You know that Windows 7 End-of-Life nag screen?

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The scare isn’t working. Details coming in Computerworld. Seven Semper Fi.
[See the full post at: You know that Windows 7 End-of-Life nag screen?]

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Northwest Rick, abbodi86, Elly, FakeNinja

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Pretty much like how we could keep patching Windows Vista until Jan 2020 by borrowing cumulative updates for Windows Server 2008, Windows Embedded POSReady 7 will be good until October 2021 while visiting https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com showed us that both regular versions and embedded versions of Windows 7 are indeed sharing the same patches.

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rontpxz81, Kranium, Seff, FakeNinja, woody

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When the time approaches, write up the details and I’ll publish them!

I always felt squeamish about using the XP and Vista POS updates….

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rontpxz81, Kranium, OscarCP, FakeNinja

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Just this month (Apr 9, 2019), I finished off my monthly MS Updates for XP Pro using the POSReady2009 registry hack.  All went fine.  No errors – no infections during the time.  Using the registry hack – I didn’t even have to think about it or work at it – the updates came through automatically.  XP’s so old now that there’s probably nobody writing viruses for it any longer.

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Kranium, FakeNinja, woody

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I also did the XP POS fudging thing — using the registry tweak method — from 2014 to 2017.  Windows Update delivered the appropriate patches for my “XP POS” machine.  I didn’t feel squeamish about it.  Of course, I recognized that I wasn’t having everything in XP patched, but many things were, including IE.  My thought was, “better to have some patching than no patching,” since I knew that I wasn’t going to update the OS on that decade-old PC and I didn’t have a replacement PC ready yet (until 2017).

 

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Kranium, woody

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Will the embedded patches even install on a regular Windows 7 machine?  Or is it necessary to first trick the system with a registry entry?

 

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Although it may be out there, I have seen nothing (yet) on a POS-Ready cheat hack  Registry setting for Win7. I have a sneaking suspicion MS may (try to) not let that happen again. I think they are serious about getting people off Win7.
(Which may be harder than they think.)

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Myst

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PKCano wrote:

Although it may be out there, I have seen nothing (yet) on a POS-Ready cheat hack  Registry setting for Win7. I have a sneaking suspicion MS may (try to) not let that happen again. I think they are serious about getting people off Win7.
(Which may be harder than they think.)

I’d be content to download the Win 7 embedded security patches manually from the Microsoft Update Catalog, as opposed to using Windows Update.  But that won’t do me any good if they won’t install on my Win 7 Pro system.

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I’d be doubly sure to have all kinds of backups if you try that!

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PKCano wrote:

I’d be doubly sure to have all kinds of backups if you try that!

Some months ago, I started making full disk images of my system on to an external hard drive prior to installing Windows 7 updates.  Obviously I would continue to do that.

 

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erm..I don’t think that will be an option for Win7.
My guess is, there’s probably a dormant code block to counter this from ever happening again.
(hope i’m wrong tho) 🙂

If debian is good enough for NASA...

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I’ll be one eagerly awaiting how to “change” our Win 7 computers to POS Win 7 systems.

I have no intention of ever using Win 10. I’ve been looking at Chromebooks for my husband. For me, I can surf on my android tablet.

 

Got coffee?

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Northwest Rick, rontpxz81, Kranium, satrow, BobbyB, Myst, woody

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Windows XP Pro still gets updates for businesses that pay to get updates. Many programs do not work with new OS and businesses are still pay to get updates. MS release Windows XP update for April 2019 a few weeks ago to fix some slow downs due to spectre and meltdown fixes for XP that were release in 2018.  I know of at least 5 businesses that still get updates from MS. Many others have plans for pay for updates Windows 7 for at least 5 years after support ends since programs do not work with Windows 10 or too much spyware is in Windows 10 to use it in businesses setting.

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Kranium

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There are many businesses that still pay for Windows Xp. It was and forever be the best OS that MS created. Everything else is just c*** filled with spyware since MS hired hackers to work for them.

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That screen popup should have information for any Enterprise/Volume licensees of Windows 7 that states that they have the option of purchasing from Microsoft extended Windows 7 security Updates until 2023.

Also all of the CPU/GPU processor makers need to be providing Driver Support for Windows 8.1 for their respective ->NEW<- CPU/GPU hardware until at least 2023, 7 also because there will be some(Many) that will be purchasing Extended Windows 7 Security Updates until 2023 from Microsoft.

It’s not simply about the cost of a newer OS license(Minimal compared to other expenses) that will require some enterprise/govermental/other Microsoft Windows 7 end users to remain on Windows 7 until 2023 as it’s definitely more about the massive costs to those end users’ for Vetting/certifying their mission critical software to work properly and as error free as possible on any newer OS/OS version. The Cost of Vetting/Certifying the mission critical software for any enterprise/entity(government, school system, etc.) is hundreds of thousands into the millions of dollars for any Newer OS/OS Version.

Misrosoft you are going to be passing up on some millions/billions of dollars in OS revenues by not offering consumers the option to purchase extended Windows 7 security updates until 2023 as many consumers have laptops that run older GPU legacy hardware that will never have that Legacy GPU hardware’s driver/software updated or vetted/certified for Windows 10’s WDDM(Windows Display Driver Model). And Windows 10’s WDDM has undergone more revisions that all the previous Windows OSs’ WDDM versions combined!

Many folks with laptops(That Shipped with Windows 7) that are still working fine will be forced to try a Linux Distro for some sorts of GPU/Driver OS compatibility because Windows 10’s WDDM is not going to play nice with some older discrete mobile GPU hardware on laptops. And the OEM’s that built those laptops will definitely not be doing any vetting/certifying for any laptops that are more than a few yerrs old and out of warranty/support.

Loads of folks have purchased OEM copies of windows 7/8.1 and even 8.1 Pro with windows 7 Pro downgrade rights for their home built PCs. But PC users have the ability to upgrade their Discrete GPU hardware but not Laptop Users where the GPU is BGA and soldered to the laptop’s Motherboard.

I think that for folks that have older laptop hardware with discrete mobile GPU hardware that’s having too many problems with windows 10 that they should also be given the option of purchasing extended windows 7 security updates until 2023.

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anonymous wrote:

That screen popup should have information for any Enterprise/Volume licensees of Windows 7 that states that they have the option of purchasing from Microsoft extended Windows 7 security Updates until 2023.

Enterprises aren’t getting the nag screen:

Note for organizations

This update is not applicable for devices in managed organizations. More specifically, this update will not install on devices running Professional and Enterprise editions of Windows 7 as well as Windows Server products. We recognize that organizations typically have an IT Pro managing system configuration and Windows 10 deployments. It is important for organizations to shift to Windows 10 ahead of January 2020 – organizations can go here to learn more.

Windows 7 SP1 support notification

But that “here” link leads to a final FAQ which says;

Are there alternatives that give me extra time to complete my migration while keeping my users safe?
For users of Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Enterprise, you can purchase Extended Security Updates through January 2023. For an in-depth FAQ about Windows 7 Extended Security Updates, please download the Microsoft End of Support FAQ.

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Misrosoft you are going to be passing up on some millions/billions of dollars in OS revenues by not offering consumers the option to purchase extended Windows 7 security updates until 2023 as many consumers have laptops that run older GPU legacy hardware that will never have that Legacy GPU hardware’s driver/software updated or vetted/certified for Windows 10’s WDDM(Windows Display Driver Model).

MS is not passing it up. Right now MS is offering discounts if businesses pay up front for extend support for Windows 7. Many businesses are paying years in advance to get these discounts. Several are still pay for Windows XP support but MS is not giving discounts for those on XP and keeps raising the support price every year. This is one reason that businesses try to lock into 3-5 years price lock with MS for extend support.

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Many businesses are paying years in advance to get these discounts. Several are still pay for Windows XP support but MS is not giving discounts for those on XP and keeps raising the support price every year.

Usually $1-2 Billion is what several companies pay to MS to get discounts for XP a few years back. For Windows 7, MS has announced that $3-4 Billion will be the min for them to consider discounts. Several companies have already pay twice/triple that to MS to keep MS support. This should real show MS that Windows 10 is not business ready if business are spending so much to keep older OS to be updated.

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For Windows 7, MS has announced that $3-4 Billion will be the min for them to consider discounts. Several companies have already pay twice/triple that to MS to keep MS support.

Could you provide a link to the source for this information?

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b

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For Windows 7, MS has announced that $3-4 Billion will be the min for them to consider discounts.

That’s cheaper than what we were quoted. We were quote 2 times that for 5 year support for Windows 7. May be we have more computers than you. This might the reason why MS does not want to official post the pricing and has large companies/government sign non-disclosure agreements.

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I had to make a Win7 Home Premium VM to see the nag; apparently it does not appear in Pro (or Enterprise, naturally). It was under Recommended Updates.

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FakeNinja, woody

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THAT’s the trick. Got it.

Funny how Win7 Pro is singled out for special treatment – and Win10 Pro gets slammed into the advertising muck along with Home.

Funny that it isn’t in the Catalog, tho.

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zero2dash

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Pro is used in business, and the patch is for consumers. Home and Ultimate get it though. Guess they are trying not to rile their business customers any more than they already are!

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abbodi86, wavy, Charlie, BobbyB, woody, Myst

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woody:

read MS support KB article 4493132 carefully
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4493132/windows-7-update-kb4493132

especially this part in the article (which was added April 4, 2019)-

Note for organizations

This update is not applicable for devices in managed organizations. More specifically, this update will not install on devices running Professional and Enterprise editions of Windows 7 as well as Windows Server products. We recognize that organizations typically have an IT Pro managing system configuration and Windows 10 deployments. It is important for organizations to shift to Windows 10 ahead of January 2020 – organizations can go here to learn more.

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rontpxz81, woody

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Yep. But it blurs the line between Win7 Pro users and Win7 Pro users connected to a company domain.

I got it wrong – just Win7 Home and Ultimate users see the nag.

[Edited – thanks PKCano. It’s been a looooooong morning.]

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Errr… I think he means Win7?

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woody

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I’ve had t hide the EOL patch on some of my Home Premium and Ultimate machines. Latest was doing the April updates on some of my test stuff. They were checked important updates.

This from a Win 7 Ultimate hidden updates list:

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jburk07, woody, Myst

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I tried to keep my Vista system up to date with Server 2008 updates after it was declared EOL. However, after having done that for about a month, Outlook 2007 would not start anymore (Office 2007 was still updated at that time). I spent quite a bit of time to find the cause and could reproduce that it was a Server 2008 update. I then dropped the whole idea of keeping my Vista system alive with those updates because I could not trust the method anymore. Be warned if you plan on keeping Windows 7 alive with Windows Embedded POSReady 7 updates that these things can happen. FWIW: I still use Windows 7 on the most of my systems, and I am not looking forward to upgrading to Windows 10, but I will do it. I will not take the Windows Embedded POSReady 7 route, because of the risk involved. Moreover, it only gives you 22 extra months.

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rontpxz81, OscarCP

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I’m running Windows 10 Pro in a virtual machine on a Windows 7 Pro host.  So far I haven’t seen the nag, but based on the other replies apparently that’s normal for Pro.

My plan is to buy a new host system with a lot more horsies under the hood before Windows 7 EOL.  The new host system will be Windows 10 Pro of course.  I’ll move my virtual machine over to the new host and carry on.

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I haven’t seen the nag update on either of my Windows 7 Home desktops. Ignoring the MSRT update, I’ve so far for April only been offered the monthly quality (sic) rollup plus 4 Office 2010 updates on one machine, and the other I keep set to “never update” until the green flag is waved. Mind you, these days the flag is more of a mottled deep emerald than a clear and bright shade of green!

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Myst

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I have Windows 7 Pro, so I have not seen the nag screen. I already have Linux Mint in double-boot with Windows in my PC. I intend to use Linux to browse the Web and do email, the two main vectors of malware. Anything that I would like to use on the Windows side, I’ll copy over and scan for malware before using it there.

Also, as someone gave it to me as a present in mid-2017, I also have a fully-charged Mac laptop that is already my everyday workhorse. But that is purely incidental: I was already planning to have the old PC in double-boot, to use it in the way I have explained, before I got the Mac.

I am not comfortable with the idea of using a hack that, I believe, can be frustrated by MS, if they care to do it.

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

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My plan currently is just to run my browser in a sandbox, which would be the main vector for any malware. Any program that isn’t from an establish source would also be run sandboxed.

I’d hoped to buy Sandboxie, which I already use anyways, but it seems the paid license is yearly rather than one time as it used to be. Unfortunately, I don’t know who else to trust. I tried Comodo’s free firewall, but it randomly started blocking things that I’d told it not to block.

I’m thinking I may just put up with the 5 second delay of the unregistered version.

Nothing has led me to think that upgrading to Windows 10 would be anything but constant frustration. Though I will look into Linux now that Proton is making things better.

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woody wrote:

Microsoft’s Windows 7 end-of-life screen that is pushing “patch” KB 4493132 and telling users to back up their files and prepare for what’s next has had zero effect on Windows 7 usage statistics.

We don’t know how many Windows 7 customers have seen that screen, but we do know what effect the death announcement has had on Windows 7 usage so far.

Home users have been seeing the nags for less than two weeks. Did you really expect that to put much of a dent into Windows 7 usage for last month?

 

woody wrote:

According to NetMarketShare, the usage share of Windows 7 has gone from 36.52% in March to 36.43% in April.

While Windows 10 share increased by a lot more than that difference: 43.62% to 44.10%

woody wrote:

According to StatCounter, the usage share of Windows 7 has gone from 33.41% in March to 33.38% in April.

While Windows 10 share increased by a lot more than that difference: 55.77% to 56.24%

So perhaps any swift switchers are buying new devices, which is the recommended method at; Support for Windows 7 is nearing the end

 

Should we really expect Windows 7 users to stop using it in a panic during the remaining nine months of support, when the end date is clearly displayed on the nag screen?

 

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Charlie

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Using netshare data, note the following

Windows 7 goes from 36.52 to 36.43 Difference of .09

10 goes from 43.62 to 44.1 Difference of .48

Mac Os X 10.13 goes from 2.23 to 2 Difference .23

Windows 8.1 goes from 4.13 to 4.22 Difference .09

 

Do you see what this strongly suggest? The few that dropped Windows 7 went to 8.1 NOT 10. Most of the 10 came from Apple Mac users changing.

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Did you ignore StatCounter because they said Windows 8.1 went down by .28%?

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When Microsoft finally gets the Windows 10 updates right and they don’t destroy the PC’s they’re supposed to improve –then I’ll consider going to Windows 10.

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FWIW, I have 2 Win7 Home laptops and neither has had the NAG SCREEN pop-up…could it be that using Spybot anti-beacon that blocks MSFT spying also blocked that nag screen?

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The nag screen comes from a patch that is delivered through Windows Update (KB4493132).
Spybot Anti-beacon doesn’t block updates.

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KB4493132 is in optional list on Win 7 Home Prem.
Unticked & usual vague ‘resolve issues in Windows’ blurb.
Should I install stack update KB3138612 to enjoy this & many other exciting features.
Best wishes, Matt.

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SSU is important if you wish additional ‘exciting’ security patches for Win7.
PKCano has a walkthrough for group B here
( if you get your patches from WU, this will vary slightly to suit your patching method)

If debian is good enough for NASA...

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woody, PKCano

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Thank you Microfix, and also to PKCano. I shall run a full backup & install SSU.

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I ‘m home premium.  Never received it but then again I have Steve Gibson’s  “Never Ten” installed.  Don’t know if he updated “Never Ten” or not.

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Just do regular system disk images and back-ups , use a decent security suite  until 3rd party support stops for browsers ect probably will add another 3-5 years , by which time the win 10 will be bloat free and the end user will have full control of updates and telemetry , or there will be something better available

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Northwest Rick

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Greetings from the Group W bench (formerly Group B, until Dec 2017) – long live Win7 (on my desktop)!

I sacrificed a perfectly good Win7 laptop to try out Win10 during the free “upgrade”, now count that decision among my top five worst mistakes ever, though there is a hidden benefit:  I wade into that world periodically now via that laptop and continue to encounter bizarre problems usually traceable to Win10, most recently Logitech M570 wireless trackball misbehavior I had assumed was an unrelated malfunction.

Turns out, this may be a Win10 issue!  According to one user, the default “HID compliant device” driver in the OS overrides the Logitech Mouse and Keyboard settings & driver!  What genius thought that was a good idea, to override a driver supplied by the maker of the peripheral itself??  Uninstalling the M$ driver is pointless, it automatically reloads on every start-up, like a zombie you just can’t kill!  The only way to neutralize it is to disable it (thankfully, start-ups do not automatically re-enable it).  Thank goodness for user community solutions!  M$ driver disabled, problems gone!

Experiences like that keep my loathing for this Byzantine, labyrinthine Win10 monstrosity at fever pitch, thereby immunizing me against ever laying down money for it!

I will be looking for advice from our friendly “Da Boss” crew after the end of Win7 support as to whether it would be prudent to do one last round of safe, cumulative updates for Win7 on my desktop after the shields come down forever.

Cheers!

 

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Northwest Rick wrote:

Turns out, this may be a Win10 issue!  According to one user, the default “HID compliant device” driver in the OS overrides the Logitech Mouse and Keyboard settings & driver!  What genius thought that was a good idea, to override a driver supplied by the maker of the peripheral itself??  Uninstalling the M$ driver is pointless, it automatically reloads on every start-up, like a zombie you just can’t kill!  The only way to neutralize it is to disable it (thankfully, start-ups do not automatically re-enable it).  Thank goodness for user community solutions!  M$ driver disabled, problems gone!

Experiences like that keep my loathing for this Byzantine, labyrinthine Win10 monstrosity at fever pitch, thereby immunizing me against ever laying down money for it!

Happens on Windows 7 too:

HID-compliant mouse driver keeps reinstalling without permission and stops my Logitech trackball from working.

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