Is anyone still using Windows 7?

[siliconbeaver]

@Bree

On Windows 11, typically requests 1-2 more clicks than Windows 7, do you have any tips?

For example,
on Windows 7, right-click a file to "Send to" or "Open with", one-click can do (to Notepad.exe, or Notepad++.exe). While on Windows 11, it has 1-2 more steps, show more options -->Send to (some run requests Admin, at least one more step)

Similar to access python Edit with IDLE. On Windows 7, one right-click. while on Windows 11, requests 1-2 steps more.

In daily programming/text editing, say, my mouse will do "right-click" 500 times on Windows 7. When move to Windows 11, becomes 1000-1500 times. that will be beyond human hand limits, hurt my fingers eventually.

 

[OnlyMe]

I still run win7 Pro on my home-built offline, graphics workstation..why?

It runs all my old painting programs; Corel Painter12, Corel PhotoPaint x14, Adobe PS CS2, & a bunch of effects plugins that do exactly what I need. It even has it's builtin virtual PC to run a couple of programs that are too old for w7!

My10 yr old scanner works perfectly from those programs. My large format (17x22") Epson pro 3800 runs off of it's dedicated offline win-Vista laptop.

I also have an online w7 18" laptop used for casual web surfing as well as this online w10 10yr old homemade desktop for more serious stuff

Yes, newer S/W can do a lot more with BRAND NEW FEATURES!!!...but I go w/ what i was taught in my college photography classes..it's not what model of camera you use, it's what you do with the camera you have. I spent years learning to use the above equipment & programs...& would rather do what i do, than spend more years learning to use all the BRAND NEW FEATURES of newer OS's & programs.

A nod to the comment about seeing a Hot Rod...I also routinely drive my 1960s Oldtimers (German word for classic cars & yes, they use the English word).

Sign me,
Dinosaur

 

[SCANNERMAN777]

I still run win7 Pro on my home-built offline, graphics workstation..why?

It runs all my old painting programs; Corel Painter12, Corel PhotoPaint x14, Adobe PS CS2, & a bunch of effects plugins that do exactly what I need. It even has it's builtin virtual PC to run a couple of programs that are too old for w7!

My10 yr old scanner works perfectly from those programs. My large format (17x22") Epson pro 3800 runs off of it's dedicated offline win-Vista laptop.

I also have an online w7 18" laptop used for casual web surfing as well as this online w10 10yr old homemade desktop for more serious stuff

Yes, newer S/W can do a lot more with BRAND NEW FEATURES!!!...but I go w/ what i was taught in my college photography classes..it's not what model of camera you use, it's what you do with the camera you have. I spent years learning to use the above equipment & programs...& would rather do what i do, than spend more years learning to use all the BRAND NEW FEATURES of newer OS's & programs.

A nod to the comment about seeing a Hot Rod...I also routinely drive my 1960s Oldtimers (German word for classic cars & yes, they use the English word).

Sign me,
Dinosaur

With you all the way in this, Oldtimer. Priority #1 with PCs is functionality. Doesn't matter how new the features are, if they don't work properly the system is useless. Brand new features tend to be buggy. Win 7 is an old OS, tried and tested. When one considers the experience they have with their OS over the years, fixing issues that are no longer foreign to them, have learned the system backwards and forwards, have tweaked, and trimmed and personalized it until it runs like a finely-tuned, well-oiled, piece of machinery, not much is going to compete with it.

One of the things that annoyed me the most about Windows 7 was having to give up Win XP and learn everything all over again. I never did put Win 10 on my Work Station because it is just too bloody invasive for my personal preferences. AND YES, you can cut most of that junk out, AND YES, you can do massive surgery on Windows 10 to make it "something other" and yes you get a ton of those modifications back in the next Win update, (some working some not quite working anymore) and yes you can wind up with a half-assed operating system suffering from an identity crisis. The options are endless! Just think of the potential. The user could waste a lifetime of hours that could have been better spent on productivity but instead they get to fix their PC and, in many cases, pay Microsoft to do it.

Naw. I think I'll keep my WIN 7 for as long as possible. It's never worked so good since the updates 'stopped' coming.

 

[nt351]

I started using Windows 7 in 2019, and still using it for the Windows side of my computering ---for internet I use Slackware.

NT 3.51 was the best Microsoft ever had (that is why they never put it on desktop computers)

Perhaps, NVMe might motivate me to give Windows 8 a try ---but mSata and M.2 sata works just fine

 

[Bree]

@Bree

On Windows 11, typically requests 1-2 more clicks than Windows 7, do you have any tips?

For example,
on Windows 7, right-click a file to "Send to" or "Open with", one-click can do (to Notepad.exe, or Notepad++.exe). While on Windows 11, it has 1-2 more steps, show more options -->Send to...

In Windows 11 you can go straight to the menu that clicking on 'Show more options' takes you to if you hold down the Shift key while you right click, cutting you 'click count' by one.

- - - Updated - - -

I still run win7 Pro on my home-built offline, graphics workstation..why?

It runs all my old painting programs; Corel Painter12, Corel PhotoPaint x14, Adobe PS CS2, & a bunch of effects plugins that do exactly what I need. It even has it's builtin virtual PC to run a couple of programs that are too old for w7!

I don't know about Adobe, but I'm running PaintShop Pro 7.04 in Windows 11.


As it's 11 Pro I also have Hyper-V to run VMs, if needed.

 

[SCANNERMAN777]

Pressing the shift key before clicking on an icon doesn't really reduce the click count. It just changes where the first click is made from. It's still two clicks, but I do find it easier to hold the shift key and clicking the icon. Of course, with Windows 7 no such nonsense is required. I wonder if this feature will be included with Windows 12. Perhaps it won't be needed at all in Neon. I like the idea that Microsoft is at least considering the development of a functional modular OS for legacy systems. I hope they pursue it. If not there's always Linux.

 

[maxseven]

Pressing the shift key before clicking on an icon doesn't really reduce the click count. It just changes where the first click is made from. It's still two clicks, but I do find it easier to hold the shift key and clicking the icon. Of course, with Windows 7 no such nonsense is required. I wonder if this feature will be included with Windows 12. Perhaps it won't be needed at all in Neon. I like the idea that Microsoft is at least considering the development of a functional modular OS for legacy systems. I hope they pursue it. If not there's always Linux.

Well there isn't "always Linux" though is there. At least, I have numerous programs that are "Windows only" and I need to keep running.

I do like the idea that MS would revive W7 in some fashion. I get that they wanted to modernize, and apparently the data-gathering must provide them revenue in some manner, but I might even be willing to pop for some modest "subscription fee" if they were to revive support for the 7 platform, enough so that sw mfrs embrace and support such.

 

[Mike Lynch]

I agree!

 

[SCANNERMAN777]

Well there isn't "always Linux" though is there. At least, I have numerous programs that are "Windows only" and I need to keep running.
I do like the idea that MS would revive W7 in some fashion. I get that they wanted to modernize, and apparently the data-gathering must provide them revenue in some manner, but I might even be willing to pop for some modest "subscription fee" if they were to revive support for the 7 platform, enough so that sw mfrs embrace and support such.

In that respect you are correct. Nonetheless there's always Linux — even if it means dropping your favourite flavor of software for a more lean and meagre diet. This is why monopolies are dangerous and options are essential. Trust me when I say I know what you mean. I just finished forking out once again for Microsoft Office even though I greatly dislike what they're doing to it. None of the open source programs provide the fonts that I require and the format I need for the book I'm writing. Linux can't help me here.

I like the idea of modules that is reported to be part of the integral structure in the coming Windows 12. I like the idea of a bare bones OS with strictly the basics so that one might only pay for the aps that they need as they need them and not have to worry about upgrading to a new OS every five years. If this whole TPM thing would allow us to run a flawless Windows 7 OS then so much the better but I just don't see it happening.

 

[GRoston]

Absolutely! Windows 10 and Windows 11 are simply polite names for spyware. Those OS'es are a total steaming pile.

 

[Mike Lynch]

Agreed!

 

[SCANNERMAN777]

Absolutely! Windows 10 and Windows 11 are simply polite names for spyware. Those OS'es are a total steaming pile.

A hot mess.

 

[maxseven]

In that respect you are correct. Nonetheless there's always Linux — even if it means dropping your favourite flavor of software for a more lean and meagre diet...

I have a handful of essential programs that don't run on Linux, including e.g. FileCenter and Quicken and my page scanner software and iMazing and a few others. So I'm stuck.
I have used and like Linux-alternative software as much as the next guy, but it simply can't meet my needs. And no, I will never give-up Quicken et al.

Still, I am glad to find this thread which bolsters my suspicions in re: 10/11. I will try my damndest to keep W7Pro 64-bit working as best I can.

 

[Mike Lynch]

Thank you for your persistence!

 

[originaljgf]

Will continue using Win7 as long as it is a viable OS (I will probably expire before it does); when/if I can on longer use it I will learn Linux.

Every new iteration of windows removes more and more end user options and and implements more and more invasive snoopware and petty licensing issues.
How long before "Desktop wallpaper has been changed! Click here to restore default." or "Windows has determined your computer is not connected to a Microsoft certified power strip. The system will now shut down for security reasons." or "Windows 15 can not install on this computer, the motherboard was manufactured on Friday 13th".

 

[SCANNERMAN777]

"Windows 15 can not install on this computer, the motherboard was manufactured on Friday 13th".

lol Remember when they said Windows 10 would be the last OS and then after that everything would be modular updates? That sure didn't last long. Actually, in practice, that's probably precisely what they did but then decided to rename the updates Win 11, Win 12, Win Freddy etc. I'm pretty sure it was a marketing strategy from the git go.

Monopolies are always a lethal thing for the consumer. In the end the end user always gets owned. Whatever happened to good ole fashioned Free Enterprise? Somebody must have bought it out. ::: sigh ::: I'm a hypocrite. I have Win 11 and I don't much care for it.

 

[john1955]

I haven't been on here for a few years, but just curious - is anyone still using Windows 7 and if so, how? Offline or paying for updates?

Yes, I'm still using Win-7 . . . What do you mean "How"?
I'm just still using it. I also use XP and Win-10 but Win-7 64 is my main OP
What updates are there that you can pay for? I just do a lot of full backups in case of ransomware but safe surfing is better than prophylactic s

 

[Mike Lynch]

And the Anal Dam's that the Windows 10 and 11 Users must use!

 

[monodee]

New to the group

Still using Windows 7? The 4 computers in the house are all Windows 7 and they are being updated all the time. Bunch of hooey that MS is not updating the OS, they are not building new updates but using Windows defender it is updating regularly. I like and know this OS and I do not like Microsoft being able to update as they see fit, too many experiences with their updates causing issues with the OS. Gonna ride this wave till I hit the beach. When I hit the beach I will move over to Linux OS. I just joined this group to be with like minded Windows 7 users. I expect Google will make it difficult for us in the future if you run Chrome (Firefox user).

 

[SCANNERMAN777]

Welcome to the Group

Still using Windows 7? The 4 computers in the house are all Windows 7 and they are being updated all the time. Bunch of hooey that MS is not updating the OS, they are not building new updates but using Windows defender it is updating regularly. I like and know this OS and I do not like Microsoft being able to update as they see fit, too many experiences with their updates causing issues with the OS. Gonna ride this wave till I hit the beach. When I hit the beach I will move over to Linux OS. I just joined this group to be with like minded Windows 7 users. I expect Google will make it difficult for us in the future if you run Chrome (Firefox user).

We are flexible here @ this household of five but we all still have and use Windows 7. Unfortunately there are features that Win 7 does not have or no longer has so we suffer some of Microsoft's more commercialized operating systems. Remember when cable TV first came out and it was the rage because you could watch television with no commercials? That's what happened to the internet and that's what happened to Windows. Yes, Windows is still updating the security on Win7 because others paid for the extended security. I suspect that some versions of Win 7 today probably can't even get security updates now.

I've never really been a big fan of GOOGLE and if people took a good look at how intensely GOOGLE infiltrates their OS they might have a change in thinking about using GOOGLE. I'm more of a FireFox/StartPage user myself. There are a good many features that Windows offers that Linux simply doesn't have. I am a Linux user also but even I get tired of having to use terminal every time I want to do something of significance on my PC. Windows power users are probably more comfortable with using Linux as they are more familiar with CMD than the average Windows user; but yeah... We are riding out the wave to the bitter end even as the die hard XP fans have done.