Articles about Windows 7

Microsoft has evolved its approach to warning users about the end of life (EOL) of its Windows operating systems over the years. The methods and techniques used, from Windows XP onwards, have varied, ranging from the polite to the downright aggressive (we're looking at you, Windows 7).

This journey, revealed in a new video, highlights how Microsoft's strategy has shifted to ensure users are aware of when their operating system will no longer receive support, emphasizing the importance of security and system updates and, in some cases, upgrading you against your will without warning (we're still looking at you, Windows 7).

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If you’re currently using Windows 10 or Windows 11, but hanker after the days of Windows 7, then there is a very clever, but simple way to transform your newer OS into the older one. This method can be used to turn Windows 8 or above into Windows 7, or Vista.

This process takes a while to complete, but all you have to do is type a command into the Run box and most things will be handled automatically for you, although you can add extra features (such as Windows Media Player 11) if you wish.

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Microsoft has been making a lot of changes to Windows 11 recently, including adding AI to the OS in the form of Copilot. Despite all this, persuading users to switch from Windows 10 ahead of its impending End of Life is proving to be something of an uphill battle for the tech giant.

For many people, Microsoft’s best operating system was one of its simplest -- Windows 7. The company stopped supporting that operating system years ago, but if you’re wondering what it would look like if it was still being developed today, we have the answer in the form of the re-imagined Windows 7 2024 Edition.

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Windows 7 and 8 are now incredibly long in the tooth, and Steam has used the arrival of a new year to drop support for the aged operating systems.

The planned ditching of Windows 7 and Windows 8 was revealed by Steam-maker Valve way back in March. Now 2024 has rolled around, the company is staying true to its word. While this does not mean that games will simply stop working, it does mean that the Steam client for these versions of Windows will no longer be updated, and on-going functionality cannot be guaranteed.

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The number of paths for upgrading to Windows 11 for free has just been reduced. Microsoft has officially removed the option to upgrade from both Windows 7 and Windows 8 to Windows 11 without paying.

This should not really come as a surprise, as the ability to upgrade from Windows 7 and 8 to Windows 10 and then 11 free of charge is not something that was meant to last. Microsoft originally said that these upgrade routes would remain available until mid-2016, but the company either "forgot" to disable the option or decided to leave it open to get as many people onto its newer operating systems as possible. But now this changes as explained in a sneakily quiet announcement by Microsoft.

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In some countries, it can be hard to get hold of genuine versions of Microsoft Windows. Even if you live somewhere that does sell them, you might not want to pay Microsoft for its operating system.

If you hunt around on the internet, you can find plenty of pirate copies of Windows, but you'll also find some truly horrible bootlegs.

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The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is an essential component of your computer that helps manage communication between hardware and the operating system.

To get into it, most people will restart their PC and then press a specific key. This key varies depending on the manufacturer and model of your computer, but typically it will be F1, F2, F10, F12, Delete, or Esc. You'll see a prompt on the screen during the startup process indicating which button to press. It's not hard to do this, but there's an easy way to boot directly into BIOS directly from Windows.

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There are still a lot of people running Windows 10 rather than upgrading to Windows 11. This is perhaps not astonishing, but there are still a surprising number of users with even older versions of Windows.

With Microsoft no longer supporting Windows 7 or Windows 8.x, sticking with these editions of the operating system is clearly an inadvisable security risk. But for anyone who has no choice, or who simply refuses to move on, Mozilla will continue to offer security updates for Firefox under these versions of Windows until well into 2024, so at least your browser will be safe.

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In a nostalgic trip down memory lane, YouTube channel Nobel Tech has created a video showcasing the evolution of the infamous "This Program is Not Responding" Windows error message over the years.

The video starts with the prompt in Windows 2000 and takes viewers on a journey through time, ending with the message that shows up in the latest version of Microsoft’s operating system, Windows 11.

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From Windows 1.01, released in 1985, to Windows 11, introduced in 2021, each iteration of Microsoft's operating system has brought its own set of features and improvements.

Windows 1.01, with its simple and straightforward interface, marked the beginning of an era of graphical user interfaces for the PC. Windows 2.0 introduced support for expanded memory and improved support for graphics, paving the way for more sophisticated programs and applications. Windows 3.0 brought a more refined interface, with a greater emphasis on multitasking and performance.

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Yesterday, Microsoft released Moment 2, introducing a raft of new features to Windows 11, including Bing AI-power chat integration on the taskbar, Phone Link for iOS, an expansion of widgets, screen recording in Snipping Tool, and a redesigned Quick Assist app, to name just a few.

But while Microsoft is doing its best to make the new OS more appealing to would-be-upgraders, Windows 11’s share remains low.

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Last month, Microsoft ended support for its Windows 7 and 8.1 operating systems officially. Windows 7 was kept alive by the company for business and Enterprise customers for the past three years through an Extended Security Updates program, but that ran out on the same day as support for Windows 8.1 ended.

Google and Microsoft announced that their browsers, Chrome and Edge, would not support both operating systems after support end. Chrome 109 and Edge 109, released in January 2023, are the last supported versions. The next stable versions, scheduled for a release in early February 2023, won’t support Windows 7 or 8.1 anymore.

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If you have been keeping up with Windows news, you will probably be aware that today is the day that Microsoft finally ends support for Windows 7. This means that after today there will be no further updates, even for anyone paying for Extended Support Updates -- but 0patch is willing to help out.

Any company that does still have Windows 7 and is paying for ESU should install today's cumulative update, as well as any others that may have been missed. And there's a nice surprise: Microsoft has added support for Secure Boot to Windows 7, but has kept quiet about it.

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We've already written about Microsoft completely ending support -- even paid-for options -- for Windows 7 and Windows 8, and as part of this, the company will also stop releasing security update for its Edge browser on these platforms.

There are large numbers of both home users and businesses that are opting to stick with these operating systems, or have little choice for one reason for another. As far as Microsoft is concerned, Edge 109 is the last version of the browser that will be released for these OSes, and as of January there will be no more security update released. Thankfully, 0patch is here to save the day again, with the company announcing that it is "security-adopting" Microsoft Edge on Windows 7, Server 2008 and Server 2012.

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In just a week's time, Microsoft will cease offering even critical security updates for both Windows 7 and Windows 8.x.

We wrote about Windows 7 Extended Security Update (ESU) coming to an end, and the termination of support for Windows 8.x just last month, but with a large number of people and businesses still unwilling -- or unable -- to move on from these aging operating systems it is a warning that bears repeating.

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