Do you still run Windows 95? USA Air Traffic Control system does. Wonder where they find hardware when something breaks down since no one is making drivers for Windows 95 nowadays.

inb4 gimme contract I will VM all of them


https://arstechnica.com/information-technol...ntrol-overhaul/

On Wednesday, acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau told the House Appropriations Committee that the Federal Aviation Administration plans to replace its aging air traffic control systems, which still rely on floppy disks and Windows 95 computers, Tom's Hardware reports. The agency has issued a Request For Information to gather proposals from companies willing to tackle the massive infrastructure overhaul.

"The whole idea is to replace the system. No more floppy disks or paper strips," Rocheleau said during the committee hearing. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the project "the most important infrastructure project that we've had in this country for decades," describing it as a bipartisan priority.

Most air traffic control towers and facilities across the US currently operate with technology that seems frozen in the 20th century, although that isn't necessarily a bad thing—when it works. Some controllers currently use paper strips to track aircraft movements and transfer data between systems using floppy disks, while their computers run Microsoft's Windows 95 operating system, which launched in 1995.

As Tom's Hardware notes, modernization of the system is broadly popular. Sheldon Jacobson, a University of Illinois professor who has studied risks in aviation, says that the system works remarkably well as is but that an upgrade is still critical, according to NPR. The aviation industry coalition Modern Skies has been pushing for ATC modernization and recently released an advertisement highlighting the outdated technology.

While the vintage systems may have inadvertently protected air traffic control from widespread outages like the CrowdStrike incident that disrupted modern computer systems globally in 2024, agency officials say 51 of the FAA's 138 systems are unsustainable due to outdated functionality and a lack of spare parts.

The FAA isn't alone in clinging to floppy disk technology. San Francisco's train control system still runs on DOS loaded from 5.25-inch floppy disks, with upgrades not expected until 2030 due to budget constraints. Japan has also struggled in recent years to modernize government record systems that use floppy disks.

the problem with these upgrades is mainly not budget issue but because nobody in the higher management have the balls to do these upgrades when everything works now because if something goes wrong after the upgrade then they will be in deep shit and lose their jobs
nobody will gamble with their jobs to do these upgrades

When I work part time in retail between my diploma and degree gap, the entire pos and accounting system use dos, the very same system when the shop opened in 1996.

Once things start running, migrating is just not worth the rrisk.

If it doesn't break why fix it.

Only do it when they build a new tower.
Atleast job security is confirmed there...

if work, no upgrade.

How about in Malaysia?
I don't know what k/tards will respond if this happens in Malaysia.

Banks still use msdos

wonder how they pass the ISO standard ?

There are machines in Malaysia are still running with nt 4

I have some industrial machines still running MSDOS and DRMUDOS

I know ya.. Lol

ISO for show only lar..auditor kasi kawtim..

Floppy disk ? Where to buy ? Custom order from factory in China ?

If not broken, the legend says if you try to upgrade, then it will throw a tantrum and die

Trump compares US infrastructure to that of a ‘third-world country’

https://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/15/politics...d-world-country

No way. How to do online banking with dos?

once bsod jialat
no wonder many aircraft incidents at murica airport runway

legacy systems is the best

wait until you find out what os atm machine use

Airport Malaysia guna Windows XP, some on Windows 7.
Some servers are Windows NT/2000.

Many factory still using Windows CE /Embedded.

No info on Railway system/LRT/MRT

TM also have aging infra. Windows 98, server on NT 4 or older.
Some classic variant of UNIX

A few bank's mission critical running on IBM O/S z
A few still on Solaris.

Front end are all modern OS.

ATM too, some are on Windows CE and 98

95/98/XP

Some pelik Linux customed.

probablt cant afford a down time :X

In what way ISO standard related to DOS?

lol

Auditors are the ones that is the biggest obstacle to upgrade systems

Always scare this, scare this.

What if got downtime. What if got compatibility issue. What if got XYZ problem.

If got problem who bear responsibility?

People facing these kinda questions, sure 99.99% won't want to upgrade one.

If upgrade no problem, you won't get any extra reward. If upgrade got problem, people will hound you day and night.

Why fix it, if it is working well

old ios gold

I'm not the expert on OS but as far as I can say from my observation, database system are very much on DOS core. As you can see, anything with long description, the entry data is truncated thus you have to use short syntax for long word. I believe this is why bank database are still on DOS. The Windows GUI is probably on Windows but it is just interface, but everything is crunched in rigid database structure.

The reason for using Windows 95 is because it is basically DOS with nicer "modern" graphic interface for easy of understanding for end users.

But these are necessary questions any good and effective Management would ask

If the Management don't ask and buta-buta upgrade without any backup plans, what happen if something really happens?

This post has been edited by 30624770: Jun 10 2025, 09:31 AM

same like most atm machine. The setup file still using floppy disc

reason simply because its stable and the risk is very minimal as new version will come with new nonsense that can bring the whole system down.

or we tukar auditor until pass, lol

Atm machines

Normally there is backup/contingency plans.

Just that auditors will drill down kow kow, 1% error chance, 1 minute downtime also cannot accept. Everything must be smooth, zero problem, back to business as usual ASAP.

Who would want to put their neck on the line when facing these kinda people? Answer = no one, that why these kinda things are like this. Systems from 90s also never upgrade.

That is what risk management and auditors are supposed to do

If they are lax, they will be blamed if something happened

In this case, its air traffic control

You can't really afford 1 minute downtime as its really life and death situation

Malaysian Airport one - true. I was one of the core developers for KLIA TAMS in 1996. Once one iron out all the bugs, the system is solid rock. Doing it's intended function without fail. Nothing else. But it is hard to add on new feature.

Ther's some organisation resorted to moving this legacy system to virtual machine once the physical hardware gone kaput beyond repair.

This post has been edited by haturaya: Jun 10 2025, 10:24 AM

Then don't ask why system never upgrade.

This is why.

its normal.

some hotels/banks mission critical system still using win95. it is so deeply integrated which impossible to replace them without heavy cost.

Japan, companies still using floppy disk.

+ Microsoft Excel.

Then it's IT fault if they can't convince Audit or Risk Management

Audit and Risk Management will only report their findings to Management/Board

If IT can't give a convincing picture, no Management/Board will approve it

At the end of the day the responsibility still falls to IT if something happens

Win95 is the ISO standard

If use MS Dos , sure fail ISO

Same like banking system

Do they even apply for it?

my factory machine using DOS 6.1.

Ayam like window xp.

Nowadays window version sux.

Because no such thing as zero issues when changing new system.

When changing up big systems, always there are issues that pop up. You just have to deal with it as you go along. But audit and management cannot accept this fact.

They want zero issues. Zero downtime.

That is why, the system never upgrade. US is like that. Someone comment here, Malaysia airport also like that. I know for a fact big banks are like that.

windows XP or Windows 11.

no much difference also.

If Putin can use win xp why not others?

why not run with ios 26?

wow, fucking DOS. no wonder train network in US is legacy tech.

unable to ddos or hack a win95 that is stand alone PC.

Electronics or semiconductors ?

Same like Japan govt, they were still running on floppy disk not long ago…

Yeah man.... to my astonishment, msia fastest train back in early 2000s was using win3.1. So I asked the deutsch engineer why stay in the past? His answer was very american if it ain't broke don't fix/change it.

Jimat duit

Same same.

My takeaway all using the older POS version for conveniences, as well as to Songlap songlap sikit sikit here n there.

The crux here wasn't really modernization, but the limitless possibility to what we already used to and been using so far. Upgrading it to smoother would be great, but changing it 180 degrees made things difficult.

Imagine if change system liao the first thing the aviation met is bugged then pew pew Khalifa kena knock, CDG skids, KLIA kong, Jepang tower MIA, saupei lor... MH370 tertiba international version.

outdated close environment is the best for security

VM on VPS container or on disk? Windows Server 2019?

With win 3.11 layered ? Or plain?

Just plain. Recently went to ebay buying old quantum fireball to replace the broken hdd. Luckily still can get.
The processor is using 80486DX2. Still strong after over 30 years.