How safe to use Window 7 now and the future?

[yargd]

I HATE WINDOWS 11!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I DOUBT I WILL EVER USE W11 IN THE FUTURE. I'll stick with W10 as long as possible.

 

The only concern is security issue.

 

Please share your experience Window 7 in 2024.

[Levent]

It is not. Don’t connect it to internet or transfer data between that and other computers.

[Mihle]

 I would recommend stop using it for anything that is connected to the internet because it isn't safe to do so. The more time passes, the less secure it is as more vulnerabilities that won't be fixed, are found.

[yargd]

2 minutes ago, Levent said:

It is not. Don’t connect it to internet or transfer data between that and other computers.

even with good antivirus, w7 is still not safe? 

[whispous]

1 minute ago, yargd said:

even with good antivirus, w7 is still not safe? 

Antivirus guards the gate.

 

Microsoft stopped maintaining the perimeter wall.

[Crunchy Dragon]

2 minutes ago, yargd said:

even with good antivirus, w7 is still not safe? 

Antivirus won't make up for the operating system itself not receiving security updates. Good AV can mitigate it, but you're still creating an extremely large risk by running an outdated operating system in your network.

[da na]

18 minutes ago, Levent said:

It is not. Don’t connect it to internet or transfer data between that and other computers.

So you're saying I should not run my NAS on Windows 7 SP1 on which I've never installed a single update?

 

 

OP, if you use it on the network, do so on an isolated VLAN or network with no other computers. Just don't do any online banking or keep scans of your passport on there. 

[MiszS]

if windows 7 is enough for the things you are doing, so will be linux, so just install that, linux mint's interface is rlly similar to windows, so you could use it

[yargd]

5 minutes ago, MiszS said:

if windows 7 is enough for the things you are doing, so will be linux, so just install that, linux mint's interface is rlly similar to windows, so you could use it

Is this linux capable of running all Windows 10 app, software and games?

[_Omega_]

3 minutes ago, yargd said:

Is this linux capable of running all Windows 10 app, software and games?

No, but its isnt as bad as it was some years ago

[Lunar River]

47 minutes ago, yargd said:

I DOUBT I WILL EVER USE W11 IN THE FUTURE. I'll stick with W10 as long as possible.

Can you explain why though?

[Alex Atkin UK]

10 minutes ago, Lunar River said:

Can you explain why though?

In my experience, nobody ever can.

 

I've been using W11 since it released, not found it any more problematic than 10. 

 

Then again, for day to day desktop use I stick to Linux, don't like how Windows or MacOS tries to decide how I should work, where I should store my files and run stuff I don't want.

[da na]

6 minutes ago, Alex Atkin UK said:

In my experience, nobody ever can.

 

I've been using W11 since it released, not found it any more problematic than 10. 

 

Then again, for day to day desktop use I stick to Linux, don't like how Windows or MacOS tries to decide how I should work, where I should store my files and run stuff I don't want.

Bloat, program compatibility, overcomplicated Start and context menus. 

[MiszS]

42 minutes ago, yargd said:

Is this linux capable of running all Windows 10 app, software and games?

it can run nearly all of the steam games, and a lot of the software, i mean, it has been enough for me, definitely worth it to not have to deal with all the microsoft bs

[TheLANguy]

1 hour ago, yargd said:

I HATE WINDOWS 11!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I DOUBT I WILL EVER USE W11 IN THE FUTURE. I'll stick with W10 as long as possible.

 

The only concern is security issue.

 

Please share your experience Window 7 in 2024.

I still use Windows 7 on one of my main machines in 2024. It still runs great and is better than Windows 11 (for my use case).

Just a few recommendations:

-Disable internet explorer

-Disable Remote Desktop

-Disable XP compatibility

-Install Firefox or another supported browser

-Keep Microsoft Security Essentials Updated

-Use libreoffice instead of Office

-Try 0patch

-Try Portmaster

-Keep banking and other sensitive info on a separate machine

-Use a user account instead of an admin account

[Alex Atkin UK]

9 minutes ago, da na said:

Bloat, program compatibility, overcomplicated Start and context menus. 

Its not like 10 is not bloated, program compatibility is no different to 10 that I'm aware of, how often do you even need to use the start menu if launching games from Steam?  Even if you do, type the first few characters of what you're looking for, no need to dig through menus.

 

Context menus, you have a point, I hate the new explorer menus.

 

3 minutes ago, TheLANguy said:

I still use Windows 7 on one of my machines in 2024. It still runs great and is better than Windows 11 (for my use case).

Just a few recommendations:

-Disable internet explorer

-Disable Remote Desktop

-Disable XP compatibility

-Install Firefox or another supported browser

-Keep Microsoft Security Essentials Updated

-Use libreoffice instead of Office

-Try 0patch

-Keep banking and other sensitive info on a separate machine

Sure. https://www.cvedetails.com/vulnerability-list/vendor_id-26/product_id-17153/Microsoft-Windows-7.html

[MiszS]

Just now, Alex Atkin UK said:

Its not like 10 is not bloated, program compatibility is no different to 10 that I'm aware of, how often do you even need to use the start menu if launching games from Steam?  Even if you do, type the first few characters of what you're looking for, no need to dig through menus.

 

Context menus, you have a point, I hate the new explorer menus.

not as bloated as windows 11, but not bloated? windows 10 uses around 2GB of ram, maybe slightly less, while linux with a desktop environment uses only around 800MB, and way less with a window manager. And idk about other people, do use the start menu all the time for launching programs

[TheLANguy]

4 minutes ago, Alex Atkin UK said:

Sure. https://www.cvedetails.com/vulnerability-list/vendor_id-26/product_id-17153/Microsoft-Windows-7.html

I never stated it would make Windows 7 100% secure. Mitigation is key and the user is often the weakest link.

[da na]

11 minutes ago, Alex Atkin UK said:

program compatibility is no different to 10 that I'm aware of

For everything an average consumer would need, yes.

But I went back to 10 due to the drivers for both of my workstation's enterprise storage controllers not working at all on 11.

Seems almost everything else works though.

[da na]

8 minutes ago, MiszS said:

not as bloated as windows 11, but not bloated? windows 10 uses around 2GB of ram, maybe slightly less, while linux with a desktop environment uses only around 800MB, and way less with a window manager. And idk about other people, do use the start menu all the time for launching programs

A debloated W10 version will use about 1GB of RAM at idle - Windows 10 LTSC or TinyOS 22H2, both versions which remove Microsoft Store and other garbage, use about half the disk space and memory as Windows 10 Home. 

[MiszS]

Just now, da na said:

A debloated W10 version will use about 1GB of RAM at idle - Windows 10 LTSC or TinyOS 22H2, both versions which remove Microsoft Store and other garbage, use about half the disk space and memory as Windows 10 Home. 

yeah i don't rlly trust a random iso made by someone else

[da na]

3 minutes ago, MiszS said:

yeah i don't rlly trust a random iso made by someone else

LTSC is an official version. The TinyOS 22H2 isn't

[Alex Atkin UK]

2 hours ago, MiszS said:

yeah i don't rlly trust a random iso made by someone else

But that becomes a cat and mouse game as every Windows update reinstalls junk you removed.  There's also some risk of accidentally removing something that you didn't realised was tied into the OS somewhere else, breaking things.

[Lunar River]

6 hours ago, da na said:

Bloat,

in what way?

 

Quote

program compatibility

what runs under windows 7 that doesn't under 11?

 

Quote

overcomplicated Start and context menus

start menu isn't over complicated, it's just dumb that you have to have recommendations.

the double context menu is actually stupid though.

but also (at least in the case of OP) a dumb reason to use 7 over 10 or 11

[MiszS]

13 hours ago, Alex Atkin UK said:

But that becomes a cat and mouse game as every Windows update reinstalls junk you removed.  There's also some risk of accidentally removing something that you didn't realised was tied into the OS somewhere else, breaking things.

yeah, that is why i don't use windows