I Want to Keep Windows 7 Forever

[freeagent]

I've managed to get the MacOS running in a VM in Windows but really am not too savvy about those. I guess the theory of running W7 in a VM is that if it gets corrupted iin some way, you just restart the VM?

On Windows 7, I have XP running in a virtual box. I need it for one application that won't run any other way.

Recently, I did an upgrade of Win 7 to Win10. I was kind of surprised to find that the upgrade to Win 10 did not affect the virtual box installation at all. I was fully expecting to have to re-install and see if it would run in Win10. However, Oracle VM starts up fine and the the application works just as before under XP.

I am not too savvy about VM's either, so was pleased that this just worked!

 

[poorguy]

How to Make the Switch From Windows to Linux | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

How to Make the Switch From Windows to Linux | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

Nice article but thre are better ways to get to Linux Mint. First, I recommend watching this video by Joe Collins an installing Linux Mint. Joe has many other videos on Linux and has an excellent forum where you can go for advice. There are many other excellent videos but this one I found to be best for a rank newbie. It's what got me started. I've also received excellent advice from members of the forum.

Just remember that Linux is not Win 7. You will pretty much need to unlearn everything you know about Windows. Many people, including Joe, say former Windows users, especially "power users", will have a tougher time learning how to use Linux. It won't happen overnight but, the sooner yoiu start, the sooner you will learn.

Not every program you now use in Win 76 will have a Linux version or even a direct linux equivalent. You will often have to adopt a different workflow to accomplish something you did in Win 7 in Linux. For example, to make and view multipage .tif files in Win 7, I used Irfanview. Irfanview does not have a Linux version nor could I find a graphics program at first in Linux that could make multipage .tif files (there may be some but I didn't spend a whole lot of time looking and trying). However, I discovered my PDF making, editing, viewing program (Qoppa PDF Studio) had that capability.

You may find that something you did in Windows using one program may require multiple programs or vice versa. I've even been able to eliminate eliminate some programs I used in Win 7 because I don't need them in Linux Mint ot their functions are already baked into Mint or other programs in Mint. An example is I used to use a virtual printer, PDF Creator, in Win 7 to "print" files on the "interwebz" directly to PDF instead of to paper. In Linux Mint, the option to "print" to a PDF is baked into my browser (Brave). The security programs I needed in Windows are not needed in Mint.

Not all hardware and peripherals will work on Linux. Printers are notorious for that. It just may be possible you will have to replace some things. An example of that is I have a Brother label maker that will not work in Linux due to a lack of drivers. I've seen some ways that supposedly will work but I haven't been able to figure how to do it so I'll probably have to replace it with a standalone version. That's more of an annoyance than a real problem although not having to deal with cables every time I take it out to set it up and use it will be a plus. I could just keep the Win 7 machine for things like that but I want to completely divorce myself from Windows as soon as practical (I'm not far from being there).

I'm at the point now, the only time I even fire up a Win 7 machine is because I haven't moved all my data to my Liniux machine (yet, it will take time because I have a lot of windows related docs that will need weeding out) or there is a hardware compatibility issue.

It takes a serious attitude adjustment to go from Windows to Linux (Mint is probably the easiest route to go at first) but I feel it is the best way to escape MS' closing in garden walls, snooping constant changes, etc. It's not for everyone--nothing is--but, unless you are locked into an OS due emplyer requirement, Linux can be a viable alternative as long as you keep an open mind going in. I went nuts at first but, now, I'm liking Mint more than I did Win 7, despite not being fully up to speed in Mint yet.

 

[poorguy]

Nice article but thre are better ways to get to Linux Mint.

Best place to get Linux Mint.


Download - Linux Mint


Linux Mint Installation Guide — Linux Mint Installation Guide documentation




I jumped right into Linux Debian Wheezy 7.xx from Windows XP and I was a confused SOB however after a week or so Debian was as easy to use as Windows XP.



With a little Google searching about Debian I found all of the software I needed in the Debian Repository.


Learning and Using Linux isn't that hard as Linux has a great user interface just as Windows OSs do.


Once you're familiar with Linux than if you desire you can learn the command line although not necessary at all for the new Linux user.


Have a great day and enjoy whatever OS you use.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

...Linux Mint Installation Guide — Linux Mint Installation Guide documentation...

While this is a good guide, I liked the video of Joe Collins I linked earlier. Using both his video and this guide together might not be a bad idea.

i found Etcher (full name: balenEtcher) to be the easiest and most reliable program to use for making a bootable USB installation stick (btw, it runs on windows and Linux). Btw, save that stick; it comes in handy for performing some operations on the permanent installation and there will be times you will hopelessly bork up your installation before you learn what you're doing and will need to reinstall (don't worry; Mint installation and installation is far easier and faster than in Windows).

 

[poorguy]

Whatever method is used I'd suggest a little bit of pre Linux how to research so as to properly install and update and then set up the new Linux Distro so that the first Linux experience is a good Linux experience.


The important thing about Linux is to have fun with Linux.


Life is good.

 

[poorguy]

I recommend watching this video by Joe Collins an installing Linux Mint.

This is an excellent video for the Linux newbie.



He seems to cover things very well so there shouldn't be any reason to not be able to get Linux Mint or any other Linux distro installed and working.




A good evening to all.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Whatever method is used I'd suggest a little bit of pre Linux how to research so as to properly install and update and then set up the new Linux Distro so that the first Linux experience is a good Linux experience.


The important thing about Linux is to have fun with Linux.


Life is good.

I totally agree. Just don't over research in it. Many things will be difficult to impossible to grasp until you roll up your sleeves and dig in.

One of the best pieces of advice Collins gives is to get an older computer to start out with so you still have the machine you are used to to bail you out. I did something similar except I used a Win 7 notebook I bought a few years ago for a spare while I could still buy one and had set unused until early December. I yanked out the original 500GB HDD, replaced it with a 2TB SSD, installed Linux Mint 19.2. Then, as I became more familiar with Linux, since it was a UEFI machine, yanked out the 2TB SSD and replaced it with a 4TB SSD. I had to use this video to make the install. Normally, I hate videos without anyone speaking in them but this one is well annotated and moves slowly enough toi easily follow.

 

[poorguy]

Yep it's is best to use a different computer and that's what I did since I had a few extra desktops on the shelf.


I've been using Linux since early 2014 and really like Linux over Windows as it installs and works on most every computer I've installed it on and it works great for what I use a computer for which ain't much.


Some Laptops can be problematic with the wireless adapter and in that case I just by one I know works with Linux.


Linux Distros I use are Antix-19 which is Debian 10 based and Peppermint 9 which is Ubuntu 18.04 based as both of these Distros work excellent on my 10 year old and 12 year old desktops.



OK Lady Fitzgerald I'm off topic so I'm signing off.


Have a good evening.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

...Some Laptops can be problematic with the wireless adapter and in that case I just by one I know works with Linux...

If that happens, use a USB wireless adapter. I got lucky and the built in one worked just fine.

 

[ZakGordon7]

I can happily endorse Linux Mint, having been a user of it since Windows 8 era.

As for the op's sentiments, i would just say you can carry on with Windows 7 and why would you not? (as it is probably the last great OS that Microsoft made).

Here is what i'm doing, I wil keep Windows 7 around on my gaming PC's (and there are a couple of software i don't want to pay to upgrade for the WIndows 10 versions etc). To do this i used the awesome script by Wkeller on these very forums, the link is here to the Integrate7 tool:

Integrate7 script – automatically download and slipstream all updates!

With that i have a DVD+R DL (double layer = 8GB) iso of my Windows 7 pro retail OS. That is going into a new Ryzen build i just got the GPU for over xmas.

The first SSD will have that updated (and de-spywared) Windows 7 pro OS as the main boot OS. Then i'll install Linux Mint on the second SSD and create a dual-boot system for both. When i need to go online with that PC it will be under Linux Mint, and when i want to access my few Windows 7 only software or do some gaming that will be under WIndows 7 offline.

I also have this laptop (i'm typing this message from it) that i've been running under Linux Mint for 5 years now as an internet access point also. That system will be perfect for me for the years to come, as a gamer i am perfectly happy with sticking with Windows 7, in part because i have found over the last decade or so i buy less and less AAA titles.

I think it is the same kind of shift that keeps me uninterested (or impressed) with most modern movies vs older ones (Star Wars is a prime example, but it covers pretty much all films in truth). Most modern games (as i find for film) are just rubbish compared to the older games from five years to a decade ago or so, except in graphics. Not all, but most.

With the way the modern games industry is being run i doubt that will change any time soon (and the same for the film industry). So if you like quality over quantity it should be perfectly fine to carry on being a WIndows 7 user, you can just use the excellent Linux Mint as your 'connect to the internet' OS.

Windows 10 (and MS as a whole now) i just can't trust at all, i mean have you seen the EULA you agree to just be using it? Windows 10 is simply a spyware tool now, and you can only temporarily change that, as MS can reset it anytime it wants (and does after most forced updates).

 

[poorguy]

I'm believer in a dual-boot system using separate hard drive for each OS and at power up I choose what OS to boot into Linux or Windows.

Why not have the best of both OS worlds.

 

[jason2704]

Privacy

There are things we can do to keep some of our privacy. Google isn't inevitable.
I use no Google products and no social media.
I have Malwarebytes Browser Guard eliminating trackers and
Ublock Origin blocking ads. Haven't seen an ad in many years.
Don't have a smart-phone.
I don't give out my address and phone # to stores to get those little plastic "loyalty" cards.

You do what what you can.

People who go on social media and then complain about their privacy... Grrrr

ETA-I just looked back and Lady Fitzgerald posted almost the same thing.
Actually this thread is similar to "https://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/419270-what-should-we-do-after-january-2020-a-25.html"

And do not do online Banking

 

[jason2704]

Agree

Thursday night I had the monthly meeting of my PC Users Group. Our current president is in IT. He doesn't see anything wrong with 10. I mentioned that I'm staying with Win7, and was sorry after. It's like publicly admitting that you never wash your socks. Now I'm on his s--- list, and most of the club thinks I'm nutso, with the exception of advanced users who really know what's going on.

OTOH, we've always had a monthly workshop in the current OS, under previous presidents, and I've been a member for 23 years. 10 "has issues" so I suggested there should be a workshop in Win10, he said there's no room on our schedule.

Agree there is alot wrong with Win 10. Each update it keeps adjusting my other devices themes. I turn the sync off and microsoft turn them on after each update

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I'm believer in a dual-boot system using separate hard drive for each OS and at power up I choose what OS to boot into Linux or Windows.

Why not have the best of both OS worlds.

One good reason is that dual booting between windows and Linux is fraught with complications and unreliability. Someone very familiar with both platforms can (and often do) do so successfully but most people will eventually have problems dual booting, especially at the beginning. Who needs that added complication when first learning how to use Linux?

One Linux expert I've mentioned before, Joe Collins, advises strongly against dual booting Windows and Linux.

 

[RolandJS]

LadyF, is one of the complication the sharing of and the attempted sharing of the data folders and files?

 

[jason2704]

I'm believer in a dual-boot system using separate hard drive for each OS and at power up I choose what OS to boot into Linux or Windows.

Why not have the best of both OS worlds.

Oh yes or Zorin. Windows like lol. Looks good. I will still use win 7 and 10 and Zorin, as well as mac

 

[jason2704]

One good reason is that dual booting between windows and Linux is fraught with complications and unreliability. Someone very familiar with both platforms can (and often do) do so successfully but most people will eventually have problems dual booting, especially at the beginning. Who needs that added complication when first learning how to use Linux?

One Linux expert I've mentioned before, Joe Collins, advises strongly against dual booting Windows and Linux.

Yes that's true because windows I noticed updates the efi and it becomes non bootable unless ran of another drive. Tried it myself. What does work I found is installing linux on a memory card. Like a USB the duel boot that way then no problems occur. But then have to go into the boot menu to select it, which does add complications for anyone learning unfortunately

 

[William2020]

U guys switching over to Linux... BEWARE:

Years ago, I stopped using Ubuntu coz I noticed right around midnight everyday, Ubuntu would upload 100's MBs worth of data to some unknown address. I wouldn't have noticed had I not been checking network activity around that time. This incident freak me out, so I stopped trusting Ubuntu, Mint etc. Who's to say NSA didn't pay those guys to install "backdoors" in their distro. Sure the projects r open source, but can u really trust the files u get that have been pre-compiled???

Now, don't lose hope, anyone thinking of Linux I can recommend this Deepin Linux (v20 next major release out on around Jan 20,2020):



Deepin v20 Taskbar Preview (In case the above vid doesn't work in your browser)

The reason I trust Deepin over Ubutu/Mint/etc. are four-fold:

1. Deepin already sold with Huawei laptops. Imagine the repercusions to Huawei if Deepin was found to contain backdoors.

2. Chinese gov PCs gonna be Microsoft (and Apple) free starting 2020. They've only got 2 choices: Kylin OS or Deepin. Imagine the fit the CCP gonna have if they discovered some company in China was installing backdoors stealing data from the government...

3. It looks like a Win7 clone, new users should adapt to the interface pretty fast.

4. Available in English and other languages.

 

[jason2704]

I can happily endorse Linux Mint, having been a user of it since Windows 8 era.

As for the op's sentiments, i would just say you can carry on with Windows 7 and why would you not? (as it is probably the last great OS that Microsoft made).

Here is what i'm doing, I wil keep Windows 7 around on my gaming PC's (and there are a couple of software i don't want to pay to upgrade for the WIndows 10 versions etc). To do this i used the awesome script by Wkeller on these very forums, the link is here to the Integrate7 tool:

Integrate7 script – automatically download and slipstream all updates!

With that i have a DVD+R DL (double layer = 8GB) iso of my Windows 7 pro retail OS. That is going into a new Ryzen build i just got the GPU for over xmas.

The first SSD will have that updated (and de-spywared) Windows 7 pro OS as the main boot OS. Then i'll install Linux Mint on the second SSD and create a dual-boot system for both. When i need to go online with that PC it will be under Linux Mint, and when i want to access my few Windows 7 only software or do some gaming that will be under WIndows 7 offline.

I also have this laptop (i'm typing this message from it) that i've been running under Linux Mint for 5 years now as an internet access point also. That system will be perfect for me for the years to come, as a gamer i am perfectly happy with sticking with Windows 7, in part because i have found over the last decade or so i buy less and less AAA titles.

I think it is the same kind of shift that keeps me uninterested (or impressed) with most modern movies vs older ones (Star Wars is a prime example, but it covers pretty much all films in truth). Most modern games (as i find for film) are just rubbish compared to the older games from five years to a decade ago or so, except in graphics. Not all, but most.

With the way the modern games industry is being run i doubt that will change any time soon (and the same for the film industry). So if you like quality over quantity it should be perfectly fine to carry on being a WIndows 7 user, you can just use the excellent Linux Mint as your 'connect to the internet' OS.

Windows 10 (and MS as a whole now) i just can't trust at all, i mean have you seen the EULA you agree to just be using it? Windows 10 is simply a spyware tool now, and you can only temporarily change that, as MS can reset it anytime it wants (and does after most forced updates).

Agreed I saw a video on what you are doing 3 days ago and that's my sentimance exactly. I have to use windows toolkit to build mine as my PC doesn't like the script of the USB drivers. so making it now