Keep running Windows 7 and you are DOOMED! Doomed, I tell you.

[Binkie The Clown]

[font size=4]Microsoft Warns Windows 7 Has Serious Problems[/font]

Windows 7 runs on 55% of all the computers on the planet, but according to news this week that is actually a bad and potentially dangerous thing. Says who? Actually Microsoft MSFT -1.82%…

Speaking to Windows Weekly, Microsoft Marketing chief Chris Capossela explained that users who choose Windows 7 do so “at your own risk, at your own peril” and he revealed Microsoft has concerns about its future software and hardware compatibility, security and more.

“We do worry when people are running an operating system that’s 10 years old that the next printer they buy isn’t going to work well, or they buy a new game, they buy Fallout 4, a very popular game, and it doesn’t work on a bunch of older machines,” Capossela stated. “And so, as we are pushing our ISV [Independent Software Vendor] and hardware partners to build great new stuff that takes advantage of Windows 10 that obviously makes the old stuff really bad and not to mention viruses and security problems.”

He also stressed it is “so incredibly important to try to end the fragmentation of the Windows install base” and to get users to a “safer place”.

There’s only one problem with Capossela’s statements: they are complete rubbish.

More info at the link.

[PowerToThePeople]

1. Time for a gnu operating system.

http://distrowatch.com/

[IDemo]

4. Currently dual-booting Win7 & Linux Mint

Windows won't be a yuuuuuge loss for me if and when MS decides to end its support.

[madokie]

7. I went from xp

to ubuntu and have never looked back. I even run autocad 2000 using wine and it works better than it did on xp. Autocad was written for 98 if I remember correctly

[PowerToThePeople]

10. I have not tried acad in wine

I do have LibreCAD installed, but have had no need to use it. I have an old version of Pro-E still with a linux installer.

I do not use my personal systems for work, so CAD is not really needed on them.

[ViseGrip]

30. This is nothing more than propaganda to get a 'planetary purchase' going, those greedy bas-turds!

[Waldorf]

31. I'm running AutoCad 2009 on Win 7. Runs fine.

[Dragonfli]

58. I can get AutoCad 2010 to run on 7 But no luck with Inventor (I have the suite)

I have to repair my old PC I suppose so I can get My Inventor program and files running again.
Luckily, I believe the problem is simply a dead or dying power supply.

[Waldorf]

64. Hopefully that is all. At work we use Civil3d 2016 and it works fine on Win 7.

Though I wish IT would upgrade the computers. They are Dell's about 5 yrs. old.

[Mojorabbit]

92. I am still using xp nt

[SeattleVet]

2. Will not allow you to actually read the article unless you turn off ad blockers.

Screw Forbes. I'd rather skip the article than be bombarded with unwanted advertising.

[Gregorian]

11. That's weird, it works for me and I have adblock on.

[SeattleVet]

17. Strange - I tried it on 3 different browsers, with the same result.

Maybe I have the ad blockers set up a little tighter than you. I don't allow even the ads that the blocker would let through as 'unobtrusive'.

[House of Roberts]

3. I wanted to buy a laptop before 8 came out.

I didn't make it, so I am sticking with this 2010 Windows 7 desktop, for the time being.

BTW, I am still happily using Works which dates back to the mid 90s.

All the timekeeping computers at my job are XP units.

[Blanks]

32. When your XP machines go kaput...

You can download virtual box and install windows XP to a virtual machine and continue to run it on windows versions up to and including windows 10.

[House of Roberts]

39. Fortunately, I don't have to care what work does for the dinosaurs.

That's above my pay grade.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. Rubbish is right.

I have Win 7 on both my desktop and my laptop, and I could not be happier.

Zero security problems, either.

I will run them until Microsoft no longer supports them. They will not be removed before that distant day arrives.


Maybe they haven't had the response they expected from Win 10 being pushed.

[hobbit709]

6. M$ is pissed because nobody is buying their new OS.

[Egnever]

16. Whaaat?

Windows 10 adoption estimated at 120 million
http://www.techradar.com/us/news/software/operating-systems/windows-10-penetration-estimated-at-120-million-1307806

I realise you are on some sort of crusade against it but plenty of people are using it already and the number of people doing so is increasing very rapidly.
There is a reason for that and it is because it is the best windows OS yet and continues to improve.

[hobbit709]

18. Best Windows yet.

[Egnever]

20. Indeed

Perhaps you can explain how 7 is superior for the average user. I am betting the Smiley's are all you got though.

[hobbit709]

29. doesn't have that stupid tablet touchscreen style interface for starters.

Settings are much more easily available for tweaking. Haven't seen a version of Windoze yet that didn't need tweaking.
Doesn't have anywhere near the driver issues.

As far as I care 10 combines the worst parts of Vista and 8/8.1 and adds new UNfeatures.

[beevul]

34. That interface is bulky, counter-intuitive, and very limiting...

That interface is bulky, counter-intuitive, and very limiting, in addition to the things you said. That said, I agree with your take on it. If I wanted a cell phone interface, I'd use a cell phone.

[hobbit709]

35. The best description of 8 when it came out "Vista with a cellphone interface"

[area51]

77. Love the quote.

"If I wanted a cell phone interface, I'd use a cell phone."

And I have a laptop that runs Windows 8. I don't care for the Metro interface.

[Egnever]

37. I don't think you have used it

If those are your reasons..


Settings are way easier to get to in 10. If all else fails type the setting you are looking for in the search box and it pops right up as well as many run commands. Personally I love being able to right click on the start menu and have most settings right at your fingertips far superior to 7.

As far as driver issues that will slowly switch just as it always has. Going forward new hardware will be made for 10 and eventually you won't be able to find drivers for 7 just like you often can't find drivers for xp on new hardware these days. If you are using 5 year old hardware stay with 7 for sure but anything newer than that and drivers shouldn't be a problem at all. Worst case scenario find 7 drivers and install them in compatibility mode and typically they work just fine.

[still_one]

40. Compared to 8 it is an easier migration and learning curve from 7

and is a reasonable starting point to move to the next generation platform

[hobbit709]

41. Use it, no. But I've had to work with several computers where the customer made the mistake

of upgrading. So far the success rate of reverting back to 7 or 8 without a problem is about 30%.

Settings like display options and personalization. Can't change Automatic Updates-fuck that.
Not everyone wants everything to be cloud based.

[whatthehey]

89. I'm using 10 now. Looks and acts fuck all like a cellphone

From a basic sit down and use perspective, it's 7 with a much more powerful and flexible start menu.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

61. If 10 is anything like 8, fuck 10

8's interface sucked balls, period.

[still_one]

38. You do realize Microsoft isn't charging for Windows 10 for anyone who wants

to upgrade from Windows 7 or 8, so their motive at this moment is to get folks to migrate onto their latest platform where there future development will be based

If users don't want to upgrade they don't have to, but eventually new features will not be available to them on older platforms

Hell, there are still a lot of folks running on XP even though support stopped years ago

However companies will migrate to the newer platform, and eventually updates to those applications will not be compatible with those on older platforms

For those users who can stay indefinitely on current software, there is no need to update

[hobbit709]

44. And what are they going to do to you when the successor to 10 comes out?

and M$ changed the option from optional to recommended which means if you have it on Automatic you will get it whether you want it or not starting this year.

[Logical]

47. You didn't know windows 10 was free did you? Be honest. nt

[hobbit709]

48. And it's worth every penny it cost.

so far it's made me several hundred dollars fixing the "free" upgrade on people's computers.

[Logical]

49. They must be idiots. I have it running on 53 desktops at work. No issues. 1100 more 2nd quarter. nt

[Egnever]

52. In all fairness

I have run into systems that had strange issues after people upgraded them but usually it could be laid at the feet of the antivirus they had installed during the upgrade. Also doing a fresh install or even a refresh has eliminated the issues every time so far.

[Logical]

55. We control the config 100% through policy's. And the 50 (53) are a pilot group. We are waiting .....

3 months to evaluate. But so far so good.

[Egnever]

57. Not surprised

Every machine I have done a clean install on has been rock solid and many of my customers have upgraded themselves with no issues whatsoever.

[still_one]

72. There were some driver issues when 10 first came out. Also the way security is handled with Windows

10 can cause issues for some coming from Windows 7

[Bluenorthwest]

85. For me, 7 had annoying driver issues that 10 does not have. So much better.

It's hard to figure out what you really mean because your verbiage is as vague as can be. 'The way security is handed' (what way is that?) can 'cause issues for some' (what issues? For whom?) coming from Windows 7 (just not anyone in this thread).

[still_one]

87. Permissions for full file access for example. I know, they want to protect you from yourself.

For an enterprise environment, changes need to be made so software updates do not get automatically pushed out to users until fully tested.

Perhaps though this Microsoft disclosure is the most troubling:

"Finally, we will access, disclose and preserve personal data, including your content (such as the content of your emails, other private communications or files in private folders), when we have a good faith belief that doing so is necessary to: 1.comply with applicable law or respond to valid legal process, including from law enforcement or other government agencies; 2.protect our customers, for example to prevent spam or attempts to defraud users of the services, or to help prevent the loss of life or serious injury of anyone; 3.operate and maintain the security of our services, including to prevent or stop an attack on our computer systems or networks; or 4.protect the rights or property of Microsoft, including enforcing the terms governing the use of the services – however, if we receive information indicating that someone is using our services to traffic in stolen intellectual or physical property of Microsoft, we will not inspect a customer’s private content ourselves, but we may refer the matter to law enforcement."

The first thing I do with windows 10 is under "Settings" -> "Privacy" is OPT out of the items that Microsoft believes in their infinite wisdom they should set on for you by default

As for driver issues, while people who have the latest and greatest I/O devices will not have issues, there are still plenty of legacy devices out there that many companies rely on, and unless there is an updated driver, which for many legacy devices there isn't, until a replacement or alternative device is migrated to, upgrading to windows 10 can cause issues for some.

There are situations where automatic download updates can cause problems. The professional edition can handle that nicely, but for those not on the professional edition, if they do not want updates pushed automatically, they will need to use more cumbersome approaches since they do not have access to the group policy editor

[Rex]

54. I hear that! I almost feel guilty charging people to fix their crappy Win10 upgrade.

Almost.

[Bluenorthwest]

84. They must not be the shapest Ginzus in the knife box. It's easy to install, easy to use and a rather

large upgrade from 7, I disliked 8 so much I special ordered a machine with 7 not so long ago. 10 is my favorite. Sorry if that offends you sensibilities but 7 gave me driver issues that are now gone, access to my settings is so much better, the works. It's useful, easy and pleasant. It was also a free upgrade.

[still_one]

71. if someone does not want updates automatically applied, they should set it accordingly

So they manually do it.

What happens if someone does not backup their computer and their drive crashes? Unless they have backups they have issues

I have system ensure with Windows XP, 7, and 10, and those on XP and 7 are set so automatic updates don't occur

[hobbit709]

78. Backup no problem.

for starters I keep no data files on C: drive, it has OS and program files only. Keep C: drive lean and mean and it boots much faster. MY SSD computers boot in 15 seconds from cold start, the others boot in 30-35 seconds.
I make an image copy and keep it on an external drive so that I can reinstall if necessary. Haven't had to do that for years on my systems. I run 5 computers in my house including the laptop.

[still_one]

88. You are doing it right.

[jeff47]

69. Not quite.

so their motive at this moment is to get folks to migrate onto their latest platform where there future development will be based

No, their motive is to get a large number of users to install their new and exciting Start Menu that includes advertisements.

[still_one]

74. Then don't migrate, your choice

[Egnever]

91. That can be turned off easily...

http://bgr.com/2015/11/20/windows-10-start-menu-ads/

The horror!

[jeff47]

94. For now. (nt)

[Logical]

46. LOL, do more research! nt

[betterdemsonly]

8. Windows 10 is hardly polished

I have a laptop with Win 10 and a desktop with Windows 7. Windows 7 gives me far fewer griefs. I don't like running tablet apps on my pc. I think that is a dumb idea, and while it is somewhat of an improvement on Windows 8x it still has that problem. I don't like Cortana. It makes me feel that I am being spied on all the time. I feel Microsoft is probably selling Cortana intelligence to advertisers.

[840high]

9. No way that I'm changing to Windows 10.

[eppur_se_muova]

12. Oh noes ! Now I'm scared to upgrade from WinXP !

Gosh, I wonder what's responsible for that "fragmentation of the Windows install base"? Could it be due to all those not-ready-for-prime-time Windows releases that MS has dumped on the market ?

[Blue_In_AK]

13. They can have my Win 7

when they pry it from my cold dead hands. I was fine with XP.

[malthaussen]

14. Who'd want Fallout 4 anyway?

All the things I like would run quite nicely under Win XP. Hell, most of them would run under Win 98. So much new game software (from AAA studios, anyway) is crap. Perfect matches for Win 10, if objective reviews are to be believed.

-- Mal

[NutmegYankee]

50. Fallout 4 runs great on Win 7.

I'm not sure what the point of the article is. I'm running Win7 Pro and support for that is a minimum of 10 years. I have until 2020 to upgrade.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

15. I'm familiar with the operating systems they charge for and with issues with newly released ones.

So I am, of course, hesitant to switch to their new OS that they are offering for free. I am currently running Windows 7 on one computer and experimenting with Linux on another. I think I may grow to like Linux and tire of MS's crap.

[LostOne4Ever]

19. I will use Windows 10....when my computer breaks down and I have buy a new one...

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=#009999]Till then Microsoft can continue waiting cause every new version of windows I have ever "upgraded" to has caused my computers nothing but problems.[/font]

[GoneFishin]

21. I specifically bought a used laptop because I refused to buy a new system with Windows 8.

At some point I will jump ship from Windows completely.

It pisses me off that they keep moving shit around. If I had to reach inside the glove compartment of my car to turn on my headlights, or whistle into my drink holder to turn on my directional, I would be pretty certain that Microsoft had designed my car's dash panel controls.

Against all hope I wish they would stop fucking with everything! I don't consider learning a new Windows version fun or useful. Just fucking stop fucking wasting my fucking time!

[Binkie The Clown]

23. I moved my laptop to Linux Mint a while ago and I'm happy with it.

There are just a few aps on my main system that I need to find Linux substitutes for.

[GoneFishin]

25. It's encouraging to hear from people when they are able to do it. I hope to do it at some point too.

[Binkie The Clown]

22. My mom is 94 and still getting used to the change from XP to 7

Now they are trying to throw 10 at her. She's already confused enough by the XP to 7 changes, and a day doesn't go by that she doesn't call me to help her with something that's "different now", that she doesn't understand.

Why the hell can MS just leave this poor old 94-year-old lady alone and let her do her Facebook grandchild pictures, her Word memoirs and her email in peace. (She's still complaining every day about the loss of Outlook Express for email.)

Can you imagine somebody like this being forced to move to Win/10? It would be a nightmare for her, and for me because I have to be her tech support guy.

[PSPS]

24. Traslation: Hurry and get Windows 10 so we can spy on you and use your computer in our torrent.

Windows 10 makes the user the product being sold.

[Binkie The Clown]

26. Makes me long for the days of the Apple II and floppy disks. hehe. n/t

[GeorgeGist]

27. Nice computer you got there.

Be a shame if something should happen to it.

[MichMan]

28. Just bought new laptop

I just bought a new laptop with Win 10 a couple weeks ago. I specifically wanted one with 10 pre installed to avoid any upgrade issues.

Still getting used to a new OS, but so far I like it. My old machine was a 2008 HP with Vista, so quite an upgrade from hardware to software. I do use Win 7 at work, so familiar with that as well

[MohRokTah]

33. Windows 10 is the best version of Windows ever. It blows Win 7 out of the water.

It's the best desktop operating system I've encountered in more than three decades as an IT professional.

It's a free upgrade from Win 7, too.

[CBGLuthier]

76. What exactly does 10 do that 7 doesn't? I am ore concerned with running older software

I never buy new software and probably never will. In what way does 10 blow 7 out off the water? Does it blow me when it boots? Does it greet me in a sexy voice? Does it do my work for me so I don't have to write music or create graphics or write Android code ?

In exactly what way, does it improve upon 7.

[Tab]

36. I'm a software engineer and we don't upgrade lightly

In part because we have enough trouble making sure a code failure isn't a result of a new operating system (although we'd test before release) or anti-virus and such. So I don't run OS's I'm not comfrotable with, and I don't use antivirus (sounds dangerous, unless you really know what you're doing.

7 is solid. 8.x was crap. It'd like to see how 10.x shakes out.

[Egnever]

42. Recently I have been reading more and more about antivirus being used as an attack surface

Last edited Sat Jan 2, 2016, 11:02 PM - Edit history (1)

http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/09/security-wares-like-kaspersky-av-can-make-you-more-vulnerable-to-attacks/

Antivirus applications and other security software are supposed to make users more secure, but a growing body of research shows that in some cases, they can open people to hacks they otherwise wouldn't be vulnerable to.

The latest example is antivirus and security software from Kaspersky Lab. Tavis Ormandy, a member of Google's Project Zero vulnerability research team, recently analyzed the widely used programs and quickly found a raft of easy-to-exploit bugs that made it possible to remotely execute malicious code on the underlying computers. Kaspersky has already fixed many of the bugs and is in the process of repairing the remaining ones. In a blog post published Tuesday, he said it's likely he's not the only one to know of such game-over vulnerabilities.

[steve2470]

43. I have problems with MS's aggressiveness in pushing W10 and his statements but...

I'm ok with it. I use it all the time. They need to accept the fact that it will take years to get people on W10.

MS needs to scale back their aggressiveness and quit making these dumb statements in public.

[leveymg]

45. There really is no point in changing over to 10 until MS sabotages 7

Last edited Sun Jan 3, 2016, 09:09 AM - Edit history (1)

Until then, they can byte me.

[Rex]

51. Guess I will be holding on to Win 7 ultimate until 2020 then.

Unless the come out with a directX that 7 does not support and makes games look that much better...I laugh at the pathetic FUD Microcrank is pushing.

[gristy]

53. I've been quite pleased with windows 10

At home I got a free upgrade from that POS windows 8. And at work recently upgraded from windows 7. Both good experiences.

Did I mention that windows 8 was a POS?

[hobbit709]

56. All 8 needed was ClassicShell.

My 8 laptop runs as smooth as my 7 desktops.

[phylny]

80. My laptop runs 8 and it has been flawless for me.

I don't know why I would or should upgrade to 10, but if someone can explain why, I'd listen.

[hobbit709]

83. If it ain't broke, why fix it?

[lindysalsagal]

59. Don't have a touchscreen so I'm happy with 7. I prefer Android over windows.

Tell me when I can run my full-function laptop on Android.

[BooScout]

60. Essentially Microsoft wants us to give them all our money for a new OS we don't need...

I paid extra to get Windows 7 instead of 8 and I'll be damned if I'll shell out more money to get whatever latest upgrade Microsoft is peddling before I have to.

[Egnever]

66. The upgrade to 10 is free

They don't want any money

[jeff47]

70. They want money. They'll be getting it from "other sources"

Didja read the fine print about them inserting advertisements into the operating system?

[BooScout]

79. Exactly!

[Egnever]

90. No I missed that maybe you can link it?

[jeff47]

93. It's in the EULA

So far, they can display ads on the start menu and lock screen.

Here's a story about the start menu: http://betanews.com/2015/10/15/microsoft-now-uses-windows-10s-start-menu-to-display-ads/

[RobinA]

62. Mr Capossela

would REALLY hate that backyard skating rink if he's this worried about the effects of an operating system on humanity.

[Omaha Steve]

63. I went to 8.1 just before XP died

I keep hearing you can't turn Microsoft snooping off in 10.

OS

[H2O Man]

65. Does neatness count?

[daleo]

67. Windows XP and Linux Mint

I hardly ever use the Windows partition anymore. Same with my wife - Windows 7 and Linux Mint.

Linux is just faster and less crashy.

[csziggy]

68. Last time I checked Windows 10 still had trouble with dual monitors

Since I use both my monitors almost daily I will not move to Windows 10 until and unless that defect is fixed. I'm happy with Windows 7 - all my equipment and software works with no problems under it.

That said, the laptop my husband bought last summer and upgraded from Windows 8 to Windows 10 works fine with 10. He loves the game apps he can get with 10 - though he wastes far too much time playing games in my opinion.

[Binkie The Clown]

73. An ap that absolutely should run under win/10 didn't for me.

It was written in Java, and the same .jar file runs under Linux and Win/7 but would not launch under Win/10 after I upgraded my laptop. Java is supposed to be totally cross platform, and has been with every platform I've tried except Win/10. So I just installed Linux Mint over the top of win/10 and my Java aps worked fine again.

[csziggy]

75. At this point I doubt I will "upgrade"

If Microsoft were able/willing to fix the dual monitor problem they should have done it by now. Win 10 has been in beta testing for how long? And been out for the public for 5 months?

I've got better things to do than to futz around with a new version of Windows.

[B Calm]

82. When windows 8 came out everybody despised it, think I'll stay with 7!

[Lizzie Poppet]

96. Yep, that's an absolute deal-killer for me, too.

I won't sacrifice my dual monitors, period. I'm far, far too used to working with them every day.

[kentauros]

81. Ever since Win8, I've wondered if it would be possible

to sell the GUI part and leave the OS in the background where 99% of computers users expect it to remain. The OS runs the computer and runs the programs you like to use. The GUI is the only part most of us ever see, or want to see (Never mind when there are disk problems and you have to go into system tools to fix things! Most people hand that over to the tech anyway.)

Just let me keep the GUI in whatever decade's version I like the best and have the OS do all the things it does without ever bothering us about updates, upgrades, and whether we really, really, really want to shut down or not (unlike how it never asks us when it wants to shut down.)

Just work the way I expect you to work and stop bothering me with useless information.

Now if only I could bend MS's ears to listen to that idea and make it happen (and no, I don't want linux!)

[GreatGazoo]

86. It came out in the anti trust trial that Bill gates had directed his minions to

"Put the customer on a treadmill and force feed them upgrades."

[Lizzie Poppet]

95. Yeah...the MARKETING chief says this.

How shocking...

[Holly_Hobby]

97. If I upgrade to 10, my Canon printer won't work...

they haven't released a driver for 10. So I'm waiting for a driver. I really don't want to "upgrade" anyway. If I had my way, I'd still have SE2 or whatever that old one was called.