (Windows 95 beta 1), ready to run through VirtualPC. | Download |
Berkeley 2.11BSD |
2.11BSD running on SIMH, running on PC-DOS 5. Just what the doctor ordered. | Download |
Self-contained SIMH Images
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Digital Research CP/M 2.2 |
A self-contained SIMH setup containing DRI CP/M version 2.2. | Download |
AT&T Bell Laboratories Research Unix 5 |
Fifth edition of the Research Unix operating system - the oldest known complete set of binaries. | Download |
AT&T Bell Laboratories Research Unix 6 |
Sixth edition Research Unix. Very similar to Fifth edition, but with one or two more features. | Download |
AT&T Bell Laboratories Research Unix 7 |
The Seventh edition of Research Unix, which was the version that most modern unixes are descended from. | Download |
Sources
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CP/M Prototype |
The original PLM source files for CP/M, dated June 1975. | Download |
Linux 0.01 |
Linus Torvalds' Linux kernel, version 0.01. As we all know, this is the earliest surviving set of source files for the kernel, which Linus released on USENET in 1991. At this point in its development it is not fully functional. Requires Minix (1.x) and a 386 to build, if anyone is mad enough to want to try and build it. | Download |
AT&T Bell Laboratories Research Unix nsys |
The earliest full set of source files for Unix. Dating from 1973/4, these files are a must-have for any self-respecting software collector. | Download |
Microsoft MS-DOS 3.30 |
Source files for MS-DOS 3.30. | Download |
