About CookedOS
CookedOS is a fully interactive Windows 95 experience built for the modern web. It faithfully recreates the look, feel, and functionality of Microsoft's iconic 1995 operating system — complete with draggable windows, a working Start menu, pixel-perfect 3D beveled borders, and even a built-in Winamp music player.
But CookedOS is more than a visual clone. It tells the story of Cooked Ltd., a fictional creative agency from the late 1990s that predicted everything about modern design culture — the obsession with validation, the portfolio-as-identity, the "did I cook?" anxiety of posting work online — but arrived a decade too early. Their workstation was recovered. This is what was on it.
What Makes CookedOS Different
Most retro computing simulators are either purely visual novelties or technical emulators. CookedOS sits in a unique space: it's a narrative-driven social platform that happens to be wrapped in an authentic Windows 95 interface.
- You can browse a virtual filesystem containing documents, notes, and web pages left behind by the agency
- You can post your own designs and creative work to the community feed
- You can earn Cook Points, climb leaderboards, and unlock cosmetic items via a hidden Keygen program
- You can listen to music on a real Winamp player with actual .wsz skin support
- You can generate satirical client feedback, create moodboards, and browse the web through a fake Internet Explorer
The Satire
Every feature in CookedOS serves a dual purpose. The "Did I Cook?" posting system satirises creative validation culture. The "Cook Points" system parodies engagement metrics. The agency's recovered documents tell a story of a team that was brilliant but doomed. The entire experience walks a line between genuine functionality and dark humour about the creative industry.
Technical Details
CookedOS is built with React 18, TypeScript, and Express.js. The desktop uses a custom window management system with draggable, resizable windows. The Winamp player is powered by Webamp, the open-source browser implementation of Winamp. Data is stored in Firebase Firestore. The retro image filter uses a Floyd-Steinberg dithering algorithm to reduce uploads to a 64-colour VGA palette.
Get Started
CookedOS is free and runs entirely in your browser. No download required. Boot up CookedOS now and explore the lost hard drive for yourself.