Windows 7 Only Has One Year of Security Patches Left

[RV_]

Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 7 with security updates on January 14, 2020. It’s like Windows XP all over again—but much worse. Many more people are sticking with Windows 7 than stuck with XP.

Excerpt:

"If you’re still using Windows 7, you’re not alone. According to Net Market Share, 35.63% of Windows users are still using Windows 7 as of December 2018. Windows 10 has 52.36% of Windows users.

Back in April 2013, when Windows XP just had a year left of support left, only 24.93% of Windows users were sticking with XP. A commanding 62.27% of desktop users were already running Windows 7.

Microsoft has a significant problem on its hands here. And Microsoft enters this home stretch with the biggest ever Windows 10 update mess ever on its hands, too. Microsoft is hardly making a case for Windows 10 to skeptical Windows 7 users.

nd of support is a big deal. It means Microsoft will stop issuing security patches for problems in Windows 7, which will make Windows 7 systems increasingly vulnerable to attack. Security flaws that are found and fixed in newer versions of Windows will often affect Windows 7, too. This means attackers have a roadmap for assaulting Windows 7 systems, which will become less and less secure over time.

Microsoft’s end of support date will also encourage other companies to stop supporting Windows 7, too. Windows desktop applications will eventually stop supporting older versions of Windows. This likely won’t happen immediately, as Windows 7 isn’t anywhere near as long in the tooth as Windows XP was when it was left behind. But don’t be surprised when new applications or updates to your existing applications stop supporting Windows 7. You can’t use a modern web browser on Windows XP anymore, for example."

Source: https://www.howtogeek.com/400783/windows-7-only-has-one-year-of-security-patches-left/

That link contains screen shots and links to help any Windows 7 stragglers to make the best decision. If you still run Windows 7 read it and all the links it contains.

 

 

[chuckbear]

I stopped taking Windows 7 updates months ago after they screwed up my computer every time. My Windows 7 work very well thank you, without any updates and I have not been attacked by Russian hackers. Chuck

[Carlos]

I work in technology.  It's simply unacceptable to have people sticking with old stuff.  Windows of any flavor is kind of outdated anyway, but using really old versions is just bad for everyone.  

[chuckbear]

Would you care to explain why that is? My windows 7 does everything Windows 10 does and I don't have large updates that use up all my data and break my computer forced on me every month. I am using an older smartphone that does everything those $1,000.00 phones do. The only ones having the latest and greatest is good for is the companies that make them or the software companies that put them out. For the consumer, using the older version usually save them money as long as they do what the consumer needs to be done. But of course being in technology you would only see this from the side of those that produce the latest and greatest. Not all of us have been programmed to keep upgrading. Chuck 

[Pat & Pete]

17 hours ago, Carlos said:

  It's simply unacceptable to have people sticking with old stuff.  

Keep dreaming . 

 

[Carlos]

I didn't claim it will happen, just that it needs to.

Chuck, the answer to your question can't be put in any other, nicer way.  Your claims are wrong.  I work with tech every single day, old and new.  Your old phone, your own Windows, simply do not do what newer things do.  Just facts.

 

[chirakawa]

4 hours ago, Carlos said:

 

 Your old phone, your own Windows, simply do not do what newer things do.  Just facts.

 

It doesn't matter.  As long as that old phone and that old Windows does what I want and need it to do, that's totally acceptable for me and millions of others.  Just a fact.

[Carlos]

I never claimed otherwise.  However, on the security side, they simply need to be replaced, whether users are aware of that or not.  Companies simply aren't going to keep working on outdated products to keep them secure; it doesn't make financial sense, nor social sense.  There's a reason that Windows 10 is both the most secure and most stable product MS has ever made.

[chirakawa]

23 hours ago, Carlos said:

It's simply unacceptable to have people sticking with old stuff.

1 hour ago, chirakawa said:

As long as that old phone and that old Windows does what I want and need it to do, that's totally acceptable for me and millions of others.

 

1 hour ago, Carlos said:

I never claimed otherwise.

Really?  Okay.

 

[Dollytrolley]

1 hour ago, Carlos said:

There's a reason that Windows 10 is both the most secure and most stable product MS has ever made.

Now .....IF .....that don't scare anyone........Nothing will....

 

Drive on............(M S.........Bugs-r-us..........)

[chirakawa]

50 minutes ago, Dollytrolley said:

Now .....IF .....that don't scare anyone........Nothing will....

 

Drive on............(M S.........Bugs-r-us..........)

That's exactly what I thought when I read it.  I just didn't want to go down that road.  🙂

[Pat & Pete]

There are other operating systems available .

[Carlos]

2 hours ago, chirakawa said:

 

Really?  Okay.

 

Sorry, I am often too literal.  Yes, there it is acceptable to YOU.  No, it's not acceptable for people to keep doing this from a security or support perspective.  Monday I spent hours helping a friend move from an ancient phone and try not to lose all her data.  Because she kept using outdated stuff, that then wouldn't talk to anything new.  That's one practical example.  But the more important part is that the cell networks have to upgrade (and make old phones bricks), and we can't keep supporting old stuff.

 

1 hour ago, Dollytrolley said:

Now .....IF .....that don't scare anyone........Nothing will....

 

Drive on............(M S.........Bugs-r-us..........)

Well, certainly I wouldn't use or recommend any MS products at all.  But you have to give credit, the latest MS OSes on both servers and desktops are a huge improvement.

 

[RV_]

Well,

For those, like me, who choose to "muddle" through the convenience of Windows boxes, and all their ease of use, imaging/backups, best variety of software and games, as well as tablets that run Apps as well as desktop programs, like the Surface Pro I'm using now, I'll still post the latest info to help other Windows users. If you can contribute do. Remember every personal computer today including Apple since 2005 use "Evil Wintel" x86 hardware systems developed for MSDOS/PCDOS/Windows from the first IBM and IBM Clones to present. There would be no relatively inexpensive computer systems due to mass quantities of x86 systems sold and demand for Windows boxes. Intel/Windows hardware, regardless of source.

I've noticed very few, if any of the Windows naysayers offering classes on the road for new Linux users. They'll make multiple posts ragging others, but help others learn Linux? Nah, they give you a link, and say which version they use, but tell you it's up to you.

I'm pretty much just a user now, don't work on others systems anymore.

I agree that newer systems are required to max out the experience. BTW modern full capability versions of Linux also run badly on early XP era hardware. I tried Mint Cinnamon 18 with their disks by mail on an old perfectly running XP machine. In fact I tried it because it was nice and snappy for one of the old boat anchors with XP. But it took five minutes to boot and minutes to do anything. ugh!

Yes there are lite versions I know. But most folks today want a fast boot, and a fast response when using it. So even with Linux, you want new or recent hardware to get the most out of your system. The same is true of Windows.

[Sehc]

I have and use windows 7 pro. It does everything i want, and does it well. It plays real good with ms office. ms office plays well with world wide commerce.  Hopefully windows 10 will be as stable when ms ends support for 7. No one is willing to explain linux as they don't know it themselves.

[chuckbear]

1 hour ago, Sehc said:

I have and use windows 7 pro. It does everything i want, and does it well. It plays real good with ms office. ms office plays well with world wide commerce.  Hopefully windows 10 will be as stable when ms ends support for 7. No one is willing to explain linux as they don't know it themselves.

You do know that once support stops, Windows 7 will continue to work just fine. As I said earlier, I stopped taking Windows Updates a long time ago when they started breaking my computer. The system still works just fine and I have had no security problems. There are many, many outside software providers that will keep your computer much more secure than Windows Updates will ever do. Our friend Carlos is typical of the tech industry. If you don't get the latest and greatest and the most expensive, life as you know it will come to an end. I DON"T FALL FOR IT. I won't be a sheep. Chuck

[chirakawa]

1 hour ago, Sehc said:

I have and use windows 7 pro. It does everything i want, and does it well. It plays real good with ms office. ms office plays well with world wide commerce.  Hopefully windows 10 will be as stable when ms ends support for 7.

Ditto

25 minutes ago, chuckbear said:

Our friend Carlos is typical of the tech industry. If you don't get the latest and greatest and the most expensive, life as you know it will come to an end. I DON"T FALL FOR IT.

I agree.  My four year old i7 laptop works fantasically with Win7.  It runs my Quicken, a few games I play, and all the browsing I desire.  I've never had a security issue and it is rock solid stable with maybe three blue screens over it's life which were quickly corrected with a reboot.  I've read lot's of horror stories about Win10 instability and issues with updates.  I'm all about the cutting edge, just not the bleeding edge.

To suggest that everyone needs to buy the latest and greatest is like saying everyone should buy a new car every year because they are safer and better performing.  Even if that were true, it's just not practical or always possible.

[Carlos]

7 hours ago, RV_ said:

I've noticed very few, if any of the Windows naysayers offering classes on the road for new Linux users. They'll make multiple posts ragging others, but help others learn Linux? Nah, they give you a link, and say which version they use, but tell you it's up to you.

I haven't, but I'm pretty new here so I haven't seen anyone recommend Linux either.  Nor to see how "classes on the road" works.  However there are a lot of great resources out there to be able to do that on your own time, and installing a common distro literally takes only 20 minutes for an end user to do, with zero tech skill whatsoever.  So I can see where some specific training would be good, but there are also some great self-help opportunities.  I'm not sure I'd recommend Linux to the average user, but maybe.

3 hours ago, Sehc said:

No one is willing to explain linux as they don't know it themselves.

There's not much to explain.  People who adopt it seem to just run with it, because it's just as simple.  But what would you want to know?  I've been a Linux server admin for about 15 years, and one of my businesses is 100% dependent on Linux to run.  I might know a little about it.  That said, again, I'm not specifically recommending that people go to Linux.

 

[Carlos]

1 hour ago, chirakawa said:

If you don't get the latest and greatest and the most expensive, life as you know it will come to an end.

I've never said anything like that, and it's rather unfair for you to mis-characterize me that way.

[RV_]

Carlos,

I agree with everything you've said in this thread. I am about to post another thread about the latest password user name breach and specific instructions on how to check if one has be pwnd. Now those apply to all as breaches and are OS agnostic, agnostic as I try to make my articles here.

My post above is welcoming added info or corrections if I made an error or left something out of the post intended to help. Windows can suck just like every other OS. And their updates for the last few months after they laid off thousands and changed the updates division management. The new kids have made some messes as they settle in to Windows AAS. (As A Service)

I firmly agree that today and more as we go on if you can't pay you can't play. There are no Microsoft, Apple, Linux, conspiracies to force you to buy new hardware. Example. If you want to watch movies, and use a browser you can't stay with a 2007 flip phone. ( I know some could in a limited way) Using unsupported versions of any OS is not a good idea.

Like it or not, it takes getting new equipment every 2 to five years at most, to be able to do pretty much everything you might want to do with a medium priced OSX, Windows 10 or Linux box, laptop, or Windows Tablet. I am leaving out Apple tablets and Android because only Windows tablets are full Windows 10 computers not a cellphone OS modified for tablets. iOS does not run OSX programs, and that is fine. Linux has not been popular with tablets and their attempts at phones have bitten the dust the two times I saw them try it.

All the OS developers save some Linux have a need to be the best to make money and keep going. The smug folks don't need my help, and are not my target audience. I just enjoy the camaraderie we used to have here and I still do with many on and offline. I am just passing along things I find useful as a Windows user and hope others here do too. No agenda. Bill and a few others keep me straight if I goof and I defer to others on cellular Internet appliances.

I am a dying breed in that I use high end All in Ones for our two main desktops, Surface Pro 3 & 4 tablets with i5/4GB/128GB and i7 8GB/256GB and a flurry of Amazon Fire TVs, Fire tablets and a Backup HP desktop as well as a Voyo mini PC that started out Windows 8 and with a 32 bit system and only 4GB/65GB ram and storage running an old Z3035F Atom SOC! It is our guest bedroom computer. I also have Amazon echo devices in each room and an Amazon 10" fire tablet on the stand that turns it into  a fire Show device in the kitchen. I am a dinosaur. No one I know spends as much on their systems except for Bill and a few others I know. BUt all of my peers here either have high end cars or ATVs and spend twice on hunting that I do on my hobby. I am neither bragging nor apologizing. Everyone has their hobbies. 

Some of my friends are using their cell phones and tablets for all their online uses watching cable where I use an antenna and distribution amp for my local 1080 full HD 22 channels. The new generation are cell phone only in many cases. And now that our streaming services are costing as much as cable when I move I'll have to give consideration to going back.

Technology can be a work tool, a creative device, an entertainment system, a software environment to help develop, a hobby, or all of the above. I am into guns too but my friend has more than 100 handguns, rifles, and shotguns. He hunts Canada, Africa, and here. He is our local buddy supply for venison and boar sausage and loins. I help him buy and maintain  his computers. He has legally registered night vision scopes and suppressors for his boar gun and takes 200-500 pound boars regularly. He has bears, wildcats, African gazelles and musk ox, all mounted as well as deer and elk mounts.

I could do all that too but am not a gun collector, don't want to night hunt boar, and gave up freezing in trees waiting for large mammals to stroll by, years ago.

I enjoy my firend's pleasure in showing me their guns/collections/mounted game/cars and trucks/luxury cars/giant houses/high end ATVs and motorhomes. I don't need to be smug because I can have any of those I want to. We each make choices because no one can maintain and keep current multiples of everything. We each find our interest and pursue them.

I don't do cellular data for my main streaming method and find I won't use the unlimited data I am paying $50 bucks a month for at the moment with Verizon. Not my need or hobby.

Nor should anyone do what I do. I think we may just drop all our streaming services except one, after the last season of GOT. Yes they got us hooked on it. And we witnessed the fall of the wall - can't wait to see what's next.

I think we will do just fine as will Microsoft/Apple etc. So long as we keep images and backups of our main systems. See the breaches do the same to all of us when they get our usernames, emails, and passwords.

Eventually we will all have one device with roll up screens or holograms in each room.

Got any Windows tips guys?

Safe computing and travels!

 

[chirakawa]

7 hours ago, Carlos said:

I've never said anything like that, and it's rather unfair for you to mis-characterize me that way.

I never said you said that.  I don't know how you managed to credit me with that quote.

[Carlos]

2 hours ago, RV_ said:

Got any Windows tips guys?

Upgrade to a modern OS...?

 

[Bill Joyce]

A recent example of why some have to upgrade.  A couple days ago I was  around when a friend, Fred, was helping one of his friends with his Windows 7 laptop.  Fred asked him why he was running Windows 7 and he said he had to move to 7 a few years back because his bank would not work with XP anymore.  But the bank software also did not work well with Windows 8/8.1 at the time he upgraded so he got a machine with 8 and downgraded it to 7.  The bank now recommends Windows 10 and he is not sure how long they will support Windows 7.   The guy asked about getting a Mac, but it turns out he does run some Windows specific software, so that was an easy discussion.  He also didn't want to spend the extra money for a Mac, since his current laptop cost him about $400 and was still working.

A couple other things.

A couple years ago Fred was trying to use a Chromebook as his main computer and is now back to using a Windows 10 laptop.  He found that as a power user, Chromebooks just did not work well enough for him.   I remember more than one person who had similar experience trying to use an iPad instead of a Windows or Mac computer and found it would not do 100% of what they want, so they went back to using a "real" computer.

I used to have about 3 machines running various flavors of Linux.  I am now down to one 64-bit machine running Linux Mint, which I intend to keep using.  The other 6 laptops my wife and I carry are all running Windows 10.  Two of these are old 32-bit machines I have special uses for and 32-bit is important for some of the old software.  The other 4 are all running Windows 10, each of us as a 15" main laptop and a 13" laptop we take places for portability and long battery life, like our recent trip to Taiwan.  

[Carlos]

That's a great, well balanced post, Bill.  I'll add one small thing...many times people assume they need to run some Windows program simply because they haven't looked at alternatives.  And it's always possible to run Windows programs on a Mac, though it may not be optimal, depending on the program and usage.  It's a case by case decision.  Cost is also something few people really account for, because while a Mac costs more to buy than a low-end machine, its longevity and total cost of ownership is usually much better.

 

[Bill Joyce]

18 hours ago, Carlos said:

Upgrade to a modern OS...?

 

Now I see you think MacOS is more modern than Windows.  I find that fascinating.  About a year ago a good friend bought a Mac to use to deploy the iOS apps he finally ported from Android and Windows and he feels MacOS feels very old to him.  He develops software on both Linux and Windows and has decades of experience with personal computers, starting in the 1980s.  I do not find much "modern" about MacOS, and question the longevity being superior, since there are many Windows machines still running fine that are older than 5 years old.  I am sure there really are more "modern" operating systems out there in universities and places like Google and Microsoft research arms, but the world runs on operating systems that are quite old, mostly sitting on top of some kind of Unix or Unix-like OS, including MacOS, or Windows, which was designed by the same people who brought you VAX/VMS on Digital Equipment mini-computers.

Of course this is all uninteresting to most reading this thread.  It has been a long time since I worked on the guts of operating systems, including Unix System 5, and C++ compilers.