Windows 7

[bgant4]

I am still running windows 7 but I read that MS is having problems with it. Any comments here?

[turnipbwc]

I have windows 8 and it sucks. Any idea's what I should do. Windows wants me to download windows 8.1 but I kind of afraid to do that.

[bcsdguy]

You know what? I will stick with my chromebook. It does everything I need to do and updates are quick and fast. The system is on instantly and because it is app driven, it is reasonably safe. My only complaint is printing must be done wirelessly. I can connect it to cat 5 for internet but just can't print on a wire.

[fj12ryder]

To be clear about this issue, it only affects computers with an Assus motherboard, and UEFI, and Secure Boot. And Asus has issued a workaround/fix. Actually the fix should have come out when Asus first learned about the problem with this Update when it appeared, so they do share a bit of the guilt. But Microsoft's upgrading from "Optional" to "Recommended" is pretty weird.

Sure provides some fodder for the conspiracy theory gristmills. 🙂

[Irover]

Earlier this year Microsoft MSFT +0.88% warned users that Windows 7 has serious problems. I dismissed its claims as a desperate attempt to shift copies of Windows 10 (and I still do), but now Microsoft has warned of a new serious Windows 7 problem that is very real – even though it makes no sense whatsoever…

In short: Microsoft has made a seemingly small yet completely bizarre tweak to Windows Update on Windows 7 and confirmed it is crippling many users’ PCs.

The tweak? It switched the status of Windows 7 update KB3133977 from ‘Optional’ to ‘Recommended’. The bizarre part? Despite acknowledging the problems, Microsoft knew they would occur in advance and it has no plans to do anything about it. I found this in a Forbes article! I went to my control panel clicked on windows update found the KB3133977 and right clicked and put in as a hidden update! So far so good. If this installs it is also known to render your Operating System unusable as it blocks it with a window. You should be able to locate the article using 5/6/2016 date and Forbes!

[1492]

No problems with my systems. I intend to keep my desktop W7 installs until 2020. Mostly due to software compatibility issues with versions I'm running. Some hardware drivers also. Most appear to be related to graphic/media software. Avid for one, or may be Autodesk? Ran out of free upgrades. Not cheap to keep current.

In fact, still have a few W7 licenses. Planning to use them shortly.

WyoTraveler wrote:
The other choice instead of windows 10 is Linux Ubunta

I hear Mint is very good, built upon Ubuntu. Though still haven't had a chance to try it. I do like CentOS, a free version of Red Hat Linux, though more oriented toward server/development. May not be as user friendly.

[MNtundraRet]

I found a few problems.

Some video adds cause IE to stop working (an Anoiance) . Sometimes downloading forms from IRS to Adobe would fail to find Adobe.

I prefer to use Google operating system which eliminates these problems. I use IE for my hotmail but found I can still get at it through Google.

So I keep both systems installed. My Asus gaming computer (first of the i7's) cannot be upgraded to Microsoft 10.

[chuckbear]

Chuck_thehammer wrote:


and YES you can turn OFF automatic windows 10 updates.

Windows 10 updates can not be turned off unless you have Enterprise, Professional and Educational versions of Windows 10. All you can do is delay for a while, updates on other versions of 10. By limiting the updates using the Metering connections, all you are doing is delaying updates while connected to that specific connection. But even that has a time limit. Chuck

[bob213]

Chuck_thehammer...could you please post directions on how to download and save a copy of Win10.

[Chuck_thehammer]

and the Free update to windows 10 is July... otherwise its $119 when needed

download a copy and store it...
I did it at the public library, I went in early and ASKED before starting.

just because.

and YES you can turn OFF automatic windows 10 updates.

I also have metered internet data plan., Verizon tablet with hotspot.

and I am still running windows 7 PRO.. and will for sometime.

[2oldman]

I don't care what problems MS is having with W7. My copy is working fine.

[jrp]

bgant4 wrote:
I am still running windows 7 but I read that MS is having problems with it. Any comments here?

I still run Win7 on 2 of my 3 PC's and have no issues with it, other than the ongoing MS nags to upgrade to Win 10; which I put a stop to by running a utility prog to block all Win 10 attempts.
Based on my experience with the one I did upgrade to 10, I'll be staying with 7 as long as possible.

[jrp]

donn0128 wrote:
The big issue with Win10 is the forced auto update. If your traveling and using a cell based hot spot it could cost you literally hundreds of dollars.

Win10 includes the option of setting any specific local network (cell hotspot) as "metered", which prevents most auto updates when you're connected via that network.

[Harvey51]

My notebook came with Vista. I upgraded it to Windows 7, and then downgraded it to XP. Here are some measurements I made:
Time to run Firefox: Vista 3.6 s, Win7 2.8 s, XP 1.25 s
Time to copy a 1 GB file to same hard drive: Vista 63 s, Win7 120 s, XP 99 s
Hibernate: Vista 50 s, win7 20s, XP 20 s
wake: Vista 35 s, win 7 41 s, XP 30 s
shut down: Vista 170 s, win 7 62 s, XP 12 s
start up: Vista 4 to 8 minutes, win 7 2 or 3 minutes, XP 43 seconds
(difficult to measure because it is possible to use the computer while startup activities carry on for some time after)
Processes running: Vista 72, win 7 57, XP 18
Threads running: Vista 787, Win 7 607, XP 258
physical memory free: Vista 315 MB, win 7 63 MB, XP 1723 MB
(2 GB installed and that is the maximum for my notebook)

Clearly XP is far superior to Vista and Win 7 for a computer with 2 GB of memory. The one compelling feature of Win 7 is the ability of the 64 bit version to let a program use more than 4 GB of memory. If you don't need that, or you don't have a computer capable of it, then you will be disappointed with the upgrade.

I turned off all the things in Vista that annoy people, so it never bothered me. But it followed the rule that every new version of Windows is bigger and slower than the one before. Windows 7 is faster in some ways, so it is the first exception.

Lots of people are still using Windows 98, so no worries about XP no longer being supported. That just means you won't be annoyed by it constantly downloading stuff and telling you to restart the computer.

[shum02]

turnipbwc wrote:
You think you have problems, try windows 8. It really sucks..................

I have a Microsoft Surface and actually miss it. Worked great for touch based devices like the Surface.

If you want to put off updates on W10 you could also upgrade to W10 Professional, it allows you to put off updates till it's more convenient.