Jimbos confused - W7 Mainstream support to end 2015

jimbo45 · 04 Sep 2014

Hi there

Is THIS true -- W7 Mainstream support to end in 2015 -- I thought W7 was going on until around 2020.

This comes from FORBES - usually "Semi reliable" -- beware a lot of irritating ads that popup while you are trying to read the article -- there's no malware or "Malvertisements" in the article - just gets a bit irritating

Microsoft To Abandon Windows 7 Mainstream Support. Pressure Builds On Windows 9 - Forbes

I see EXTENDED support will continue but that's a different Animal.

BTW OT here but there's quite an interesting feature elsewhere - XP to get an un-official (not Ms) SP4 -- for those running XP as a VM that might be interesting too - although as always with "Unsanctioned" patches it's very definitely A.Y.O.R. - although the site does have credibility.

Note also from same magazine so you might get a few ads when reading - no malware though.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonke...t-os-lives-on/

Cheers
jimbo

King Arthur · 04 Sep 2014

Mainstream support will end on January 13, 2015.
However, extended support will continue until January 14, 2020.

The difference between mainstream and extended support is that during mainstream support, updates to Windows 7 may include new features, subsystems, and so forth in addition to security updates.

Once mainstream support ends and extended support comes around, Windows 7 will only receive security updates.

To put this into perspective, mainstream and extended support for Windows XP ended on April 14, 2009 and April 8, 2014 respectively.

jimbo45 · 04 Sep 2014

Hi there

So if a new version of IE comes out it's unlikely to be backported to W7 - so no IE12 for example with rubbish things like JAVA and FLASH removed for better security.

Similarly if W9 for example has support for the new file systems such BTRFS then we might get connectivity problems across LANS etc.

I'm sure a lot of W7 users won't want to be forced to use FF, Chrome or other alternative browsers. especially as the Browser is probably the way 99% of people get their computers infected (downloads etc).

As far as XP is concerned I don't have it connected to the Internet -

Cheers
jimbo

Lady Fitzgerald · 04 Sep 2014

jimbo45 said:

Hi there

So if a new version of IE comes out it's unlikely to be backported to W7 - so no IE12 for example with rubbish things like JAVA and FLASH removed for better security.

Similarly if W9 for example has support for the new file systems such BTRFS then we might get connectivity problems across LANS etc.

I'm sure a lot of W7 users won't want to be forced to use FF, Chrome or other alternative browsers. especially as the Browser is probably the way 99% of people get their computers infected (downloads etc).

As far as XP is concerned I don't have it connected to the Internet -

Cheers
jimbo

Possibly. The first few may be backwards compatible to Win 7 and later ones may not. If that happens, M$ will probably keep supporting the latest one that can be used on Win 7 until Win 7's EOL, same as they did with XP. But, then again, M$ has been a bunch of jerks (polite, forum permissible term) regarding supporting Win 7 (such as refusing to come out with an SP2) so, who knows?

gregrocker · 04 Sep 2014

These decrees are issued from a netherworld where Windows 8 has already replaced Windows 7. I will witness this again for the fifth time at the Global MVP Summit in Seattle in November.

Meanwhile Windows 7 is the most wildly popular OS in history, still growing in popularity and sales. Nearly the entire business and academic worlds have moved off of XP into Win7, which is now fully driving the world economy with a tiny assist from Apple.

Loki · 04 Sep 2014

From what I can tell W7 Mainstream support a end a week after W7 SP1 was released... (yes I know it didn't officially end)

Just my observation of the love Microsoft has for W7 and it's user base.

Loki

lehnerus2000 · 04 Sep 2014

Loki said:

From what I can tell W7 Mainstream support a end a week after W7 SP1 was released... (yes I know it didn't officially end)

Just my observation of the love Microsoft has for W7 and it's user base.

I suspect it just took a while for reality to hammer its way into "Cloud Cuckoo Land" at MS HQ.

logicearth · 04 Sep 2014

I don't know why you guys are surprised. This information was available before Windows 7 even launched. Every product Microsoft releases has a Support Life Cycle. This is not news, nor surprising. They are not abandoning Windows 7, as the scare tactic, sensational article title wants you to believe, it is just click bait.

Layback Bear · 04 Sep 2014

I'm suggesting that one must remember Microsoft is competing against Microsoft.

Windows 7 is getting all the X XPers; Windows 8 isn't doing much and I don't believe ever will. If Windows 9 is done proper it will such up all but a few of Windows 8 users and some Windows 7 users. Microsoft doesn't care which one you buy as long as you buy one or more.

That is why Windows 7 will never have a SP-2. SP's don't make Microsoft any money. Making Windows 7 better also might draw sales away from Windows 8 and 9. Microsoft is like any other business; they need and want sales.

King Arthur · 04 Sep 2014

jimbo45 said:

Similarly if W9 for example has support for the new file systems such BTRFS then we might get connectivity problems across LANS etc.

I can say with certainty that file system interoperability across LANs will not be a problem. File system access across networks is abstracted through the host operating system handling that drive, so the client operating system accessing the drive through that host will never be concerned with its file system.

I say this because Windows 9x operating systems, which have no native support for NTFS, are able to access NTFS file systems perfectly fine with no fuss if it is over LAN through hosts running whatever flavor of Windows NT (2000, XP, 7, etc.).

To reiterate in simpler terms: If the host OS has support for a given file system, a client OS will face no problems accessing that file system regardless of its own support or lack thereof.