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NFT: NFT: I got a message yesterday telling me that Windows 7

Blue21 : 10/21/2019 12:58 pm
will no longer be able to get support from Micro Soft pretty soon. I know Windows 7 is old but it does everything I need. They tell me they don't recommend down loading 10 onto my laptop. Why? Any suggestions? Has anyone else heard this?
I'm not saying this in a snarky way  
Mike in Long Beach : 10/21/2019 1:00 pm : link
Just the reality. It's 10 years old. It's not in Microsoft's interests to continue supporting a product that they won't sell and has very limited application in today's world.
No reason not to upgrade to 10  
widmerseyebrow : 10/21/2019 1:01 pm : link
It's better in every way. The UI change from 7 to 10 is pretty minimal compared to the jump from 7 to 8 (which sparked this whole "never let go of Windows 7" movement).
What would happen if you just leave it running Windows 7?  
Bold Ruler : Mod : 10/21/2019 1:02 pm : link
?
My Workplace Just Upgraded From Windows 7 To 10  
Trainmaster : 10/21/2019 1:02 pm : link
for the reason you stated.
Windows 10 is a nightmare.  
robbieballs2003 : 10/21/2019 1:04 pm : link
I work in a city school. We are trying to install Windows 10 on all Windows 7 computer. The updates are constant and don't always go through. It prevents teachers from using their laptops for their classes for a variety of issues.
I would suggest tryin Ubuntu Linux  
JerryNicklebag : 10/21/2019 1:06 pm : link
Especially if all you do is browse the web.

It's free, not nearly as vulnerable to virus' and malware and you can still use Google Chrome or Firefox.

A new version was actually released the other day as well.
Ubuntu Linux - ( New Window )
RE: What would happen if you just leave it running Windows 7?  
jcn56 : 10/21/2019 1:08 pm : link
In comment 14638901 Bold Ruler said:
Quote:
?


End of vendor support - means any new security bugs identified won't be patched, and you'll be vulnerable.

Ubuntu is not a bad suggestion if you have some tech skills, it's not for the uninitiated though. The problem is a lot of HW certified for 7 just isn't fast enough to run Win10 reliably.
Yes micro soft talks about security risks. And I have heard  
Blue21 : 10/21/2019 1:13 pm : link
about issues with many people that have 10. I'll probably be forced to try it but wanted other opinions and possible alternatives. Thanks guys keep the suggestions coming if there are other ideas. It's not taking place until January 2020 so I have some time. Really trying to avoid buying another laptop right now.
Your computer and apps  
Beer Man : 10/21/2019 1:13 pm : link
won't stop running because of this. As others have stated you will no longer receive updates and patches. At some point, you will may try to use software that won't run on Windows 7. Its probably time to upgrade to a new machine running the most recent version of Windows.
I upgraded a few years ago  
GmeninPSL : 10/21/2019 1:13 pm : link
and its been a nightmare, especially for my broadcast material that I use. Maybe windows 10 does not recognize some of this software and I need to begin from scratch. Sometimes after the updates I lose my sound. I avoid updates as much as I can by going into my control panel and services and disable windows 10 updates. But unfortunately some of these updates are important so I always find myself between a rock and a hard place because I don't want to lose what's important to me.

That said, if you have gotten a newer computer with windows 10 you should not have ANY of these issues. It's when you convert that the gremlins come out!!

Anyway, that's just my 2 cents, good luck!!
If you’re running Windows 7  
Jim in Fairfax : 10/21/2019 1:15 pm : link
You probably have a computer that’s at least 7 years old. You might want to think about replacement at this point.
You can install  
JerryNicklebag : 10/21/2019 1:16 pm : link
Ubuntu alongside Windows and try it out first if you like as well.

Or you can just boot from the Ubuntu install disk and try it out that way as well.

I have completely moved away from Microsoft other than a Windows 10 install I used to play games on. I haven't used it in almost a year though.
Yeah you really have no choice  
Johnny5 : 10/21/2019 1:21 pm : link
The security patches are constant and needed. Once they drop support for those you will be left pretty vulnerable for some nasty stuff.

If you are not running IE (and I hope no one is lol) you might be OK for a while running Chrome or Firefox but the lack of security patches leaves you pretty vulnerable.

Honestly just back up your data and wipe the drive and just do a fresh install of Windows 10. I held out installing it as well, but honestly I find it better in every way at this point. It's better at multitasking, I find it uses multiple monitors much more efficiently, and it seems to run quite a bit faster (for me). Especially startup and sleep/wake. Visio and AutoCAD also work better and crash much less which makes me happy... lol
The only time I saw a majot impact was on the server side....  
Drewcon40 : 10/21/2019 1:29 pm : link
...it was a few years ago but a webserver hosted on Windows 2003 had to make a connection to another external site and 2003 wasn't able to provide the necessary encryption to access the secure site.

This could be an example of where Windows 7 can factor in. Also, newer software will not be tailored to 7 (similar to apps and ios)
I had trouble initially with 10  
section125 : 10/21/2019 2:23 pm : link
and a little while after I installed, it my hard drive crashed. But after I had the HD replaced, 10 ran just fine. It is not the nightmare 8 was. And the HD crash probably had nothing to do with 10
You should probably  
pjcas18 : 10/21/2019 2:28 pm : link
consider replacing AOL as your internet provider too.
RE: I upgraded a few years ago  
BMac : 10/21/2019 2:29 pm : link
In comment 14638925 GmeninPSL said:
Quote:
and its been a nightmare, especially for my broadcast material that I use. Maybe windows 10 does not recognize some of this software and I need to begin from scratch. Sometimes after the updates I lose my sound. I avoid updates as much as I can by going into my control panel and services and disable windows 10 updates. But unfortunately some of these updates are important so I always find myself between a rock and a hard place because I don't want to lose what's important to me.

That said, if you have gotten a newer computer with windows 10 you should not have ANY of these issues. It's when you convert that the gremlins come out!!

Anyway, that's just my 2 cents, good luck!!


Most (by far) of the problems users face with Windows of any flavor are caused by bad or old drivers. You may want to update all your current drivers. You can use software such as Driver Update which, if you have a license, will automatically update in the background.
RE: Windows 10 is a nightmare.  
BMac : 10/21/2019 2:31 pm : link
In comment 14638907 robbieballs2003 said:
Quote:
I work in a city school. We are trying to install Windows 10 on all Windows 7 computer. The updates are constant and don't always go through. It prevents teachers from using their laptops for their classes for a variety of issues.


Set Windows to update only during off hours.
Windows 10 is a big upgrade to 7....  
Italianju : 10/21/2019 2:34 pm : link
if you are running older applications it can def be an issue, but that isnt windows 10 fault, ha.

As for the upgrade from 7 to 10 a lot of people are having issues with it now. That is mostly because windows 10 has already gone through so many what they call Build upgrades (think service packs from previous windows versions). The early builds made upgrading from 7 to 10 really easy, but it seems microsoft has removed some of that ease with each iteration of windows 10. I work at a university and we upgraded our remaining users about a year and a half ago and it wasnt bad at all.
RE: You should probably  
Johnny5 : 10/21/2019 3:17 pm : link
In comment 14639066 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
consider replacing AOL as your internet provider too.

OK that made me laugh... lol
RE: I would suggest tryin Ubuntu Linux  
Scott in Montreal : 10/21/2019 3:21 pm : link
In comment 14638910 JerryNicklebag said:
Quote:
Especially if all you do is browse the web.

It's free, not nearly as vulnerable to virus' and malware and you can still use Google Chrome or Firefox.

A new version was actually released the other day as well. Ubuntu Linux - ( New Window )


I am using Ubuntu as my main OS. Have been for about 10 years now. There is very little that the average user cannot do with Ubuntu that you can do with Windows. LibreOffice replaces Microsoft Office. If you do graphics. Gimp is like Photoshop and so on. It is also an excellent OS for older laptops as it does not need very much to run.

I would suggest getting the previous version which is the LTS (long term support) . The versions that are released in October are the ones that they tend to experiment with some things before the next LTS version comes out in April.

You can download it onto a USB and run it from the USB without messing with your windows configuration to give it a try. It is close but not exactly like Windows and there is a small learning curve.

It is a very solid OS and the Ubuntu /Linux community is friendly and helpful. If you have an issue. Chances are there will be someone to help and answer your question right away with a quick google search.
RE: You should probably  
Blue21 : 10/21/2019 3:51 pm : link
In comment 14639066 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
consider replacing AOL as your internet provider too.


I chuckled too but no I'm not using AOL.
my friend's kid  
crackerjack465 : 10/21/2019 4:54 pm : link
thought AOL stood for "Adults Online"

But yeah, I would consider an upgrade, but not on your current laptop.
RE: Yeah you really have no choice  
Bramton1 : 10/21/2019 7:03 pm : link
In comment 14638935 Johnny5 said:
Quote:
The security patches are constant and needed. Once they drop support for those you will be left pretty vulnerable for some nasty stuff.

If you are not running IE (and I hope no one is lol) you might be OK for a while running Chrome or Firefox but the lack of security patches leaves you pretty vulnerable.

Honestly just back up your data and wipe the drive and just do a fresh install of Windows 10. I held out installing it as well, but honestly I find it better in every way at this point. It's better at multitasking, I find it uses multiple monitors much more efficiently, and it seems to run quite a bit faster (for me). Especially startup and sleep/wake. Visio and AutoCAD also work better and crash much less which makes me happy... lol


Good chance that once Windows ends support for 7, Google and Mozilla won't be far behind.
The only issues I've ever heard of with 10  
widmerseyebrow : 10/21/2019 11:35 pm : link
Are when people try to upgrade their copy of 7 to 10. Fresh install is best.
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