It's 2025.
We still have MSSQL with compatibility level set to 100 (matches the version from 2008).
We still have random downtime or issues with timeouts thanks to parameter sniffing.

Update? No that's expensive and doesn't provide more cashflow (ecommerce-ish).
'I just have to make better code'.

Give them an ultimatum after fixing it I guess. They have to take your advise as an expert. And yes, sometimes it just costs money. Not your fault. Maybe sell a hard "No, it's impossible" or something. With a bit luck a coworker that wants to outsmart you takes it over :P

@retoor I have no dev-coworkers 😔

you got me beat, we're "only" battling with compat level 110.

@angerydev take an intern from a school and give him this 'big oppertunity'. :P Let's see how long he can pretend to be grateful. Adding his tears to your expresso during lunch. I only no issues regarding this proposal. Let's face it, the intern would learn a lot.

I felt this rant on a personal level, dealing with legacy systems in 2025 still feels like a cruel joke. It’s frustrating when companies won’t invest the time to upgrade because “it still works,” ignoring long-term costs and performance issues. I’ve had to troubleshoot similar setups where newer features were unavailable because of outdated compatibility levels. It becomes a productivity nightmare for developers trying to innovate or even just keep things stable. Every time I worked on these technical headaches and studying part-time, I started using https://onlinepaperhelp.net/ to get academic support site to manage my writing workload more efficiently. It gave me more time to focus on work challenges without burning out.

Have you tried to propose a piecemeal migration or hybrid solution? Is there any chance of “speaking the financial language” to the board, demonstrating that the long-term maintenance costs are higher than the upgrade costs?

https://amongusonline.io/

I've been working with SQL Server since 2005. And I understand the feeling of being forced to maintain an 'ancient relic' system for cost reasons. But honestly, every debug parameter sniffing or timeout is a waste of time and faith in technological progress.