Question Basic OS Questions

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TheFlash1300 said:
if I buy a newer CPU, will the computer still work?
Click to expand...
With new system you'll have to reinstall windows.
If you try to avoid reinstall, then following issues can be expected:
boot mode compatibility - system doesn't boot,​
driver incompatibilities - bsods, crashes, bad performance,​
windows activation issues.​
​
Windows 7 can be installed onto newer hardware. But the process is tricky.
Compatible USB drivers need to be integrated and also nvme drivers and several hotfixes, if you're installing onto nvme drive.
Windows natively doesn't have these drivers in installation.

If you want easy process of installing windows, then choose windows 10 or windows 11 instead.
 
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USAFRet said:
Newer systems often do not have any relevant drivers for an older OS like Win 7.
There are generally way to make it work (sort of).

But the motherboard has to match the CPU.

So...what motherboard? What CPU is in it now?
That will limit what CPU you can put in it.
Click to expand...
The motherboard is LGA-1155. The CPU is Intel i-5 Core.

If drivers are missing, isn't there a way to install them?
 
JohnBonhamsGhost said:
it's very possible that some ~30 year old CPU wouldn't offer correct instruction sets to run a modern OS, so yes.
just as without proper security protocols many systems cannot run Windows 11.

but in the reverse it's also possible.
if the OS doesn't provide any, and you cannot find your own, proper drivers to allow an older OS to function then you may be in a similar bind.
Click to expand...
If the OS is 64bit, for example, it can run on any CPU as long as the CPU is 64bit or higher, regardless of how old the OS is and how old the new CPU is, right?

If the CPU has the same or a higher architecture than the OS's architecture, this guarantees it can run the OS, right?
 
USAFRet said:
Not just "missing", but rather "don't exist".

What specific motherboard and CPU?
Make/model, please.
Click to expand...
If you have the drivers stored on USB, for example, wouldn't if be possible to copy the files with the instructions (the drivers) and install them to the hardware that needs them in order to know how to communicate with the OS?
 
TheFlash1300 said:
If the OS is 64bit, for example, it can run on any CPU as long as the CPU is 64bit or higher, regardless of how old the OS is and how old the new CPU is, right?
Click to expand...
no.
there are many other factors to a processor's design than it being 32 or 64bit
TheFlash1300 said:
If the CPU has the same or a higher architecture than the OS's architecture, this guarantees it can run the OS, right?
Click to expand...
also no.
TheFlash1300 said:
If you have the drivers stored on USB
Click to expand...
for some drivers yes, for others no.

a system's audio, USB, networking, etc are designed for a particular scenario.
Windows 7 drivers wouldn't necessarily work in 8, 10, or 11.
just as those for a later OS wouldn't necessarily work in an earlier iteration.

even if they did happen to allow a device to be detected and function it's very likely other complications would arise due to incompatibility.
 
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TheFlash1300 said:
What are the ways?
Click to expand...
You're all over the place with this.
One thing at a time.

You want to change the CPU...we need to know what exact motherboard you have.

Then, why Win 7? It may or may not be natively compatible.

With a supposed LGA1155, it would probably work with no problem. But you are absolutely limited as to what CPU you can change to.

One last time...what specific motherboard are you working with?
 
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USAFRet said:
You're all over the place with this.
One thing at a time.

You want to change the CPU...we need to know what exact motherboard you have.

Then, why Win 7? It may or may not be natively compatible.

With a supposed LGA1155, it would probably work with no problem. But you are absolutely limited as to what CPU you can change to.

One last time...what specific motherboard are you working with?
Click to expand...
I will tell you the exact name of the motherboard later, when I open the box and see the motherboard. I can't see the documents, because I lost them a long time ago.

Also, what do you mean by "natively compatible"?
 
TheFlash1300 said:
I will tell you the exact name of the motherboard later, when I open the box and see the motherboard. I can't see the documents, because I lost them a long time ago.

Also, what do you mean by "natively compatible"?
Click to expand...
An i5-3470 and an LGA1155 motherboard will (probably) install Win 7 just fine.
It will also run Win 10 just fine.

Is this system running right now?
 
JohnBonhamsGhost said:
why exactly do you want to run Windows 7?

is there some old 7 based software you have?
just for nostalgia?
for some older games?
your'e afraid to upgrade or just don't want to pay for a license?

you could always run a new OS and have 7 installed on an internal virtual setup.
Click to expand...
I started a coding project a long time ago, when Windows 7 was still new and best - this is when I bought the computer, too.

Once Windows 7's support ended, I disabled the internet, and started using the computer only in offline mode. Now, I use it only for the project, while I'm using my laptop with Windows 10, for internet activity.

My project is compatible with Windows 10 and 11, but not fully. It works best on Windows 7 and XP, which I why I want to have a Windows 7 computer specifically used only for the project, and nothing else.

Also, I like older operating systems, because they are simpler and don't have Bloatware.
 
If you run cpu-Z the mainboard tab will identify the make and model motherboard.
If you find the web site for that motherboard, it will have a way to get a list of all the processors supported by that motherboard.
It will also identify the required minimum bios level needed.
Again, cpu-Z will identify your current bios level.

If you install one of those supported processors, nothing else needs to be changed.
Win 7 will continue to run as it used to, only with increased performance.

I7 processors include hyperthreading, giving you 8 processing threads vs the 4 on your I5-3470.
That is good if your app can make effective use of more than 4 threads. But, it is likely that vintage apps are mostly single threaded.
Your i5-3470 has 4 threads and a passmark rating of 4663. That is when all 4 threads are fully busy.
The single thread rating is 1943.
https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i5-3470+@+3.20GHz&id=822

Likely your strongest cpu upgrade option will be a I7-3770K.
The i7-3770K has 8 threads and a rating if 6466 with a single thread rating of 2082.
https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i7-3770K+@+3.50GHz&id=2
You can search for the passmark ratings of other options.

While such an upgrade will work, it may not be a strong enough upgrade to be worth it.
 
ex_bubblehead said:
NO. As an example look up the STUXNET virus. It propagated through systems that were never connected in any way. Granted it was very targeted but the same prinicple applies.
Click to expand...
How did the virus caught the systems, if they were offline?

If I have VPN enabled and there is encryption, can a virus still infect the system?

If I use a USB router or connect the PC to the phone, so it can gets internet from the phone that has mobile plan with secure and encrypted internet, can infection still happen?
 
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