Why does old software get buggy when it hasn’t been updated for a while? Shouldn’t have the same amount of bugs as it was when that version was released?
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If you don’t update the operating system or any other dependencies, then it should run exactly the same, theoretically.
However, if you update your OS or some other driver, or java, or some other random component, it may impact that older software, thereby making it appear more buggy.
Also “buggy” is a bit generic. Why is it failing or crashing? If you update other applications, they may use more resources, so that leaves less for your “original app” – which may be one simple example of why it’s no longer seeming to work as well as it did previously.
To simplify it, the way that programs interface with computer resources and other programs is handled in unique ways. Some are simple, some are complex, and some are normal now but could become antiquated as time goes on.
Picture a man in a suit and fedora walking down the street in the 1920s. He communicates well with all the people he meets and easily gets access to all the shops and places he needs to go. When he needs something from a store they know what he is asking for and he can easily get it. He as a program runs great. Well let’s say he never is updated and we drop him in the into 2022.
First off he doesn’t know about traffic signals, he is use to a police man in the road directing traffic so he might just sit there waiting for a signal that never comes (program freezes or times out). He tries to go to the drug store to get some magic miracle seltzer but not only does he not have a prescription the pharmacist has no idea what he is talking about (allocate resources incorrectly). On the way out he sees a pretty woman calls her a “Broad” and slaps her on the ass and gets arrested (Illegal call causing the system to end the program to prevent damage to other programs or the system).
When the program was written all these actions were acceptable but as time moved on they were found to be unsecure, ineffective, or needed other improvements. It isn’t really the fault of the old program, it use to work, but now it doesn’t. If the computer is an island and never updates and only ever runs the same programs, OS, and libraries it will run the same forever. With the exception of small errors or bug that may appear due to changes in input.
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