• Patch Lady – free isn’t free

    Posted on August 27, 2019 at 21:54 CDT by • Comment in the Forums

    I’ve seen several people point to several posts about “free” Windows 7 extended updates.  But I don’t see these “free” as truly free.

    Enterprise Agreement and Enterprise Agreement Subscription (EA and EAS) customers with active subscription licenses to Windows 10 Enterprise E5, Microsoft 365 E5, or Microsoft 365 E5 Security will get Windows 7 Extended Security Updates for Year 1 as a benefit,” Microsoft said in a FAQ about the end of support for Windows 7 and Office 2010.

    Windows 10 Enterprise E5 and Microsoft 365 E5 are the top-tier subscriptions of the OS or packages that include the operating system. They are the highest-priced plans in their specific lines.

    EA agreements are only sold to larger customers.  I may have a Microsoft 365 E5 agreement myself personally but I do NOT have an EA agreement.  You have to have 500 seats of a license (or more) in order to get a EA agreement.

    Next even if you would get access to Windows 7 extended support patches, keep in mind that you will be installing a servicing stack update that enables the ability to enter a MAK key that will specifically license you for Windows 7 patches.  These will then come down for you via Microsoft update (as I understand the process).  If you are a “I don’t want no telemetry on my PC”, you probably won’t want a servicing stack update installed along with a product key that will brand you as being an Extended security patch customer.

    Bottom line, if you want to surf on the web on a Windows 7 machine after January of 2020.  Don’t.  Please.  Keep on using it for specific needs that no longer need the Internet, but don’t do online banking or other financial transactions.  Look into setting up a Linux based boot disk for such needs.   Windows 10 truly does have secret sauce to make it harder to attack (Example:  memory is designed to make it harder for attackers to target).

    Patching can be tamed.  The telemetry that Microsoft gets (IMHO) helps them protect us better from security threats.  I don’t see it as spying.  I know, I know, you will disagree with me.  That’s okay.  I just want folks to make sure that you don’t read the headlines about “Free Windows 7 patches” and not realize this wasn’t meant for small firms and individuals.  Don’t get caught up by thinking there’s a way to get free Windows 7 updates.

    Bottom line… move along.  These aren’t the droids you are looking for….

    Windows 7
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