Is anyone still using Windows 7?

spapakons said:

I downloaded Simplix, ran it, installed 4 updates and then restarted. As soon as I logged in it ran automatically, installed a couple more updates and restarted again. Then I could not login to my profile, I think the warning message said I was logged in with the default profile or similar. My desktop background and icons were gone, the user folder on the desktop doesn't open. Thankfully I can access my data from C:\Users\username folder. What could go wrong? I am running System Restore to return to the restore point before running Simplix, just in case. Also I didn't like the fact that it started updating without giving me a list of available updates and let me decide what to install.

I will only manually run Windows Update from now on.

After unsuccessfully updating my Windows 7 computer with Simplix it was so screwed that I was receiving error messages about certain .dll files not found I could no longer see even the login screen! So I restarted the computer and booted with my Windows 7 setup USB flash drive. I started System Restore and got back before starting Simplix. Thank God it recovered. I don't trust Simplix anymore. From now on I will only manually run Windows Update and carefully choose which updates to install. Please take care so you don't screw your computer as well.

PS: I downloaded it from Major Geeks: Download Simplix UpdatePack 7 - MajorGeeks This is the correct application, isn't it? I hope I didn't download any fake by accident!

I'm probably wasting my time with this post but here goes:
If you're using W7 and it's running OK, turn OFF Windows updates. Leave updates OFF forever.
This from an old PC builder and fixer who has always run W7 with updates OFF. Last time I rebuilt the system, then checked only Windows updates to see if I wanted anything (there wasn't) was eight years ago.

I always leave updates off, on any O/S I'm running (doesn't apply to any devices that family members use etc). I manually check for updates as and when. But I do check for updates moderately regularly. When I want to check.

Yes, I know that. I have already installed all available updates, there are only the optional (display languages) left. I was just curious if Simplix was unofficially updating Windows 7, much like the unofficial SP4 for XP. Well, Curiosity killed the cat, as they say. I will never trust any automatic updates or driver tool again. Especially when it just starts installing without giving you a list of the available updates to choose what to install and without any way to stop it once it starts. Unless of course this one I downloaded was a fake, not the real Simplix and that would make sense why it screwed my PC instead of improving it.

I suspect that most people get Simplix UpdatePack 7 from MajorGeeks. I have used that site for more than 20 years and have never had a problem. You used to be able to get Simplix from its author site but I can't find that site anymore. That is probably because its Russian.

I haven't had any problems running Simplex on the three computers I have with Windows 7. It was a real time saver for me.

The only problem I had with Windows 7 updates was on one computer because its CPU didn't support SSE2. Starting around 2018 Windows 7 updates starting assuming that the CPU supported SSE2. These updates broke Windows 7. The only thing that saved me was System Restore. That worked but was a real pain when there was 50 or more updates. I ended up removing Windows 7 and going back to Windows XP.

teckneeculler said:

I'm probably wasting my time with this post but here goes:
If you're using W7 and it's running OK, turn OFF Windows updates. Leave updates OFF forever.

I get "Security Intelligence Update(s) for Microsoft Security Essentials" daily and also "Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool x64" monthly. What's wrong with doing that.

maxseven said:

I get "Security Intelligence Update(s) for Microsoft Security Essentials" daily and also "Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool x64" monthly. What's wrong with doing that.

Definitely this. also W7 MS Security Essentials updates don't need reboots..

These are the only updates that I see too. Security updates, no new features. Every other update (apart from display languages) has already been installed. Once in my friend's computer I installed all the display languages, just for fun, and it reduced the hard disk space by over 1.5GB Too many languages, too many data. And they don't even include all languages. Many more other languages require a Language Interface Pack (LIP).

MisterEd said:

I suspect that most people get Simplix UpdatePack 7 from MajorGeeks. I have used that site for more than 20 years and have never had a problem. You used to be able to get Simplix from its author site but I can't find that site anymore. That is probably because its Russian.

Not to be pedantic, but technically it's Ukranian. And it's still there.

As far as updates go, though, I'm of the same mind as teckneeculler: just don't.

teckneeculler said:

If you're using W7 and it's running OK, turn OFF Windows updates. Leave updates OFF forever.

I have installed no Win7 updates (except Microsoft Defender) since Dec 2017, just before Microsoft started pushing out BIOS firmware updates for Spectre and Meltdown in 2018 that irreversibly slowed down older computers. My Win7 desktop, laptop, and VMs continue humming along just fine.

spapakons said:

I downloaded Simplix, [...] I didn't like the fact that it started updating without giving me a list of available updates and let me decide what to install.

Microsoft went to a single, consolidated "rollup" strategy around nine years ago, and you haven't been able to pick and choose individual updates since. That is, unless you're like the Simplix developer, who can take each month's consolidated update, reverse engineer it to extract the individual patches, and remove the patches that are data tracking, telemetry, or otherwise non-critical. He also seems to be including recent Microsoft patches without you having to pay Microsoft for that extended support subscription thing they started doing.

IMHO, the Simplix updates are better than the updates Microsoft is putting out. I don't update my own Win7 computers anymore, but when I have to update someone else's old computer, Simplix is the only option I consider.

Just tried the Supermium browser (clone of Google Chrome). It can open any site because its User Agent is a modern Chrome version. In Windows 7 32-bit it worked at the first time, while in Windows XP it was complaining about too many api-ms-win-xxxxxx.dll files missing. So I copied all the .dll files starting with api-ms-win from Windows 7 32-bit (folder C:\Windows\System32) and pasted them in C:\Program Files\Supermium folder in Windows XP. Never complained again, it worked as expected. Since they say it is XP compatible, all these .dll files should be included, if not in the application archive, at least as an additional download. Of course the application loaded after complaining a specific .dll file was missing, but why risk having any issues?

GitHub - win32ss/supermium: Chromium fork for Windows XP/2003 and up