Windows 7 will still work (as i am sure you are aware) - it just wont have any security updates. Windows 10 is ok it is just a case of remembering where they have hidden stuff - I look at it like an Easter Egg hunt.
Some of the “security updates” are to stop piracy some are to stop intrusions - if you are on a dynamic ip with your isp you will be protected for the most part unless you grab a nasty that allows access.
Completely depends on how you use it. If you have a security software outside of Windows that you are using, Seven will most likely be fine for quite a while with “standard” applications, e.g. word, excel, browser. In my case I use some applications like Adobe Premier for video, Cubase 10 and Wavelab 9.5 for audio recording, mixing, and mastering. Those applications are updated frequently and as soon as Ten came out the developers were using Ten in development. All kinds of little shit started going snafu using Seven. You’ll see that too with some more advanced hardware like audio interfaces but in that case it’s a double edged sword. Some after time are no longer supported and won’t work with Ten. If your laptops are older this might also be an issue i.e. driver compatibility. No getting around it. It’s fucked up.
When WIN10 first came out, I used a small program called Classic Shell. It got rid of the charms and used the classic winxp / win7 start menu and had the classic explorer windows. I still have it on my old laptop and it works fine. For the most part, things could be found where you would expect them to be. Unfortunately the author of Classic Shell stopped updating it and supporting it. I know there are other programs that claim to do the same thing but I haven’t tried them.
The newer versions of win10 are very different than when it first came out. You can opt to use a more classic style start menu with a familiar looking desktop with your shortcuts. I tested win10 for a short time and gave MS an earful about how stupid they were making something new that wasn’t broken. Mostly that it now took searching and a number of clicks to get somewhere that only took one or two clicks previously. I reminded them of what made windows… well windows and they should stop trying to be Chrome, Android or Apple.
You could try running them in compatibility mode - they should work fine. If you update win7 rather than clean install w10 I think most things will work, including drivers (which i think can also be run in compatibility mode not 100% on that since I have not done it).
Thanks Jim, I knew something like that was out there because I installed it on my daughters computer a few years ago, I just couldn’t remember the name.
Saves me a search 
I have an old dell inspiron 5110 laptop and when I ran windows 10 there were no drivers on dells site, so I ended up with Microsoft drivers which were shit, the sound driver removed features I needed at the time and the graphics driver was glitchy.
Windows 10 has background services that you probably won’t want running, it’s very “tabletesque” in how it works, lots of YouTube videos / online guides on what to turn off though.
That’s windows in a nutshell though. 
(Been disabling various shit since w98 lol)
That’s my biggest issue with w10.
It’s just not a real OS in my opinion. When you start removing core level support to make things more “idiot proof” (users that delete files that are required for example), or overly strip things down to support the non-tech-savvy’s convenience desires…
Unless M$ releases another substantive OS (2k/NT, XP, w7), I’ll continue to run w7 on the machines I have. As long as you keep your browsers updated, run a decent firewall, and a respectable antivirus (Eset Nod32 for instance), the core OS will remain fairly long lived IMO/IME.
A good backup image of the OS hard drive is always a good idea every 6 Mos or year.
If M$ doesn’t release something better than w10 in the next year or so (or whenever I have the need to upgrade the mobo/cpu), I’ll probably make the full leap to some Linux variant. They’ve matured a great deal in the last ten years or so.
And you not only have TOTAL control, but they’re typically far leaner running!
Not tons of crap you don’t want/need eating up processing power, slowing things down, and running up the electric bill. And ultra stable to boot!
While sadly I can’t shed much more light (well, not as much as I’d like anyways), I’ll try to clarify what I can.
With reference to what you quoted me on:
You mentioned using Firefox, which is good. As is Chrome. Though I’m sure I can guess why you didn’t go with the latter. lol
Basically, I was just trying to say that as long as you keep whatever browser(s) you prefer up to date, the more you minimize the chances of becoming infected while surfing. [Side note: Once I had the misfortune of NOT maintaining my normal habit of downloading all the apps/updates/drivers/etc BEFORE I reinstalled the OS (whether you save them to flash drive, another hard disk, or burn them to cd/dvd/etc) and went to Google for a driver it needed, and the very first link I clicked infected the unit. /facepalm] At any rate, most infiltration occurs in browsers due to scripts, flash and Java (I use neither), or old exploits that have long since been patched for in the current version of the browser.
Kaspersky has a solid reputation for some years now, but the last time I tried it was more than 8-10 years ago, so I can’t really comment on anything there, other than to say that I have a good impression of it from what I’ve read previously on security forums. The fact that it includes a firewall is a plus, and puts you further ahead of the game than others who don’t use one.
The fact that you don’t, IMO leads me to believe that you have no need to upgrade then. As long as the hardware is fulfilling your needs (not getting bogged down by demands on it; IE: converting video, needing low-latency/high speed for tracking high-res multitrack audio, or high-demand gaming [you old ‘rail-master’ you LMAO… Q3 reference I don’t expect you to get of course ;)] you really don’t have cause to upgrade.
The ONLY exception I could see is perhaps for video chatting with the grand-kids/family/etc for a Webcam that would feed 1080p, and it’s associated app (Google Duo, Skype, etc). But, even then, most basic hardware that was out during the life of w7 should accommodate that handily (especially given you’ve already upgraded the amount of RAM). So again, not really a requirement unless it’s like first generation hardware that barely made the cut during the transition period from XP to w7 (unlikely).
Of course they do.
More current cpus have hardware ID codes, and more stringent reign over how files are handled (at the hardware level) than what they did before.
The more they control what… Never mind. You already know.
I’m not sure I’d go quite that far. But, I haven’t looked at retail (prefab) in years. I’ve always bought my own hardware and assembled exactly what I needed, based on the intended use of the machine. (Gaming rig, Audio rig, old repurposed POS for surfing, etc)
Haven’t seen that, but I’m already skeptical. What’s the motivation (from their POV)? If not to sell hardware, then…?
In your case:
I just can’t see the need for you.
Similar to my mom, there’s no reason to upgrade.
Hell, the only reason she’s been upgraded to where she’s at, is because I wanted to put a terabyte sata drive in her machine, and her mobo didn’t have sata. 
Which, by default meant she needed a new cpu, and psu. Even with that, she spent less than $150, because I had all kinds of spare parts laying around. Memory, cpu, psu etc.
Barring a hardware failure, you shouldn’t need to worry about any of that. 
Sadly, I can’t answer here, unless you are comfortable with command line use of Linux.
I’ve read that there are some that are almost “windows-easy” to install and get running. But I’m not familiar with them firsthand. Hopefully another member here could offer suggestions.
Absolutely not.
Stick with what you have, but consider looking further into the Linux variants! Definitely covers the latter comment: “I don’t want or need stuff I’ll never use.”
Especially when you talk about buying HP and Dell (the only two general mass manufacturers of prefab that I’d ever recommend). Bloatware central, but usually very solid hardware from first tier vendors.
Thank you so much for this thread.
I too am really getting frustrated with W10, and all of it’s add on’s.
I used to be pretty proficient with a PC, having started using them with the old ZX Spectum back in the 80’s, and then onto MSDOS, but after Windows XP I have been lost in the BS that seems to have invaded the computer world.
Like @anon96069639 all I really want is something that just works, without all the bells and whistles that I will never use. I also use Kaspersky Total Security, which really seems to do what I need, it too has far too many options for my old head.
I have considered Linux but not being command prompt savvy I am fearful of opening another even bigger can of worms.
I will follow this thread with interest.
Ahhh that seemingly sheds a bit of light into some of the misunderstanding I believe.
Kaspersky is simply an app that runs on your computer alone. Nothing is going through their servers (in the literal sense) before it gets to your machine.
Basically, it acts in a few ways.
They become aware of sites that are problematic, and add them to the known list of dangerous places you might visit. IF you happen to visit one (or attempt to), the site is compared against the local list (on your machine, buried in their data resources packs/modules/etc), and if it’s a site on the list, it can halt your proceeding to the site, while it tosses up whatever notice or warning is relevant.
‘Live Grid’ (Eset’s term for their online ‘real-time’ “data resource lists”, my term for what they use for items submitted and being evaluated ‘live’, throughout the day, before the next available daily update is pushed out to the masses.) means that if you participate in it, and you actively run across something that triggers the AV, but it’s not on a known list [basically a zero-day exploit, be it a package, or script, etc] it gets submitted to the folks who are actively monitoring such submissions, so that they can evaluate whether it’s an actual threat. And take appropriate action as warranted. To my understanding and knowledge, only invoked when a potential UNKNOWN threat is detected live, on the web.
The costs for them to monitor literally every single client’s surfing (data) through their servers (if it were to work the way you described) would be astronomical, and as a result, they would have to charge substantially more than $150/yr.
Hopefully that helps a bit!
WelI, I think it’s official, I’m a thick shit.
I have been trying all morning to load Linux, both Ubuntu and Linux Mint, and with no success at all.
I download the OS then transfer onto a stick, pop it into the usb port, reboot, and nada.
I have tried altering the BIOS start up priority, however it won’t change from the original to reading a usb stick.
Maybe MS have a hand in making it difficult to use anything other than their offerings.
My head is totally “done in”.
I am using 10 as that is what came with my current PC and laptop, however I am so sick of it, I just wish we could go back to something user friendly, that just works like XP, without all the additional crap that is constantly being shoved down my throat with every update of 10.
Did you make the usb drive bootable?
Not even sure you need to or if the image is bootable. Usually your bios will have a bypass to select the boot device some do not but you should be able to select the boot device in the bios
Thanks @woftam, I had used another similar programme, Balena Etcher, for Linux Mint with no luck.
I have now used Rufus, the one you pointed me to, and while it does everything, and sets up the USB drive, it will still not boot up Linux on the laptop with a reboot.
I have been into the BIOS settings, however am not able to change the boot sequence, so it keeps on booting up Win10 from the hard drive.
It seems to me the problem revolves around getting the BIOS changed to read from the USB first, you have any thoughts on that?
it should be as simple as changing the boot order usb first then hdd. Totally stole this pic of google images but it will look something like (depending on the bios age). But set the first boot device to usb then the second to hdd.
Oh make sure quick boot is disabled
If you hunt around there may also be a menu (usually on the last page of the bios where it will alow you to select the boot device for the next boot.
Thanks Mate, my BIOS screen is different to that, however as I have now figured out how to get into BIOS with out a reboot, but rather from within Win10, I have now found an option to boot from the USB drive, and am now into Ubuntu 
So now to see what all this OS has to offer 
Thanks for your help
If you are using an anti virus like Kapersky / Symantec etc you might find your pc runs slower than usual, I use Malwarebytes and run it every now and again if I’ve been downloading its free and you don’t need it running all the time
Fortunately I have fast BB here so no worries for me on that count.
I did download both Mint and Ubuntu, and out of the two I personally prefer Ubuntu, it just feels more intuitive to me. Of course it’s like vaping, and all about your personal tastes.
It will be interesting to hear which you prefer.
