How would the language packs have worked? Back then the translations were created by patching the resource tables of the compiled binaries. So notepad.exe with

How would the language packs have worked? Back then the translations were created by patching the resource tables of the compiled binaries. So notepad.exe with German localization would just contain the German strings instead of the English ones. There were no external string tables that I am aware of. That came with Vista, I believe. Since then, every language version is (finally!) the same base install plus the appropriate and exchangeable language pack.