CrustyWindows:File hosts
Part of the reason we strive to preserve these ISOs is because of the fragile nature of file hosts. To make it easier for people to search for bootlegs and not waste their time, some common file hosts that are now offline will be listed below, along with their shutdown dates.
Dead
Fileserve
Site was shut down in 2012 (less than a year after it started), it is most common with bootlegs posted in 2011.
FileDefend
Died in less than a year. I guess they didn't defend your files very well. Because it was so short-lived, most people didn't upload here, but there's a few bootlegs (all posted in 2012) that did.
Hotfile
Shut down December 4, 2013. The site now redirects to a MPAA "watch it legally" propaganda campaign. Very common in bootlegs posted in 2007 - 2013.
JumboFiles
Dead, dead, dead. Shut down December 31, 2015.
Letitbit
Let it bit (rot). Oddly shut down by ICANN in April of 2016, though most of its files were purged by then anyway due to legal requests. Extremely common in bootlegs posted between 2009 and 2014
MegaUpload
Infamously had its servers seized by the Department of Justice in 2012, but basically, much only old bootlegs (2007 to 2010) use Megaupload links.
Plunder
This site is still technically online, but has had all of its files purged. Luckily, it's extremely uncommon.
Shut off on March 31, 2015 (though most links were dead well before then.). Most common between 2009 to 2014.
Uploaded/Uploaded.net
Shut down November 30, 2022 after giving users less than 24 hours to get their stuff. Purged all Windows ISOs long before that anyway, so it didn't matter much. Most common in 2012 to 2015 posts.
Uploading/Uploading.com
Shut down in late 2016 and is now replaced with a garbage clickbait blog. Very common with bootlegs posted in 2009 to 2012.
Storage.to/Kickload.com
Storage.to changed into Kickload in October 2011, then died in 2012 for an unknown reason. Kickload.com also died in early 2012 for also unknown reasons. Domain expiry?
Sites that purge files for inactivity
FileRio
Still active website, seems to purge if they aren't downloaded for a while (how long that is isn't specified anywhere). They have a link checker tool which you can use to see if files are still available. Not very common, but still worth checking if you find a link.
TurboBit
Still online. Like FileRio, it has a link checker tool that you can use to see if the files are still available, which can save a lot of time. Very common on Russian websites.
Premium sites
Chomikuj
There's quite a few bootleg ISOs here, but you'll have to pony up the money to download more than 1 MB. And par for the course, it isn't a normal website that just uses PayPal to buy the download points, instead it uses Premium SMS (which is being being phased out by many mobile carriers). LeechAll can download up to 2 GB from Chomik per day, but take note that you'll be directed through adfly chains and will have to battle through a ton of redirects to get the file.
Active sites
MediaFire
MediaFire is still active with lots of files, however, Microsoft bots are known to scan the website for ISOs and submit DMCA claims on them, so its not extraordinarily common to find links that work.
SendSpace
Still online as of December 3, 2022. Most old files seem to be purged though.