Using W7 'After' End of Support in January 2020

No one should ever just blindly accept updates from MS, unless they are also doing frequent Backups.
I don't mean to just backup data files, which is also important, but to back up the entire C: drive.
In the past, I've had my PC trashed by an MS Update that went wonky, so now I keep Auto updates shut off, and only get critical updates about once a month, after I've totally backed up my PC.

Almost all of the cries for help that we see on these PC Help forums, would be UN-necessary if only everyone would just back up their PC. Many of us have been crying this from the rooftops for years, but yet so few people take what we say to heart. Why do we even bother? Well.......I guess because we really do care about our brothers and sisters and their well being.

Personally, I maintain two complete CLONES of my main hard drive, plus I have compressed Backup Image Files of my C: drive, saved to two different external drives. Whether my main drive just gets messed up and won't boot, or whether it totally crashes, I'll never be Off Line for more than just a few minutes.

Prevention is so much simpler than repairs....I don't understand why so many people just won't do it.

Cheers Mates!
TechnoMage

Thanks TechnoMage2016...I could not agree more. Most issues with PC I can fix myself as I have much experience with PC and W7. However my ultimate fail-safe when nothing else works is using Acronis software on regular basis to clone my C drive. Actually have 3 clones of C drive. One is a regular done monthly, another is one I do irregularly when I feel C drive is rock solid stable with no issues, and the 3rd one is a Master clone done about 2 months after I do a fresh install of W7 after all software and settings done and all is rock solid stable. It is always in the cleanest state. It also saves me all the work of re-installing and configuring everything how I like it and this is when I use it. This is a 3 tier approach so to speak.

This method has saved me several times and it works....yep everybody out there BACKUP BACKUP OR DO SOMETHING SIMILAR. It works. Gary

"XP Armageddon" hasn't occurred despite all of the waffle back in 2014 when MS dropped support.
I seriously doubt that we'll see a "W7 Armageddon" either.

In fact, I suspect that the majority of future botnets will run on IoT devices, as their built-in security systems are garbage (assuming they even have any at all).

Convert your W7 install to a VM and then run it on a Linux Distro like Linux Mint (IMO, this is the best way to run W10 too).
Turn off the Virtual Network and only browse the Internet using Linux.

Make sure that you keep updating your VM's AV program.
You'll probably need to (temporarily) connect your VM to the Internet to do this.

Most importantly create multiple regular Backup Images of your entire setup and Snapshots of your VM.