Source code of Windows NT 3.5 the first Xbox

Windows NT 3.5 source code

Windows NT 3.5 is an operating system developed by Microsoft

Microsoft has confirmed that a copy of the source code of the first-generation Xbox gaming system is currently making the rounds on the Internet. In addition, the source code of a pre-release version of Windows NT 3.5 came online.

Microsoft has now confirmed two source code leaks. Since the Group normally only provides the code officially for its open source projects, an unintended leak is currently to be expected, which the Redmonder probably would not approve.

On the first Xbox basically ran Windows 2000

Microsoft confirmed that they knew about the reports about the code leaks and are currently investigating them. In the case of the first Xbox, it is the code of a customized version of Windows 2000 with support for Directx 8.0, which ran as an operating system on the console. The leaked package also contains developer tools, emulators used for testing and various internal documents.

The kernel and the source code have supposedly been circulating among enthusiasts on the Internet before, but have not been widely distributed. However, this also means that the development of independent emulators to use games for the first Xbox on other platforms is unlikely to benefit from the leak.

Windows NT 3.5 Released on May 30

The now released source code of Windows NT 3.5 comes from an almost final output of the old operating system. Since even the extended support ended almost 20 years ago, only very few productive systems with the old OS are likely to run today. For Microsoft and its partners thus probably no larger security problem arises, even if the code for some interested could certainly be a found food.

So far, there have only rarely been major source code leaks from Microsoft software. However, already in 2004 parts of the code of Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4 came to the public. Recently, there was a larger incident in 2017 when parts of the code of Windows 10 appeared on the Internet. Apart from the ongoing investigation of recent events, Microsoft did not want to comment on the new case.