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Microsoft Operating Systems Windows

Microsoft Displays Warning Messages in Windows 7 About the Impending End of Support (betanews.com) 229

Posted by msmash from the time-to-move-on dept.
Windows 7 users have started to report the appearance of a pop-up message from Microsoft informing them that support for the operating system is coming to an end. From a report: While this will not come as a surprise to everyone, not all Windows 7 users will be aware that Microsoft is on the verge of dropping the aging OS. We have already seen pop-ups encouraging users to update to Windows 10 but now Microsoft is turning up the pressure, telling Windows 7 users: "After 10 years, support for Windows 7 is nearing the end." People have been reporting that the message started appearing as early as April 18, but not all Windows 7 users are seeing it yet. The message includes a link to a Microsoft website that encourages people to backup their data, buy a modern computer and make the jump to Windows 10.
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Microsoft Displays Warning Messages in Windows 7 About the Impending End of Support More

Microsoft Displays Warning Messages in Windows 7 About the Impending End of Support

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  • Price is right... (Score:4, Informative)

    by The New Guy 2.0 ( 3497907 ) on Tuesday April 23, 2019 @04:10PM (#58478986)

    Wasn't Windows 10 initially free to Windows 7 / Windows 8 customers by online download?

    • Re:Price is right... (Score:5, Informative)

      by Joce640k ( 829181 ) on Tuesday April 23, 2019 @04:21PM (#58479040) Homepage

      It still is.

      • Oh? My last understanding was that they had an (unenforced) requirement that you be a user of assisted-access technologies to access the free upgrade, as a courtesy to disabled users dependent on hardware and software that wasn't yet compatible with Windows 10.

        Has that changed, or are you simply referencing the ability to fraudulently exploit that courtesy?

        • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

          by bobby ( 109046 )

          Anyone using Windows by choice is disabled.

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by Bad Ad ( 729117 )
          You dont even need to do that. Windows 7 key will activate Windows 10. Just install matching version of Windows 10 (Home for Home Premium, Pro for Pro) and use the Windows 7 key.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by bobby ( 109046 )

            You forgot the: go on vacation for 2 weeks, come home to refill the cat feeder, see that Win 10 is still updating, go away for 2 more weeks, come home, find hard drive wore out, start over.

        • The unenforced it *only* for the use of the "Get Windows 10" tool which did an in place update. If you go to the Microsoft website and download the Windows 10 ISO and use the media creation tool to create a boot disk you can still happily upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 10 from the boot disk using the Windows 7 key.

        • Re: (Score:3)

          by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

          If you just enter your Windows 7 licence key then Windows 10 will accept it. It's legally a bit of a grey area... Officially the offer has ended, but in practice their servers will still accept and activate your key.

          In any case Microsoft don't seem to care, they are probably just happy that people are upgrading.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by pnutjam ( 523990 )
          I'm pretty sure if you initiate an installation of windows 10 and use a valid windows 7 key, it will continue and activate with no issues.

      • Until enough people switch over and they pull the trigger and you are greeted with a payment window.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward

      I mean, when was the last time you had to *purchase* malware?

      • Malware is usually very well maintained, gets frequent updates that integrate seamlessly into your system without you even noticing that an update happened, works quietly in the background without ever bothering you (well, until it's time to cough up bitcoins to decrypt your files). Malware is also usually very tiny, has a very low memory footprint and often doesn't even show up at all in your process list.

        So no, Windows is not malware.

        It's more like a bug.

    • No Win10 for me.

      I'm still using WinXP on 3 computers, lol.

      I just don't browse the web with it.

      I'll load up an old computer with Linux to browse the web until something better exists to replace Win7.

      My current top of the line system is 10% slower than a new one, judging by benchmarks, at Stock Clocks.

      I only ever run stock clocks to compare to new processors, so it's quite a bit faster than the new ones.

      I bought it originally in 2011, and when the $3000 Xeons dropped to $100, I upgraded it; now it runs 4.6GHz

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by bobby ( 109046 )

        I still have several machines running XP, and I support some for others including businesses. They've been getting updates all along, they run perfectly, and browse the web using Old Opera, Chrome 1.something, or FireFox (or ...) They run many other apps they always ran.

        Before the trolls hit with the scolding about how I'm running insecure systems, waaa, please tell me what you know about these systems, how they're being used, what's running on them, who is using them, what would possibly happen if they g

        • I applied the registry hack [zdnet.com] to my XP boxes. Supposed to expire April 9, 2019 but it's still doing security updates.

          Williams says that the hack, included just below, makes the system look like Windows Embedded POSReady 2009 which will continue to receive updated until April 9, 2019.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

          People run XP for "vintage" gaming, as well as 98, 95 and DOS. It's fine as long as you are careful.

      • Your assertion is proved false by Linux, which is free, and where you and your information are not a product to be sold.

      • Given Microsoft's intrusive new operating system behavior, I won't be migrating beyond Windows 7 unless they clean up their act.

        Once Win7 becomes unusable, I will migrate to Linux.

    • "Free" as in STD.

      Doesn't mean I want that spyware shit.

    • No. There was always an inherent cost, it just isn't payable by cash, check, money order, credit card, or bitcoin.

  • Umm, wait... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Penguinisto ( 415985 ) on Tuesday April 23, 2019 @04:13PM (#58479000) Journal

    he message includes a link to a Microsoft website that encourages people to backup their data, buy a modern computer and make the jump to Windows 10.

    This isn't 1998 anymore, Microsoft... it's not like there's that much difference between a 5-6-year-old computer and one fresh off the boat (and Windows 7 was available on new machines as late as what, 2015?)

    Props for pimping your OEMs though, I guess.

    • My Socket 2011 system draws about 700W Total, with everything, running 4.6GHz on 8/16 cores.

      The equivalent processor that's new needs a refrigerator to run as cool, and will thermal underclock when fully loaded.

      And it costs $2000. :)

      I bought mine for $100.

      I can't see paying $1900 for 10% more processing power, ever.

      50%, maybe, but that's probably not going to be intel.

      Did you notice how intel just hired all the gamer/performance media guys that were bashing them for how bad they've sucked lately?

      Apparently,

    • Windows 10 likely will run on the computer they are getting the warning on, but I'm guessing they took the easiest route of support - MS doesn't want to get calls about how to upgrade

    • (and Windows 7 was available on new machines as late as what, 2015?)

      2018. I bought a computer, refurb (Newegg), running Win 7, in March, 2018.

      Not new, but close.

    • This isn't 1998 anymore, Microsoft... it's not like there's that much difference between a 5-6-year-old computer and one fresh off the boat (and Windows 7 was available on new machines as late as what, 2015?)

      Windows 7 being available on new machines is not the same as Windows 7 running on 10 year old machines (and older). There are plenty of computers out there which run Windows 7 but are *not* compatible with Windows 10.

      The key offenders especially are those using onboard graphics from before the days where the GPU was integrated in the PCH provided directly by Intel or AMD.
      Additionally while they probably will work, 6th gen (Intel and AMD) and older processors are not supported on current versions of Windows

  • If the system is working for you, why do you upgrade it? If it is doing it's job as intended, why buy new? I have one Win7 system and it's doing all I need it to do in it's function. I have a MacPro to do heavy lifting and it's fine.

    It's the same issue phone makers are running into. The phones are not running to obsolescence in the old every 2 years cycle. So what is the value add? There isn't the same new wiz bang feature.

    Of course, Microsoft would say go buy a new computer.

    • end of support means Microsoft wont support Windows 7 with security patches. This means if a user uses Windows 7 and theres a vulnerability, MS wont fix it or patch it. To the end user, its very risky. So in other words, if you're using Windows 7 in a network environment, even though i hate what MS is doing, sure go ahead, do the upgrade to Windows 10. But if you don't have a network environment. Don't do it, just stay with Windows 7. The only exception I can think of is perhaps a business environment domai
  • They had the nag message with XP but at least with 7 they are giving you more time!

  • It's too bad you can't respond with a middle-finger emoji with the a comment along the lines of "I'll switch to 10 when you pry it out of my dead laptop hands."

  • Nowhere in the message does it say that the user has old hardware and needs to go out and buy new a new system. I'm not sure that the implication is even there in the message.

    I'm not a big Microsoft fan and other than knowing enough to support customers that choose to use Win10, I don't want anything to do with it. I also think it's a shitty thing that Microsoft is dropping security updates for Win7 but...

    I don't see anywhere that Microsoft is saying or even implying that if a user is using Win7 they're u

    • 10 years of support is pretty good, I'd say. Organisations can pay if they want extra. Ordinary users can be spied on and annoyed by Windows 10 or just annoyed by Linux.

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by bobby ( 109046 )

        10 years of support is pretty good, I'd say.

        I respect your opinion, your optimism, and that many share it.

        I have a very different opinion. I think an OS needing 10 years of support, and STILL not debugged, especially when MS has been doing Windows for 30+ years, is abysmal. That they're allowed to sell such an error-filled product in the first place is horrific. I want the 10 year timer to start when all the bugs are out. In the old days we called it "alpha" and "beta" test; now it's called "finished product".

        I would prefer to stop the version nu

        • The last time I upgraded my Linux distro GRUB disappeared and I had to jump through a few hoops to get it back so I'd say that nobody's perfect.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

          Name one bit of software as complex as Windows that is bug free. Certainly not Linux, or more accurately any Linux distro since Windows is far more than just the kernel.

          If you want a fully debugged system you will have to go back to a Commodore 64 or ZX Spectrum. Running a custom ROM of course, as the originals were buggy but over the last 37 years they have been found and fixed.

          If you want something more modern, well, sorry, there are no bug free systems. None.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by bobby ( 109046 )

            Your points are correct in the context you present. The world has gotten too accustomed to very buggy software. I'm not claiming all software can be 100% bug-free, and I know you're not advocating "just everyone accept tons of bugs". It's a matter of degree, and I would greatly prefer simpler OSes and software, and far fewer bugs, and I think many people would agree. The whole thing is a bit like the "frog in the pot" analogy, a.k.a incrementalism.

            The Linux kernel proves that extremely complex software

  • Good news! (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Gravis Zero ( 934156 )

    Linux is free and it runs well on just about any piece of hardware.

    • Too bad it doesn't run any engineering software I use.

    • I've been using Linux for servers/workstations for around 2 decades and think it's the best choice for both. I'm using a Dell Precision 5520 right and Linux still isn't very laptop friendly -- and laptops are the vast majority of non-tablets/phone computers people use. The Noveau driver freezes (I'm talking kernel panic) periodically when you close and open the laptop or plug it into more multiple screens. After replacing this open source driver with the proprietary NVidia driver, I occasionally get renderi

    • Linux is free and it runs well on just about any piece of hardware.

      You're doing Linux no favours by advertising it like this. Linux does not "run well on just about any" hardware. A modern Linux system with a modern desktop is just as heavy on resources as Windows and like Windows runs like an absolute dog on old hardware.

      What you *can* do is strip it down, run it lean, use a basic window manager with low resource requirements. The result would be your users saying "what is this old shit" and rejecting your suggestion as well as further cementing in their mind the already

  • Linux (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Meanwhile, in Linux-land, you can upgrade when you damned well please and you don't even have to put up with the OS vendor nagging you like a mother/wife.

    • Meanwhile, in Linux-land, you can upgrade when you damned well please and you don't even have to put up with the OS vendor nagging you

      Doesn't that depend on your distribution?

  • Why change (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward

    When was the last serious Win7 problem fixed ?

    What fixes are contained in Win10 which aren't in Win7 ?

  • Its a old OS for sure (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    For a lot of users Windows 7 is still a really good get out of the way operating system. I think Windows 10 is a bit of a turn off for some. I expect many users will stick it out with Win 7 for some time past end of support. Sort of a remake of the XP fiasco and will probably become another thorn for Microsoft.

  • For the same price as a full server suite of Win10, you could buy a few Linux blade servers, and get way more computing power.

    Just saying.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Megane ( 129182 )
      How do I play my games on a blade server? But I do plan to start moving to Linux for desktop stuff. (I already use it for MythTV.) I now have a spare i5 Sandy Bridge that's waiting for me to install something on.

  • The message includes a link to a Microsoft website that encourages people to backup their data, buy a modern computer and make the jump to Windows 10.

    I have a modern computer -- several in fact -- but I haven't move all the Windows systems to 10 yet because I dislike it more than 7.

  • Not just from airport prophets anymore.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by sakono ( 4659761 )
      did you know there are systems in airplanes running windows 95 and 98? because there are...that in it's self is kinda scary honestly

  • Modern computer? (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    LOL modern computer my ass. There is nothing wrong with my fucking Quad Core Xeon. I have NO software that can peg the cores other than transcoding. I play all my games on full max settings and the cores run at 60%. Why the fuck would I buy a "modern" computer when the one I have is amazing?

    Win10 is a defect. Microsoft reminding me to move off Win7 is really a sales pitch for Mac OS or Linux, or both.

  • When I manually installed updates last week, I noticed an entry "2019-04 Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB4493132)" in the "Optional Updates" section, whose "More Info" page clearly states that it's responsible for displaying the warning message about support ending. Thankfully, Windows 7 (and 8.1) still allows you to Hide individual updates that you don't want.

    It would've been nice if the article had mentioned that...

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Megane ( 129182 )
      Sure, until a few months later when it gets pushed as a "newer version" and un-hides itself. Been there, done that, gave up and completely disabled Windows Update. It's just my games OS, I don't use it for web shit.

  • ... and I'm still running it with security patches using a regedit hack [zdnet.com] that's supposed to have ended but hasn't. The reason is that a shit load of ATMs run on WinXP.

    I'm wondering if MSFT will do the same for Win7.

    Williams says that the hack, included just below, makes the system look like Windows Embedded POSReady 2009 which will continue to receive updated until April 9, 2019.

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • One thing is certain in these articles, one person will come around and declare this to be the end of Windows and the year of the Linux Desktop. But that's not going to happen. For one single and simple reason: Games.

    You have pretty much everything else available on Linux that the average person could need. Yes, there are a few specialized applications (like DTP) that are a bit harder to do on Linux, some even impossible because the tool that people are used to and have been working with for decades simply

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