Solved Any advantages to 10 over 7?

[Grumpy Old Man]

I'm currently on Win7. I am considering returning to Windows 10. I'm looking for opinions about this.
My hardware: Lenovo Thinkpad X220i tablet, 8gb RAM, 1 TB SSD. The machine shipped with Win7, and was upgraded to Win 10. I bought it used from my office, changed the HD to a 1TB SSD, and installed Win7. I've had to be on Win10 since it came out for my day job, so I'm well used to it.

All the software I need runs on Win7, but a couple of programs, I had to go back one version. My beef with Win10 was the auto updates, which I could not stop. Delay, but not stop. More on that below.

I have also now found several websites I have to access regularly, refuse to open on less than the current versions of browsers, which appear to be more and more limited, due my running Win7. Normally I use Firefox, and had to stop updates at v115. To get around that I have Edge, and even though it's not current, the banking sites I need have not chosen to void it....yet.

My question is, since MS has now ended support on Win 10, what do most here think about going back to it? I would not have to deal with the constant changes, updates, and more to my point, my concerns about backdoor access.
To be clear, I don't have government or business security to maintain. I'm concerned about if MS might decide to revoke Win 10 licenses for one thing. The second is if there ARE backdoors, and hackers learn to use them, the risks to my data.
I do find 10 has several advantages I have become used to relying on, so that's a positive.

My biggest concern has been and still is, MS stated intent to force users into a subscription based OS. I know that was a published intent MS told us they intended to implement in 10, but never did.

Does anyone think MS will eventually kill Win 10? Do we know if there are backdoors that hackers might gain access to?
Are there substantial advantages to 10 over 7? Other than the supposed security issues, used to sell hardware, and which diligent users can reasonably work to cover.

I look forward to any comments.

 

[townsbg]

If you have sites refusing based upon browser you can use superium or r3dfox. Both are modern forks. I didn't really use either for much. I didn't like 10 for reasons that you specify and used it on an employer's laptop for years. Now I've put on 10 so I could use a modern install of Firefox but I still use a 7 install as well. However I installed AtlasOS which installs custom scripts to customize and improve performance on 10. I has a script to disable updates but M$ has officially stopped updates. There are other custom installs though. As for backdoors I have no idea. That questions is probably more suitable for 10 forums. I doubt due to it's age that Microsoft will stop reject licenses or rent it out. Browsers and website will stop supporting 10 (as they did 7) but as with 7 I doubt that will be for 3-5 years and maybe longer.

 

[Bree]

I'm currently on Win7. I am considering returning to Windows 10. I'm looking for opinions about this.

Welcome to Seven Forums.

My hardware: Lenovo Thinkpad X220i tablet....

Specs: https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/pd015807-detailed-specifications-thinkpad-x220-tablet

I'm concerned about if MS might decide to revoke Win 10 licenses for one thing....

Very unlikely. Your PC has a Digital License for Windows 10 (Home or Pro, depending on the edition of W7 you upgraded from) linked to its unique hardware ID and stored on Microsoft's activation severs. It got that when you upgraded to W10, reinstalling W7 does not remove it. You can clean install W10 without providing a key, or upgrade to W10, and it will activate from the existing digital license.

When MS launched Windows 11 they made no changes at all to the Digital License. It makes no distinction between W10 and W11 and is valid for both. Your PC has a 2nd generation Core i3/i5/i7. This is a supported device for W10, but not for W11. There are known workarounds to install or upgrade an unsupported device to Windows 11, that could be one way to allay your security fears.
Bypass Windows 11 System Requirements on Unsupported PC | Windows 11 Forum

I do find 10 has several advantages I have become used to relying on, so that's a positive.
My biggest concern has been and still is, MS stated intent to force users into a subscription based OS....

It's difficult to avoid an MS account with a clean install of Windows 10, even more so for Windows 11. There are known ways to bypass that though.

For an upgrade to W10 though your existing local accounts are retained exactly as they were, with no attempt at all to change them to an MS account.
You cannot upgrade W7 direct to W11, but you can upgrade it to W10 first, then upgrade that to W11.

 

[Mike Lynch]

I'm currently on Win10. I am considering returning to Windows 7. I'm looking for opinions about this.

I pray it doesn't hurt too badly!

 

[townsbg]

Without specifying your concerns it's hard to answer your question. I posted what I used to debloat 10 but there are others. One found mine intimidating. There are customized ISOs but I can only guess that would require a reinstall. You might try open shell. I'm using that. As for going back to 7 you'll have to do a reinstall. Do you have the capability to do a dual boot?

 

[michael diemer]

Mike, at this point you are foundering between two versions of Windows. Both are now out of support. Why not give Linux a try? A nice, new supported, user-friendly system, like Mint or Zorin. It's free, too, and no activation concerns. Updates are a breeze. There is very good software, Office, pics etc. Unless you have very specific needs that only Windows can fulfill, you can everything you did with Windows. It's also more secure, and you don't even need antivirus. Sure, there is a learning curve, but I doubt it would be as bad as what you're currently experiencing, going back and forth like you are. I can't imagine how frustrating that must be.

Give it a try, and join their forum if you do. You will get great support. Once you make the transition, you might forget Windows even existed. There will be no end-of-life insanity every so often. You can even upgrade to the next version quite painlessly. If money is no object, you can even buy a new machine, with Linux already installed and ready to go. If it doesn't work out, you're no worse off than before. And there are other options as well, like a Chromebook. but if you want to stay with your current hardware, Linux makes the most sense.

Check out this article: The best Linux distros for beginners in 2025 make switching from MacOS or Windows so easy | ZDNET

 

[Mike Lynch]

@michael diemer

Michael,

I appreciate your suggestion.
I'm very tempted but have some questions.
I need to be able to complete my photo project.
It's nothing more than accumulating thousands of photos and using PICASA's facial recognition to categorize them.
PICASA is of course, no longer supported by GOOGLE however, it works great!
They, the photos, are scattered over about 100 plus media devices.
Hard drives, IDE and SATA, Solid state drives, Thumb Drives, DVD and CD's and several Android phones.
I have been trying to use WebMinds: Duplicate Photo Cleaner to eliminate duplicates with very little success.
The reason for very little success: Ron Smith.
He appears to be the one and only Tech that WebMinds has that supports Duplicate Photo Cleaner, and he doesn't!
My guess is he wrote Duplicate Photo Cleaner and what you see is what you get, NO SUPPORT.

So, I'm not only between the rock and a hard place with Operating Systems, I'm in a no win with a Software Application.

Last but not least, I'm 81 years old and doing the project as a going away present to my family.

Why are there so many Version of Linux?
Besides numerous Versions, so many "flavors"?
To be successful with my project, which Version / Flavor would you recommend using in my current situation?
Will PICASA run under any of them?
Will Duplicate Photo Cleaner run under any of them?
My wife of 61 years and I use EDGE, Excel and Word, any hope here?

If your so inclined, help me with answers to the questions above.

I have an unused PC that I could dedicate to the migration so I would not "loose" much, other than time, "trying" Linux.

Best regards,

Mike Lynch

 

[michael diemer]

Hi Mike, first, it is a pain that there are so many kinds of Linux. It's because the OS is free, and anyone can create their own "distro." And hundreds of people have. It's best to stick with the most established ones, with large user bases, so you can have a lot of support.

Two, many Windows apps will work on Linux using the Wine emulation program. So if a good Linux alternative does not exist, you can try that. The only way to know would be to try it, however.

Three, for Picasa, there is a "snap" version of it that was made for Linux. I believe Google initially did it, but they no longer support it. However, there is a community-maintained version, for which I have provided a link. So that looks like a go.

For the other, I included a link for some alternative Linux apps that do the same thing. They might even work better. But if you absolutely need the Windows app, it would have to be with Wine. My own experience with Wine is that it's better to use Linux apps if you can. Wine exists almost entirely for the benefit of gamers. Other kinds of software get short shrift.

Finally, regarding Office, that actually works pretty well under Wine, although a pain to install. Once again, it's better to use a Linux alternative. The best free one I know of is Free Office. I included a link for that also.

Moving to Linux is a big step, but it can solve so many problems. Not everyone can make the transition. But there is a lot of help available to hopefully get you there. Personally, I like both Windows and Linux, and use both. I am not anti-Windows. But there are situations where moving to Linux makes sense, if you can do it. And you can of course use both, like me!

Addendum: There is a version of Edge for Linux also!


GitHub - wonx/picasasnap: A community-maintained package to easily install Picasa 3.9 on Linux

Find and Remove Duplicate Photos in Linux

FreeOffice: The best free alternative to Microsoft Office

 

[Mike Lynch]

[FONT=&quot]@[/FONT]michael diemer

Michael
I'm ready to start.
Do I download a Linux Distro and save it on my existing W10 PC?
Once saved and copied to a Thumb Drive, do I somehow cause the Distro to execute on my other PC?
The two Distros you mention, which one would you recommend I use based upon my current need?
Best regards,
Mike

 

[townsbg]

I don't like linux. I have trouble every time I use it. I had a really hard time with linux mint and couldn't figure out how to upgrade it to a higher version. I always have to look up what commands to run in command line. Linux isn't for you if you don't like command line. Windows you rarely need the command line but with linux you can't get away from it. I find installing apps to be especially painful. Also there always seems to be a thousand ways to do anything. That can be advantageous but also frustrating. However this is a thread about the advantages of windows 10.

 

[michael diemer]

I don't like linux. I have trouble every time I use it. I had a really hard time with linux mint and couldn't figure out how to upgrade it to a higher version. I always have to look up what commands to run in command line. Linux isn't for you if you don't like command line. Windows you rarely need the command line but with linux you can't get away from it. I find installing apps to be especially painful. Also there always seems to be a thousand ways to do anything. That can be advantageous but also frustrating. However this is a thread about the advantages of windows 10.

Good point, this is not really a thread about Linux. Sorry for the diversion. I'm just not sure how to respond now to Mike Lynch. Perhaps another thread in the chillout forum? If Mike were to copy his replies to a new thread, I could copy my replies to him, and things could proceed from there? I want to reply to him, but now I'm hesitant to do so. Perhaps a moderator could help out?

 

[Mike Lynch]

@michael diemer

@townsbg

Thank you, gentlemen!
You are both correct.
I will close this Post as Solved while considering how / where to continue its content.
Very best regards,
Mike Lynch

PS I tried to mark this Post / Threads as SOLVED but the option was not available.
Later I realized that since I'm not the Originator of it, I cannot claim it's SOLVED.
So, the portion of this Post discussing Linux is:

SOLVED / CLOSED

 

[townsbg]

You never answered if you have specific issues with 10. Any particular reason to move back to 7 other than missing it.

 

[Mike Lynch]

@townsbg

A litany of issues that finally boiled me over.
I did not want to go to 10, 7 support was gone, then 10's.
I do not want to be part of Microsoft's "churning the base" for extra revenue.
Going to 11 would only add to the nightmare.
I'm 81 and easily can do without another Operating System.
I knew and was comfortable with 7.
If 10 and 11 are so good, why did Microsoft give them away so they could move off of 7?
Why, money!
If I can make it back to 7, wonderful.
If not, Linux.
Thanks for asking.
Mike

 

[townsbg]

So you didn't clarify on your questions on concerns? Are they with 7 or 10? You can sign up for ESU for free.

 

[michael diemer]

To make ammends for my thread hijacking: as far as choosing between Windows 7 and 10, for me it's no contest. W7 wins hands-down. It is still quite powerful and efficient. I use it exclusively to compose my music on (although I gave Linux a good long try). I don't worry about security, with Avast Premium (although MSE is also very good, coupled with safe surfing habits). In fact, W7 is easily my favorite system of all time. If your software works on it, and you are happy with it, it's a good choice. And you have this place to help out when needed. That would be my number one recommendation. I just thought that, since Mike was bouncing back and forth, maybe it was a good idea to try something new. But I think going back to W7 is your best bet.

 

[flavallee]

I agree.
Windows 7 is much quicker and much easier to install and configure and navigate through than Windows 10 and 11 are.

Unfortunately, time and advancing technology will force us to switch from Windows 7 to Windows 10 and 11.

Financial and government sites will drop support for Windows 7, so that will force us to make the switch.

 

[YmodemYNot]

@townsbg

A litany of issues that finally boiled me over.
I did not want to go to 10, 7 support was gone, then 10's.
I do not want to be part of Microsoft's "churning the base" for extra revenue.
Going to 11 would only add to the nightmare.
I'm 81 and easily can do without another Operating System.
I knew and was comfortable with 7.
If 10 and 11 are so good, why did Microsoft give them away so they could move off of 7?
Why, money!
If I can make it back to 7, wonderful.
If not, Linux.
Thanks for asking.
Mike

There is one feature in Windows 10 anyone with aging eyes will appreciate: Pinch-to-zoom if you have a multi-touch trackpad. It works just like your smartphone's pinch-to-zoom. This is the killer feature that makes Windows 10 my main OS. Don't have a multi-touch trackpad? There is a Chrome extension that allows you to use your mouse's scroll wheel to access this feature.

EDIT - The extension also works in Windows 7 with Supermium so you don't need to upgrade to Windows 10 for pinch-to-zoom. Too bad there's no Firefox extension that does the same.

 

[michael diemer]

I agree.
Windows 7 is much quicker and much easier to install and configure and navigate through than Windows 10 and 11 are.

Unfortunately, time and advancing technology will force us to switch from Windows 7 to Windows 10 and 11.

Financial and government sites will drop support for Windows 7, so that will force us to make the switch.

Against that eventuality, I have Windows 10 on my original hard drive in my music computer. If I ever need to move from W7, I'm ready. It's updated to EOL and slimmed-down. but as long as W7 is enough for my needs, that's where I'll stay.

A curious thing about composing music on computers (and mixing it etc.): the more choices you have in terms of software, like sample libraries, EQ and Reverb plugins etc., the more decisions you have to make about how best to do things. And that takes time, money and effort. It becomes a black hole from which you may never escape. In the end, I have found that what is available for W7 is plenty for my needs. The biggest factor is how well you use what you have.

I have what I need. I don't need a new operating system. If I need more software, I'll find stuff that works on W7, or make do with what I have. The "you must upgrade" mandate has no power over me. But don't worry, Microsoft. The vast majority of people will continue to jump when you say jump. Although there do seem to be more folks switching to Linux than ever.

 

[Mike Lynch]

Interesting!

This Post appears under my Posts and my sign in but it's not me?

"Grumpy Old Man"

Why, I do not know.