Is anyone still using Windows 7?

[SkyChimp]

Simplix has been down since 7/10/2024.

In my recent Win7 clean-install, I had to go Simplix last year's update. better than nothing. while hope it's up soon.

Can you post a link for that?

 

[siliconbeaver]

Just follow this post by michael diemer

Download Simplix UpdatePack 7 - MajorGeeks

Can you post a link for that?

 

[spapakons]

Simplix is not Panacea

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.

 

[siliconbeaver]

Windows 7 was released 2009, 15 yrs ago.
my daily work requests running of scripts of excel-macro and python previously developed on Windows 7.
I was stuck with old computers, such as HP Elite 7800-8300 because their re-installing Windows 7 was easy, W7 key was on the case, until I read this forum.

With SF's knowledgement I learned, my choice extended onto HP 800 G1-G3, later then G4-G6. their re-installation is feasible. newer computer is with more powerful CPU. but their activation is still an issue (newer PC no W7 key). for this sake, I better stay with HP computer.

I have tried and tested Windows 11 many times. the scripts running test time on same computer with Windows 11 was about 50% or 100% slower (18 sec on W7 vs. 28 sec on W11). For my apps, Windows 11 is NOT worth (faster CPU but slower result). it has too much bloatware.
Also, python pyautogui, auto run under administration , , , many techical issues on Windows 11.

As long as my scripts run faster and better on Windows 7, Windows 7 will be my main OS until a new OS can beat Windows 7.

indeed even Windows XP could run my macros and python scripts, but Windows XP doesn't support GPT, nor SSD. running test time is my gauge. hence I have disposed XP.

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?

 

[torchwood]

spapakons

thats standard for Simplex, its not a one hit and done.The restarts are because of the way MS set up the update process, certain KB's require a reboot/restart to complete BEFORE the next can be installed

the loss of your user profile is not generally associated with a KB install, and as its not loaded then your customised desktop cannot be loaded

see the tutorial section for the fix

 

[quartz1]

Hello, by the way. Apparently this is my first post. I'll put this sentence at the top rather than after, so that my second word on this forum isn't "loathe".

I loathe W10 and I'm not even going to try to touch W11.

I've just bought a Fujitsu A557 and an HP Probook 6570b solely for the purpose of installing W7. The W7 install on the HP has gone smoothly (so far). The Fujitsu A557 is giving me some hiccups and I might post about it soon. the i5-7200U cpu (apparently) isn't officially supported.

 

[spapakons]

If you don't like the new user interface of Windows 10 and 11, there are tools to make it look as close as possible to Windows 7. You can even replace the system icons to look exactly like Windows 7. I have the Windows 7 start button and start menu (Open Shell), I have replaced the system icons with those of Windows 8.1 (Customizer God, Resource Hacker). I have the Windows 10 File Explorer without tabs and the Windows 10 taskbar right-click context menu (Explorer Patcher), the Windows Vista/7 gadgets (8gadgetpack) and the Windows 7 calculator, Paint version and classic Windows 7 games (Winaero utilities).

 

[quartz1]

Hi, thanks for the heads up. When I got this windows 10 laptop in Feb this year (Lenovo Ideapad3 i5 11th gen, first laptop since 2012, a Fujitsu A531 i5 2nd gen to give you an idea of the step), I did quite a lot of searching around. I got the layout of the start menu, classic shell I think it is. But I did a lot of searching for an aero theme and gave up. The closest I got was Stardock Window blinds, and got......fairly duff results.

If you know of a skin that will give aero (like fuzzy-background transparent titlebar and borders, and especially the 3-4 pixel windows borders, rounded edges, I'd be all ears One of the issues with stardock (trying to set the colours for dark mode is a nightmare), is that chrome and firefox seem to want to force their own skinning, and "resist" attempts to skin them as aero

One of the things I especially hate about W10, is that you can take the mouse out from the current window about 8 pixels, and somehow, the mouse position still registers on the window. I don't know how W10 is a finished product

I've got background tweaks in place like disabling updates, the volume controller is now vertical, skype spotify and all that cack are stopped

tbh there are other things too. I hate W10's file explorer (quick eg, in the file open dialogue, the file list format is the vertical slider in the top right. in regular explorer, the file list type is now a 3+3+2 panel under an ambiguous menu. why is it different? the slider is better btw. just change for change sakes - the explorer coder obviously didn't tell the file open dialogue coder he was changing the adjustment method)

 

[spapakons]

There is Aero10 which also works in Windows 11.
Aero10 for Windows 10 1903-22H2 by vaporvance on DeviantArt
And Glass8 which also works in Windows 10 and 11

Aero Glass interface on Windows 8.x+ - Experience Native Look

I tried one of them (don't remember which) but I could not configure the transparency to look just like Windows 7. In some applications the transparency made text hard to read if there was another application at the background (my default is the light theme). So I switched it off. I will try it again sometime later.

With Explorer Patcher you can select Windows 7 style File Explorer

 

[spapakons]

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!

 

[teckneeculler]

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.

 

[quartz1]

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.

 

[spapakons]

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.

 

[MisterEd]

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.

 

[maxseven]

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.

 

[quartz1]

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..

 

[spapakons]

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).

 

[dg1261]

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.

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.

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.

 

[spapakons]

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

 

[MisterEd]

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

Sorry, I didn't find it last time I did a Google search but am finding it now. I had forgoten it was a Ukranian site. So maybe I should have said Russian speaking. OK?