Question about windows 7 extended support and updates

[egozi44]

So I have question that bothered me for few years so I thought I should finally ask it and hopefully will get answer for it.

I know that win7 support was over and that it now on it last years of extended support, However since I only used windows 98, xp, and 7, in my life I never really bothered to check how the old OS's (in this case win xp) update functions is working once the support is over, Ever since win 7 (and maybe vista?) MS made windows update app do more than just finding OS's updates for us and also looked for hardware drivers and such, which made my life really easier when it come to find drivers.

So my question is, after MS's support is over, will we still be able to download the old updates they made for their OS? and will be still be able to use Windows update in order to update/find drivers for our devices and hardware?
(Yea I aware that we can find most updates one by one if will look but it hard and I don't sure that MS will keep them on their site once the support is over...)

Or once they close their door windows update will cease to function?


I really prefer win7 over win8 and 10 which seem to me like some random unfinished work with many disadvantages (at least for me), and for once willing to stick with old OS till true successor will come

 

[Ranger4]

I would think that when security updates for Windows 7 ends in 2020, you will not be able obtain any updates after that.

 

[OvenMaster]

This is the exact reason why I have saved the executable file for every single Windows Update I have ever installed for Windows 7. 616 updates adding up to 3.2 GB. I have also saved all my hardware drivers.

I may never need them, and it would be a PITA to install them one by one... but at least I have them!

 

[egozi44]

Your replies rise more questions I want to ask:

1.Is anyone tested it on Vista and win8 to see if their windows update stop detect device updates and old updates? Maybe they still works but don't get new updates?


2. Is anyone here know if the device manager will stop download device updates once support is over? It use Windows update mostly but without it Any new device I will connect won't work unless I somehow will find it driver...

3.Is backuping the system using win7 backup app will save All of my current updates and drivers as if I never touch them? If so I may buy new external HDD and will backup it all... only issue is that I have 3 HDDs and each one of them is 1tb, will the backup app will be able to back them all up and recover all the files to their respective drive (C, D, E,) in case I will need to format them all? The other two drives dont have the OS files after all and since I never used that feature before I honestly have no clue what the result will look like.

4.OvenMaster, would you be kind enough to tell me where win7 save all of it drivers and updates? I may deleted most of them though but who knows, also could you upload your drivers and updates? I bet will all may need win7 virtual updates library once support will shut it doors on us :/

 

[MeOnMine]

Hi, do as I have done and use Windows Update Downloader.
You down load all the current updates and slip stream them into your Win7 iso.
Then when you install Windows all the updates are already in the fresh install.
Yes, you can choose what updates you want to slip stream I.E. leave any problem ones out.
You can down load and slip in new ones as they appear and just make sure you get the last of them in 2020.
I should add that you will need NTlite to slip stream with.

Wayne

 

[OvenMaster]

MeOnMine's solution is most likely better than my own, as what I've done is by habit over the past 18 years and 3 Windows OSes (95c, XP Home, 7 Pro 32-bit)

I have no real idea where Win7 saves drivers and updates. Uploading all of mine somewhere would take days as I have a slow 768kbps DSL upload speed, and my updates are all 32 bit. In addition, I didn't save every single update that Microsoft offered...only those which I actually installed on my own machine.

 

[MeOnMine]

Hello OvenMaster, in your situation it would be best for you to take Images of your updated and running fine computer system.
I Image about twice a month or if I would like to try something out that maybe a little dangerous.
Example would be Malwarebytes 3.0, lucky I Imaged first as my system just went to crap.

 

[egozi44]

I was aware we can add updates to the installation/disk (as I don't have iso version of 7 nor have any idea how I can use one while formatting the drive that run it..)

But never really done it or checked how, I also need mostly MS's drivers and apps such as IE 10 and Windows live 2012 rather than their updates which by now become "corrupted" with win 8/10 features such as spying on us.

Can we use that app you gave us to download Everything MS made so far?

Also would it still be recommand to backup my entire OS on external drive in order to have all drivers, apps, and updates I currently have installed?

If yes could you please answer my questions in regard for it? Thanks

 

[MeOnMine]

Hi, you can download a windows ISO from here.
Be sure you select the right one.
Once you burn the ISO to a disk you will install Windows from dos. You can not install windows from Windows.
Even a repair is done from dos.
No don,t use MS drivers, you would go to the manufacture of your M/B and download the latest drivers.
The same for your graphics. IE11 is the latest browser and can be downloaded from MS.
The updates to avoid so you don't get Telemetry etc are these.
KB2952664 - Compatibility update for Windows 7 (SP1)
KB2977759 - Compatibility update for Windows 7 (RTM Only)
KB3021917 - Update to Windows 7 SP1 for performance improvements
KB3035583 - "Get Windows 10" App (System Tray Nagware/Telemetry)
KB3075249 - Update that adds telemetry points to UAC in Windows 7
KB3080149 - Update for customer experience and diagnostic telemetry
KB3022345 - Update for customer experience and diagnostic telemetry
KB3068707 - Update for customer experience and diagnostic telemetry
KB3068708 - Update for customer experience diagnostic telemetry (replaces KB3022345)
KB3123862 - Updated capabilities to upgrade Windows 8.1 and Windows 7
KB2990214 - Update that enables you to upgrade from Win7 to Win10
KB2999226 - Update for Universal C Runtime in Windows
KB3150513 - May 2016 Compatibility Update for Windows
KB3173040 - Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 SP1 end of free upgrade offer notification

Yes the Windows Update downloader will download all current updates.

If you have done a fresh install of Windows all your drivers and software will need to be installed again.
So yes backup what you want to keep most certainly as the install process will format the drive before install.
If you do go ahead be sure to unplug all drives except the drive you will be installing too.
This will ensure that the MBR will be loaded to that drive.

 

[egozi44]

I was aware we install Windows from dos but thougt you meant that iso may have other method, if it still burning matter that not the issue, what I meant was How you can add 3-+ gb of updates to one 4 gb dvd disk that Already have win7 sp1 on it? The space will be too much for 4 gb version of DVD and while I do have Blu-ray drive my laptop doesn't have one.

Also it seem that MS mixed many updates into few packages to make us install most of their updates together, my issue with their updates was not just spying but some other features they add that lag,slow the os and even dont let us install old games because of security risks.

I also need IE 10 since 11 is buggy as hell in 7 because it was mostly build for 8 (tested too many times to be sure) it also make the os to freeze randomly for few secs on random situations while IE 10 don't.

For the drivers part I meant that there are some devices that don't really have or need their manufacturer main driver, like random mices, cameras, controllers, Windows update and device Manger usually take care of it for me and download their drivers, once support is out it will stop do it correct? that why it better back them up :0

And my last question (still the one before unfortunately xD) is about backing up stuff, since I never done it before I keep asking if backup will back up Everything for me and will let me load the exact data I had before? Included the data on other internal drives ?

 

[MeOnMine]

An ISO file is a compressed file of the OS that you use to burn the OS to disk.
My Win7 Ultimate x64 with all the updates that I selected is 4.55 gig.
It is easy and faster to use a USB drive of 8 or 16 gig than to use disk.
Since October MS have offered the "Security Monthly Quality Rollup"
I don't install them I hide them.
I do install the "Security Only Monthly Rollup" You have to download these manually (look in the news sector here and Brink will direct you to them).
I.E. 11 works fine and is more secure as it is supported, I guess you have other issues.
Yes, if you take an image or clone your disks or partition you will save everything including drivers with the OS and all data.
An image is a compressed copy of what you have backed up and a clone is an uncompressed copy.
Macrium Reflect free is what is recommended here the most. You need study this as it is invaluable to us PC heads.
Just remember that the copy of your data you make today will be AS today and if you re-install it 6 months from now then anything you have installed since will be gone so you need to take backups regular.

 

[egozi44]

I download most updates but Windows Update Downloader didn't was able to download 4 updates (one of them was windows live 2012 which I was able to get manually thanks to some archive site, also was able to get IE10 offline thanks to it but only in English :/)

The updates were:

KB890830 seem to be MWSRT of match 2015...

KB2798897

KB2970228

are any of these are import?