First post, by johnyept
I searched the forum but couldn't find a list of essential system files for Windows. I'm not referring to extra programs like FTP, PDF/Image viewers, MP3 players, etc. Instead I mean Microsoft software and some 3rd party software (not KernelEX) essential for ALL old programs and games to install/run without asking for extra files/patches/updates. I found these in my HDD for the Windows versions I'm using in my retro machines, I'm not sure if they're the latest versions or if they're in the correct order or if I added them to the correct Windows version, but I'm sure I'm missing something and it would be nice if someone could chime in with missing software and/or links for better lists than these.
Windows 3.11:
- Internet Explorer 5.01 16-bit
- Windows Media Player 5.2
- Euro Patch (WIN3EURO.EXE, language specific)
- Win32S v1.30c
- Visual Basic Runtimes 16-bit (VBrun100.exe/VBrun200.exe/VBrun300.exe/vb4run.exe)
- WinG 1.0
- Video for Windows 1.1e
- TCP/IP 32 3.11b
Windows 95 OSR2:
- Windows Installer 2.0 (InstMsiA.exe)
- Internet Explorer 5.5 SP2
- Windows Media Player 6.4 or 7.0
- DirectX 8.0a
- Jet 4.0 SP8 (Jet40SP8_9xNT.exe)
- MMC (Microsoft Management Console) 1.2
- Paint.exe patch if using Office 97 (Paint95.exe)
- Comctl32 Redistributables 5.80.2614.3600 (50comupd.exe)
- DCOM95 Redistributables (DC95Inst.EXE)
- Microsoft Libraries Update (SPEU.exe)
- Windows Sockets 2.0 (w95ws2setup.exe)
- Visual Basic Runtimes 16-bit (VBrun100.exe/VBrun200.exe/VBrun300.exe/vb4run.exe)
- Visual Basic Runtimes 32-bit (vb4run.exe/Msvbvm50.exe/vbrun60sp5.exe)
- Euro Patch (w95euro.exe, language specific)
- Java 1.3.1_20
- Adobe Flash Player 7.0.73
Windows 98 SE:
- Windows Installer 2.0 (InstMsiA.exe)
- Internet Explorer 6 SP1
- Windows Media Player 6.4, 7.1 or 9
- DirectX 8.1 (9.0c is supported but if you need it you might as well use XP)
- Jet 4.0 SP8 (Jet40SP8_9xNT.exe)
- .Net Framework 2.0
- MMC (Microsoft Management Console) 1.2
- Visual Basic Runtimes 16-bit (VBrun100.exe/VBrun200.exe/VBrun300.exe/vb4run.exe)
- Visual Basic Runtimes 32-bit (vb4run.exe/Msvbvm50.exe/vbrun60sp5.exe)
- Visual C++ Redistributables 2005
- Java 1.5.0_22 (also seems to work with 1.6.07 and 6u7?)
- Adobe Flash Player 9.0.280
- QuickTime Alternative 1.5.6
- Real Alternative 1.5.2
Windows NT 4.0:
- install network drivers before any Service Pack
- Unofficial DirectX 5.0 beta (install SP3, then NT4DX5, then SP6a + Rollup, otherwise it breaks DirectPlay)
- Service Pack 6a
- Service Pack 6a Post Security Rollup
- Windows Installer 2.0 (InstMsiW.exe)
- Internet Explorer 6 SP1
- Windows Media Player 6.4
- Jet 4.0 SP8 (Jet40SP8_9xNT.exe)
- .Net Framework 1.1
- MMC (Microsoft Management Console) 1.2
- MSXML 3.0 SP7
- Visual Basic Runtimes 32-bit (vb4run.exe/Msvbvm50.exe/vbrun60sp5.exe)
- Paint.exe patch if using Office 97 (Paintnt.exe)
- Euro Patch (NT4_Euro.exe)
- Java 1.4.1_07
- Adobe Flash Player 7.0.73 (also seems to work with 9.0.47)
- QuickTime Alternative 1.5.6
- Real Alternative 1.5.2
Windows 2000:
- Service Pack 4
- Service Pack 4 Update Rollup 1 v2
- Windows Installer 3.1 (WindowsInstaller-KB893803-v2-x86.exe)
- Internet Explorer 6 SP1
- Windows Media Player 7.1
- DirectX 9.0c
- Jet 4.0 SP8 (included in SP4 Update Rollup)
- .Net Framework 2.0 SP1
- MSXML 6.0 SP1
- Visual Basic Runtimes 16-bit (VBrun100.exe/VBrun200.exe/VBrun300.exe/vb4run.exe)
- Visual Basic Runtimes 32-bit (vb4run.exe/Msvbvm50.exe/vbrun60sp5.exe)
- Visual C++ Redistributables 2005/2008
- Java 6u31
- Adobe Flash Player 10.3.183.5
- QuickTime Alternative 1.9.0
- Real Alternative 2.0.2
Windows XP:
- Service Pack 3 (requires SP1a or SP2 if installing on RTM)
- Windows Installer 3.1 (WindowsInstaller-KB893803-v2-x86.exe)
- Internet Explorer 8
- Windows Media Player 9, 10 or 11
- DirectX 9.0c
- Jet 4.0 SP8 (included in SP2)
- .Net Framework 3.5 SP1 / 4.0.3?
- MSXML 6.0 SP1
- Visual Basic Runtimes 32-bit (vb4run.exe/Msvbvm50.exe/vbrun60sp5.exe)
- Visual C++ Redistributables 2005/2008/2010/2012/2013/2015/2019
- Java 7u9
- Adobe Flash Player 32.0.0.371 (last version without timebomb)
- QuickTime Alternative 3.2.2 ou 4.1.0 Lite
- Real Alternative 2.0.2
Underlined version numbers are the last officially supported version for the O.S. mentioned in the official page, in forums or by my own testing.
EDIT 2021-10-29 (1): Added WinG, QuickTime Alternative, Real Alternative
EDIT 2021-10-29 (2): Added Video for Windows, TCP/IP 32, plus installation steps for NT4/DX5
RETRO-W95/NT4: ASUS P3B-F, P3 550, 192MB, GF2+VD2 PCI, AWE64+VIBRA128, 80GB IDE
RETRO-W98/2K: ASUS A7N8X-E, Sempron 2.8+, 512MB, FX 5700LE 256MB, SB Live! CT4830, 320GB IDE
RETRO-WXP/7: ASUS P5KPL-AM EPU, XEON E5450, 4GB, GTS 450 1GB, 120GB SSD, 1TB sATA