Windows 7 support now ending???

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I have just received notification from MicroSoft of the following:

"While you could continue to use your PC running Windows 7, without continued software and security updates, it will be at greater risk for viruses and malware. Going forward, the best way for you to stay secure is on Windows 10. And the best way to experience Windows 10 is on a new PC. While it is possible to install Windows 10 on your older device, it is not recommended."

(They are withdrawing support for Windows 7 on 14th January 2020)

In the current frenzy of 'green' environmental issues, how can a global company be recommending the disposal of millions of perfectly working PCs & laptops to be thrown into landfill and pump up consumerism to buy more 'stuff'?
 
Windows 7 was released in 2009. It's not unreasonable for them to drop support for a ten-year-old OS.

Also if the machine's perfectly working it'll run Windows 10, or you could use a third-party security suite and continue with 7, albeit without MS updates, or you could install Linux instead.

I'm not a Windows fan but I don't think they're doing anything wrong here.
 
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Windows 7 was released in 2009. It's not unreasonable for them to drop support for a ten-year-old OS.

Also if the machine's perfectly working it'll run Windows 10, or you could use a third-party security suite and continue with 7, albeit without MS updates, or you could install Linux instead.

I'm not a Windows fan but I don't think they're doing anything wrong here.
Hi Chris, (I think I bought a razor from you years ago!).

The machine is working flawlessly. It just irritated me that MS has advised me to throw it in the bin and buy a new one (from one of their partner retailers!). This planned obsolescence that consumer products have should have ended years ago. If it works, you shouldn't be advised to throw it in the bin just because fashions haae chenged.

I know it's probably just me. My washing machine was replaced last year and I was miffed, it was only 32 years old. I have shoes that are decades old too, regular polish and a re heel keeps them roadworthy. I have a 24 year old car still running, and if I ran it for the rest of my life it's carbon footprint would still be less than buying a single new one!

I just hate living in a disposable word, hence actually why I'm on this forum. I have several lovely razors, some approaching 100 years old, and refilling them with a new blade sees them working perfectly - I just don't like throwing working things out!
 
It's possible, I've been here a while. :)

My wife's laptop is on Windows 7, she tried 10 and hated it. Once support gets dropped it'll likely stay on Windows 7 and do without the updates, if you're sensible in your online habits and have anti-malware the actual risk is pretty minimal.

I agree with you about the disposal of working things, we have approx 60 iPads at work that are in full working order but as they're older models and no longer updated they're stuck in a back room. I suggested selling them to the staff but they'll probably sit there until they get disposed of. :(
 
Like your wife, I have tried a Windows 10 PC and absolutely detested it, however, I'm not a fan of change and have been using Windows since version 3.1 LOL I stuck with XP 3 years after support was dropped, but at least I could see the advantage of 7, for a start, it didn't crash at all for me which was huge! 10 for me is kinda like why Sony MiniDisc format failed, it simply didn't offer enough benefits over the existing CD format.

I think I'll stick with 7, and as I already regularly update anti virus and malware programs, will just be even more conscious of doing so. mmm... I'll keep an eye on on the buy/sell forum for some nice iPads then!
 
Until she retired, my wife was a teacher, and received a new laptop every time the County/school decided on upgrades (ME, XP, W7). None was ever taken back, so we ended up with a stack of these, plus our own. There used to be some people and places who would welcome a gift of unwanted PCs (suitably sanitised), but they now no longer do so.

That's probably because the machines have aged in performance or are underpowered for the OS. For offline local application use, I occasionally need to start up a Toshiba XP machine, or a Dell W7 Home, which are several years old, and it's like watching paint dry.
 
That's probably because the machines have aged in performance or are underpowered for the OS. For offline local application use, I occasionally need to start up a Toshiba XP machine, or a Dell W7 Home, which are several years old, and it's like watching paint dry.

I will fully confess that my XP laptop operation was like watching paint dry, however, my current 7 machine is simply instantaneous. I'm not a 'gamer', just using it for emails, surfing, word, excel and powerpoint. The second I hit the return key, it just does the action requested. That's why I'm so loathed to give it up...

You're correct about the recycling issue though, up to last year you could buy a refurbed PC/laptop in Oxfam charity shops, but they have now discontinued that, shame...
 
My Win7 box came with a reasonably-sized HDD for the system drive, but that became a bit flakey, so I swapped it out for a 512gb SSD which cost an arm and a leg at the time (about 5 years ago). However, the improved boot/startup speed was then lightning-quick, and the whole system ran much more smoothly.

I use my machine for much the same things as @StephenShave , and I can't think of anything that it struggles to do, apart from some heavy-duty photo conversion and editing with Affinity, where another 6gb of memory would help.

Games? I detest them. Years ago I was running a large computer operation, with DEC VAX and PDP machines, and I spent a lot of time stopping my operators from playing Hangman and TicTacToe on the machine room console terminals, and spoiling their fun by prohibiting the use of the high speed band printers for printing Miss DEC in various stages of undress (cold, warm and hot, as I recall).
 
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