I got a 1998 CD-ROM world atlas running on Windows 11

A thrift store in Port Townsend, WA yielded an unexpected find for a son - a 1998 Compton’s 3D World Atlas Deluxe CD-ROM for Windows 95. Despite the CD being made when the Internet was still nascent, it ran on a modern Windows 11 operating system. The program, however, required an outdated online service and codecs that were not compatible with the current Windows version.

To make the obsolete software functional on the contemporary system, a custom layer was created that utilized the original CD and adjusted surrounding elements to work harmoniously. Movies were converted to Microsoft Video 1 format while retaining PCM audio; the online button was replaced with a local mirror from Internet Archive captures; and the x86 WonderLink component was replaced with a compatibility shim.

The final product is a truncated yet functional version of the original software with added safety measures like SHA-256 hash checks, rollback behavior, and automated release processes on GitHub Actions.

This retro software, once considered obsolete and incompatible with modern systems, has been successfully reconfigured into a working time machine. It allows users to browse countries, view historical statistics, watch converted videos, and play games. The original disc remains intact and mounted, preserving the authenticity of the software source. For those intrigued by the journey of this thrift store find to a fully-functional, legacy software installation, the complete project can be found on GitHub.