Windows 7 Support Ends in a Year

[wildweasel]

Can you give me a Cliff's Notes of that mess please?

[Rachael]

Oh, it's mostly sputtering bullshit about how everything he's using is "just fine" and that it's okay to use 98 and XP (and 7 when it gets past its security updates, too). Much like most of what MRWL writes, he's not paying attention to anyone, and he believes he's always right.

Much as I will agree that Microsoft fucked up HORRIBLY along the way especially with 8/8.1/10, that does not excuse using old garbage like that, especially if it's internet connected. I'm not going to shed a single tear if he gets infected and the government comes for him over it.

[wildweasel]

Yeah honestly I can only justify running an old system if it's by no means a daily driver. While I can connect the Windows 98 machine to the internet, the browsers available are nowhere near new enough to support some of the new security protocols available, ad blocking is spotty at best (and only possible with a modified Hosts file), and would never ever be my first choice for casual surfing. Or anything beyond typing direct download links into the address bar for whatever software I need on it (generally patches for old games). Even then, I disconnect right afterwards. There's no reason for it to be Always Online, especially not when the thing is already capable of crashing itself at the slightest provocation - I don't need the ever present threat of online attack on it as well.

[Graf Zahl]

Seems I judged him just right...

[R4L]

In way of comparison, just because people are still making updates for Windows 98 SE, doesn't mean you should use it as your daily driver. Say what you will about Windows 10, but it's a safe operating system for me.

Fun fact: like 99% of all the medical, technical, designer, engineer, guardian, educational and all of the other working equipment in my country still using Windows XP as it's OS and not any of them is having the need to any of the "up to date" updates. People just use them because they know that it's the most suitable OS for working, especially considering that most modern industrial softwares are still done to Windows XP, at least in this country.

What a fucking stupid reason to use an outdated OS, and highly irresponsible too. People's personal information isn't a joke, especially in say, a hospital where people's lives depend on a working infrastructure. Some script kiddie with a ransomware payload would take that system down so fast. Do they have backups? If not, now that hospital has to comply, and there isn't time to think about it because again, REAL LIVES at stake. So they comply. Problem is though, the attacker doesn't have to do ANYTHING. They don't have to give you a key to unlock your shit. In the case of one local company near my work, they complied with the attackers because they didn't have backups, and the attackers responded with "Thanks for the $25,000, but I think I want another $25,000..." I won't even mention the fallout effects of having to have a real security firm do clean up. By having an unsecure, unsupported OS operating on the wild west of the internet, you expose yourself to a myriad of shit like this, no matter how "smart while on the internet" you are.

You want to play old games, or use old programs that don't work on newer OSes? FINE. But don't you dare make that machine your daily driver.

Im guessing some people just don't wanna get coned into using a bloated OS with a messy a UI. It's Microsoft's job to entice people into using new tech not Push them away with needless changes...
But thats just my take Since I (unfortunately) use Windows 10.

You are correct here, but it's also said people's responsibility to use an OS that's reasonably up to date. Many problems on the internet are caused by people insisting on using Windows XP, Windows 2000, NT4, or 98. If you cannot be a good internet citizen and keep your computer secure, then you don't deserve to be on the internet. And you deserve all the actions that the government or your ISP takes out against you when hackers use your computer without your knowledge to do nasty things. Remember - it's not just me saying that. Most governments agree and will take action against you based on that philosophy. Do you really want to take that chance? Your life is in your own hands, and I am offering you a way to be safer and less liable.

1. Windows 10 *does* have a debloat script to remove most of the bloat. https://github.com/W4RH4WK/Debloat-Windows-10
2. The old start menu can be restored with ClassicShell. http://classicshell.net/
3. If it's pretty window borders you miss, Glass8 has that. http://www.glass8.eu/
4. If it's desktop gadgets you need, 8gadgetpack has those. https://8gadgetpack.net/
5. It's likely still possible to upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 10 without losing a red penny (i.e. it's free). Simply use the media creation tool. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/softwar ... /windows10

If you absolutely cannot abide a Windows 10 upgrade, then please switch to Linux.

This is the best quote here.

[MaxRideWizardLord]

In way of comparison, just because people are still making updates for Windows 98 SE, doesn't mean you should use it as your daily driver. Say what you will about Windows 10, but it's a safe operating system for me.

Fun fact: like 99% of all the medical, technical, designer, engineer, guardian, educational and all of the other working equipment in my country still using Windows XP as it's OS and not any of them is having the need to any of the "up to date" updates. People just use them because they know that it's the most suitable OS for working, especially considering that most modern industrial softwares are still done to Windows XP, at least in this country.

What a fucking stupid reason to use an outdated OS, and highly irresponsible too. People's personal information isn't a joke, especially in say, a hospital where people's lives depend on a working infrastructure. Some script kiddie with a ransomware payload would take that system down so fast. Do they have backups? If not, now that hospital has to comply, and there isn't time to think about it because again, REAL LIVES at stake. So they comply. Problem is though, the attacker doesn't have to do ANYTHING. They don't have to give you a key to unlock your shit. In the case of one local company near my work, they complied with the attackers because they didn't have backups, and the attackers responded with "Thanks for the $25,000, but I think I want another $25,000..." I won't even mention the fallout effects of having to have a real security firm do clean up. By having an unsecure, unsupported OS operating on the wild west of the internet, you expose yourself to a myriad of shit like this, no matter how "smart while on the internet" you are.

You want to play old games, or use old programs that don't work on newer OSes? FINE. But don't you dare make that machine your daily driver.

Before this rumor grow in to a legend, and I get shitstormed for not joining the happy win 10 bandwagon, could you please provide some evidence of any claim you're just saying? Most of these tech that I was talking about (in my country) do not even have internet, and do not allow anyone not qualified to be near them. Even surgical equipment run on windows XP here, there is not a single case where one was being hacked. What exactly makes you be so convinced that new OS is somehow more safe than the one you assume is unsafe? If they are trully used by the majority now, then I'd expect more people be more familiar with how win 10 functions than win XP or win 7.

[Matt]

This is the best quote here.

Seconded.

Rachael can you please put that list of links into your OP for ease of access?

[Graf Zahl]

What a fucking stupid reason to use an outdated OS, and highly irresponsible too. People's personal information isn't a joke, especially in say, a hospital where people's lives depend on a working infrastructure. Some script kiddie with a ransomware payload would take that system down so fast. Do they have backups? If not, now that hospital has to comply, and there isn't time to think about it because again, REAL LIVES at stake. So they comply. Problem is though, the attacker doesn't have to do ANYTHING. They don't have to give you a key to unlock your shit. In the case of one local company near my work, they complied with the attackers because they didn't have backups, and the attackers responded with "Thanks for the $25,000, but I think I want another $25,000..." I won't even mention the fallout effects of having to have a real security firm do clean up. By having an unsecure, unsupported OS operating on the wild west of the internet, you expose yourself to a myriad of shit like this, no matter how "smart while on the internet" you are.

Sadly such things are par for course in the corporate world. And the reason always comes down to money and morons making the decisions. It starts with saving money on software, so the software they use is shit. This often means it is so bad that it cannot be ported to a new operating system. So they continue using the old one. Of course they also continue using outdated web browsers because the modern ones do not interface well with their broken software.

And nothing changes because the broken software is "mission critical" and fixing it would cost more than the morons who make the decisions are willing to pay.

[Rachael]

Rachael can you please put that list of links into your OP for ease of access?

Good idea - I had thought of doing that but was going to write a reply to MRWL first. I'll do this instead, since that gives me more time to think about what I am going to say anyway.

[Rachael]

Before this rumor grow in to a legend, and I get shitstormed for not joining the happy win 10 bandwagon, could you please provide some evidence of any claim you're just saying? Most of these tech that I was talking about (in my country) do not even have internet, and do not allow anyone not qualified to be near them. Even surgical equipment run on windows XP here, there is not a single case where one was being hacked. What exactly makes you be so convinced that new OS is somehow more safe than the one you assume is unsafe? If they are trully used by the majority now, then I'd expect more people be more familiar with how win 10 functions than win XP or win 7.

https://www.networkworld.com/article/29 ... uters.html
https://www.pcworld.com/article/172082/ ... _Risk.html
https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/sec ... ces-online
https://www.opswat.com/blog/unpatched-s ... ng-problem
https://www.skyhighnetworks.com/cloud-s ... ary-tales/
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=examples+of+i ... fsb&ia=web

This list could be endless.

Get your head out of the fucking sand! Just because it hasn't happened to you, doesn't mean it can't ever happen.

[R4L]

What exactly makes you be so convinced that new OS is somehow more safe than the one you assume is unsafe?

Oh, I don't know... how about the fact that they still GET SUPPORT? That doesn't just mean Microsoft, it means everybody else ever who wants to be in business. Most software does not support XP anymore, as is the trend of a dead OS.

If I open Greenbone right now and scan my entire network, it's going to flash bright red warnings at me about an XP machine we have yet to rectify, because like your idiotic companies, our engineers have yet to figure out a way to migrate from old, shitty, not supported Win98/XP only software. Greenbone will tell me every documented vulnerability it has, including old exploits from third party software. In fact, it can tell me what updates are installed on that machine. It can tell me what the gateway is for my network, the vulnerabilities of my router, EVERYTHING an attacker would want to know. It will literally show a way in to my network.

My point is, when there's a way in and there's no one to PATCH the way in, someone is going to find the way in eventually if they want to! Why even have the risk in the first place? "It won't ever happen to me!" is the worst excuse too, because I've used it and guess what? It happened to me. And please do not tell me these companies would rely on third parties patching XP in a production environment... they shouldn't be in business if that's the case.

If they are trully used by the majority now, then I'd expect more people be more familiar with how win 10 functions than win XP or win 7.

Windows 7 is still relevant for a lot of companies. Hell, we just bought a multi million dollar surface mount line that was just released this year, and that runs 7 underneath. But, you can't compare 7 to XP because 1) 7 still gets updates despite its age, and 2) XP is 18 years old and DOESN'T get updates.

Most of these tech that I was talking about (in my country) do not even have internet, and do not allow anyone not qualified to be near them.

A tech company without internet. Imagine that. Obviously if you aren't on the grid, then it's no issue. I'm talking about you, who is probably typing all that up on a SP3 XP machine. I wonder what browser you use. Actually, I wonder what AV/Malware solution you use!

We have users here that can't use certain terminals either. That's only half the problem though, and anyone in the I.T. or security fields will tell you that.

[Dinosaur_Nerd]

[*] It's likely still possible to upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 10 without losing a red penny (i.e. it's free). Simply use the media creation tool. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/softwar ... /windows10[/list]

As a professional computer technician I can confirm that this is accurate.
We do this on a daily basis.
Your windows 7, 8, or 8.1 version MUST BE ACTIVATED before you can upgrade to 10. (so if you pirated windows 7, you're not gonna get a free activated windows 10 upgrade)

to check if your windows is activated, open the command line and type:

Code: Select all

slmgr /xpr

this will display your activation status.

[R4L]

Also want to confirm that Windows 10 will accept some 7 keys for activation. I've only tested OEM keys, but I've had a 100% success rate with them and I've built 20+ machines between March and April.

[jazzmaster9]

Im guessing some people just don't wanna get coned into using a bloated OS with a messy a UI. It's Microsoft's job to entice people into using new tech not Push them away with needless changes...
But thats just my take Since I (unfortunately) use Windows 10.

You are correct here, but it's also said people's responsibility to use an OS that's reasonably up to date. Many problems on the internet are caused by people insisting on using Windows XP, Windows 2000, NT4, or 98. If you cannot be a good internet citizen and keep your computer secure, then you don't deserve to be on the internet. And you deserve all the actions that the government or your ISP takes out against you when hackers use your computer without your knowledge to do nasty things. Remember - it's not just me saying that. Most governments agree and will take action against you based on that philosophy. Do you really want to take that chance? Your life is in your own hands, and I am offering you a way to be safer and less liable.

Again im currently using Windows 10 because i understand the risk... doesn't mean I can't criticize it for being a sub par OS compared to Windows 7 when i comes to user friendly content, since everyone I see Praise it as some kind of OS Messaiah. Don't Worry Im not A criminal, Just a user using a crap OS because the alternatives (like Linux) doesn't support the software i use.

tl;dr Windows 10 is crap that i need to use

[Rachael]

Again im currently using Windows 10 because i understand the risk... doesn't mean I can't criticize it for being a sub par OS compared to Windows 7 when i comes to user friendly content, since everyone I see Praise it as some kind of OS Messaiah. Don't Worry Im not A criminal, Just a user using a crap OS because the alternatives (like Linux) doesn't support the software i use.

tl;dr Windows 10 is crap that i need to use

I agree that Windows 10 is utter shit. Windows 7 is by far a superior OS, in terms of usability and aesthetics. There isn't even a question about that.

But that doesn't change the fact that in a year, Windows 7 will be unsupported.

Also want to confirm that Windows 10 will accept some 7 keys for activation. I've only tested OEM keys, but I've had a 100% success rate with them and I've built 20+ machines between March and April.

Wow - thanks for this! I had an unused Windows 7 Pro just laying around collecting dust. I managed to upgrade my Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro using that key, and it worked! (Although I had to enter it twice, the first time it refused to activate it)

I hate Home editions for so many reasons and I have no idea why Microsoft even sells it.