CTRL ALT DEL, but make it forever. As technology marches on, some people get trapped using decades-old software and devices. Here's a look inside the strange, stubborn world of obsolete Windows machines.

Earlier this year I was on my way to a checkup at a doctor's office in New York City. As I rode up to the 14th floor, my eyes were drawn to a screen built into the side of the lift. Staring back was a glimpse into the history of computing. There, in a gleaming hospital full of state-of-the-art machines, was an error message from an operating system released almost a quarter of a century ago. The elevator was running Windows XP.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Microsoft. The company may not have the cultural cachet it did when that hospital lift was installed, but after a couple of decades playing catch-up Microsoft is back on top. The tech giant has been the first or second most valuable business on earth for the better part of five years. Today, Microsoft is betting on AI to carry it into the next generation of computing. But as it dumps tens of billions of dollars into bleeding-edge technology, some argue that one of Microsoft's most enduring legacies may be the marks it left on society long ago.

Since its launch in 1975, Microsoft has penetrated digital infrastructure so completely that much of our world still relies on aged, sometimes obsolete Windows software and computers, chugging along and gathering dust long after they first booted up. For people stuck using these machines, the ghosts of Windows' past are an ever-present feature of daily life.

"In a way, Windows is the ultimate infrastructure. It's why Bill Gates is so rich," says Lee Vinsel, an associate professor at Virginia Tech in the US who studies the maintenance and repair of old technology. "Their systems are built into everything around us, and the fact that we have all of these ancient examples around is the story of the company's overall success. That's what's kind of amazing about Microsoft. For a long time, Windows was just how you got things done."

Even if you're a diehard Apple user, you're probably interacting with Windows systems on a regular basis. When you're pulling cash out, for example, chances are you're using a computer that's downright geriatric by technology standards. (Microsoft declined to comment for this article.)

"Many ATMs still operate on legacy Windows systems, including Windows XP and even Windows NT," which launched in 1993, says Elvis Montiero, an ATM field technician based in Newark, New Jersey in the US. "The challenge with upgrading these machines lies in the high costs associated with hardware compatibility, regulatory compliance and the need to rewrite proprietary ATM software," he says.

Microsoft ended official support for Windows XP in 2014, but Montiero says many ATMs still rely on these primordial systems thanks to their reliability, stability and integration with banking infrastructure.

And there are plenty of other surprising applications of old Microsoft products hidden in everyday life. In 2024, Windows was at the centre of a controversy across the German internet. It started with a job listing for Deutsche Bahn, the country’s railway service. The role being recruited was an IT systems administrator who would maintain the driver's cab display system on high-speed and regional trains. The problem was the necessary qualifications: applicants were expected to have expertise with Windows 3.11 and MS-DOS – systems released 32 and 44 years ago, respectively. In certain parts of Germany, commuting depends on operating systems that are older than many passengers.

A Deutsche Bahn spokesperson says that's to be expected. "Our trains have a long service life and are in operation for up........

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