News Windows 7 Reportedly Gets Secure Boot in Last Dying Gasp

[Amdlova]

For old system Google will be providing support Microsoft will loss ground, I have a mac server to try that Google os.

 

[Papusan]

13 years and you are complaining? It’s beyond time to update. You can’t expect them to support an OS for 20 years.

But you love that they push you over on a whole new system within about 2.5 years if you have an older Cpu than Intel 8th gen or an Ryzen Zen Cpu. or just an laptop from 2016. I talk about the official way (you follow their strict HW requirements for Win 11). yep, an Win 10 LTSC version may work but not all can get it the legal way. This means you are out of OS support for whatever Microsoft offer anyway within a short time. And yep, Microsoft want you to upgrade your Pc. This way they can sell a new Win 11/12 license and at same time make their HW partners damn happy🆒 Isn't it nice, Mocrosoft is very keen on hold the planet (earth environment) clean from e-waste.

 

[hotaru.hino]

Because that is bad for business and will backfire. Or . . . - Could they actually get away with that?

People sure act like that's what's going on. Or at least holding a gun to their computer.

But you love that they push you over on a whole new system within about 2.5 years if you have an older Cpu than Intel 8th gen or an Ryzen Zen Cpu. or just an laptop from 2016. I talk about the official way (you follow their strict HW requirements for Win 11). yep, an Win 10 LTSC version may work but not all can get it the legal way. This means you are out of OS support for whatever Microsoft offer anyway within a short time. And yep, Microsoft want you to upgrade your Pc. This way they can sell a new Win 11/12 license and at same time make their HW partners damn happy🆒

Microsoft promised Windows 10 support until 2025. There's nothing in Windows 11 that's a groundbreaking, economy stopping feature that everyone needs to have. By the time 2025 rolls around, any unsupported computer on the late end would be at least 7 years old. That's ancient in computer years.

Do you really want to be on Windows 11 that bad?

 

[USAFRet]

But you love that they push you over on a whole new system within about 2.5 years if you have an older Cpu than Intel 8th gen or an Ryzen Zen Cpu. or just an laptop from 2016. I talk about the official way (you follow their strict HW requirements for Win 11). yep, an Win 10 LTSC version may work but not all can get it the legal way. This means you are out of OS support for whatever Microsoft offer anyway within a short time. And yep, Microsoft want you to upgrade your Pc. This way they can sell a new Win 11/12 license and at same time make their HW partners damn happy🆒 Isn't it nice, Mocrosoft is very keen on hold the planet (earth environment) clean.

How long do you keep your systems running?

Anything older than 8th Gen Intel will be 8 years old or older, when Win 10 falls off support in 2025.
I have a few of those, which will either be completely retired, or running Linux.

 

[ohio_buckeye]

Yeah I usually don’t let my cpus get more than 3 years old or so anyway so….

 

[Papusan]

People sure act like that's what's going on. Or at least holding a gun to their computer.


Microsoft promised Windows 10 support until 2025. There's nothing in Windows 11 that's a groundbreaking, economy stopping feature that everyone needs to have. By the time 2025 rolls around, any unsupported computer on the late end would be at least 7 years old. That's ancient in computer years.

Do you really want to be on Windows 11 that bad?

I run quadruple OS setup. And Win 11 come last (almost never in use)

How long do you keep your systems running?

Anything older than 8th Gen Intel will be 8 years old or older, when Win 10 falls off support in 2025.
I have a few of those, which will either be completely retired, or running Linux.

Oldest pc is from I think 1998 2006 and the newest from last year. I don't scrap older systems if they work as intended. As for Win 10 support, I think Microsoft will downplay or dumb down this OS more and more. The future for Microsoft is Win 12 right before Win 10 is EOL. And Win 12 will be a re-hashed Win 11 to push people over on new hardware.

 

[The Electro Machine]

[...]
an Upgrade to Win 10 is $0.

Yes. Zero dollars indeed

And when your programs and machines no longer work because there are unable to talk to Windows 10, then what is the cost of replacing them? Is it negative perhaps?

 

[outsider2k21]

There is no need to forcefeed Win 11 on his system.

1. This TPM addition to WIn 7 is totally optional.
2. The existing Win 7 does not stop working at the end of January. Just that it will not get future updates.
3. That system would easily update to Win 10 for free.

1. I aware that.. however op was afraid he will be forced to install windows 11 and his system can't do that due to lock of TPM support.

2. While his system will just work fine, if he need to do clean install he will be screwed. As matter of fact I couldn't run windows update on clean installed windows 7 back in Oct. Windows update would stuck on loading for days which is why I had switch to win11.

3. You can upgrade to win11 for free as well. I just use my win7/8 key during win11 installation. To me Win10 and Win11 are literally the same thing expect the tradition Chinese input is less sucky on win11. (Which is why I stay with win 7 for so long.) Sooner than later M$ is going to phase out win10 as well.

 

[cryoburner]

Okay, let me use Windows 98. Oh look, it happily autoplays anything I plug into it by default and it has no concept of user permissions so applications can run anything without me noticing and wreck havoc on the system. An OS with no security permissions and is very permissive by default is more secure! 🙃

Actually, Windows 98 might be reasonably safe, unless it were a targeted attack where the attacker specifically knew a system was running the OS. As far as general malware infections go though, most modern software won't even run on Windows 98, and that likely applies to most malware as well, and wide-scale attacks are unlikely to target something that hardly anyone is using.

That doesn't really apply to Windows 7 though, as it's still actively used on millions of systems, and will run almost any software that the latest versions of Windows will. So while it might technically be a lot more secure than Windows 98, it's much more likely to be a target of malware.

 

[hotaru.hino]

I run quadruple OS setup. And Win 11 come last (almost never in use)

So again, why do you need to use Windows 11?

If you don't need to use it, you don't need to buy a new system to meet the requirements. And if the computer still works by 2025 and you still refuse to toss it out because it works, guess what? It'll still work. Until Microsoft actually implements a killswitch to make all Windows 10 machines unusable in some way, you will still be able to use it, with the possibility of being nagged to upgrade if you keep it connected to the internet. Otherwise, again, there are perfectly viable alternatives.

And if you refuse to use those alternatives, that's not Microsoft's fault.

 

[USAFRet]

1. I aware that.. however op was afraid he will be forced to install windows 11 and his system can't do that due to lock of TPM support.

2. While his system will just work fine, if he need to do clean install he will be screwed. As matter of fact I couldn't run windows update on clean installed windows 7 back in Oct. Windows update would stuck on loading for days which is why I had switch to win11.

3. You can upgrade to win11 for free as well. I just use my win7/8 key during win11 installation. To me Win10 and Win11 are literally the same thing expect the tradition Chinese input is less sucky on win11. (Which is why I stay with win 7 for so long.) Sooner than later M$ is going to phase out win10 as well.

1. Which is a false concept. Why would he be "forced" to install WIn 11?

2. Maybe,maybe not.

3. Sooner or later is currently Oct 2025

 

[USAFRet]

Actually, Windows 98 might be reasonably safe, unless it were a targeted attack where the attacker specifically knew a system was running the OS. As far as general malware infections go though, most modern software won't even run on Windows 98, and that likely applies to most malware as well, and wide-scale attacks are unlikely to target something that hardly anyone is using.

Can you get Win 98 up and running?
Yeah, probably.

Assuming you only want to run 20 year old software, all is good.

 

[outsider2k21]

1. Which is a false concept. Why would he be "forced" to install WIn 11?

2. Maybe,maybe not.

3. Sooner or later is currently Oct 2025

With respect I mainly answer him that him don't need to have TPM to install win11 which was OP's concern. It will be different story If he talk about win10 than I tell him install win11 and how he doesn't need TPM to install win11, but it isn't the case here. Perhaps You reply directly to him if you want to correct him or give other suggestion.

I have tried clean install on 2 different system and my old Acer easyshare H340 is same situation. I couldn't get any security update from M$ after I do a factory reset as the automatic update is broken due to M$ has long killed windows home server. (If i use other NAS software the front LED won't work due Acer make it tie to windows home server. )

Now it is Jan 10 2023. Oct 2025 is less than 3 yr and consider how fast time can fly by. We also have no idea how long is OP going to use his current hardware since potato pc works just fine if user only use it to browse internet and receive email. I was helping my friend solve his parent's PC issue during holiday and that PC is an Athlon II X3 435 system.

 

[jkflipflop98]

Not enough people are willing to ditch Windows and install Linux after such pushy measures as this, so, unfortunately, it probably is real. Microsoft knows it won't face any recourse. So why wouldn't they?

FWIW, I'd be happy to work with you or anybody else to do a Linux upgrade. But I also say that knowing I won't get many takers. It irks me to say it, but Microsoft is actually correct. They can bully their customers around and the customers just keep taking it and taking it without any end. I don't get it. But I do acknowledge reality.

Oh that's easy to figure out. Linux sucks.

 

[hotaru.hino]

Linux these days has gotten a lot more user friendly and a few distros have made the UI/UX transition less of a shock (looking at you Ubuntu) to the point where you could probably take one of the distros aimed towards Windows users, put in front of someone who isn't really that computer savvy, and they probably wouldn't know they were using Linux.

It's only when you need to do something a little beyond the out-of-box experience that things get icky, but most people don't need to do that anyway.

 

[ezst036]

And if the computer still works by 2025 and you still refuse to toss it out because it works, guess what? It'll still work.

It may not "still work". That's the fear that was expressed. This "last dying gasp" Tom's Hardware just reported on is something new and may very well change everything we have come to know in a brutal way. We don't really know for sure. Do we?

 

[kyzarvs]

Please tell me this isn't actually happening. I can't afford to upgrade my home computer to Windows 11 because of a trivial TPM requirement. Contrary to popular belief, I'm pretty sure TPMs do very little to actually increase system security. I really don't think secure boot is all of what it's hyped up to be and it's a major hassle to deal with.

The article mentions UEFI secure boot - which is nothing to do with TPM and a separate technology. And no-one is forcing 11 yet - 10 has an EoL of 2025.

 

[Tac 25]

to the OP. Nice to hear that.

well, my oldest pc in the house with a Core 2 Quad can still boot with Windows 7 if I wanted it to.

however, these days I prefer booting it up with Windows 10. Feels more secure that way.

another reason is.. some of the games that the pc has won't work unless W10 is the one functioning.

 

[Amdlova]

In my case I can run the latest windows server on my old "xeon 2014 model" but can't do a fresh install of windows 11. All cpus have meltdown spectre v1 v2 v3, but TPM 2.0 will save the day.

 

[mhmarefat]

A lot of the detractors make me feel that they believe that software developers have no rights to do what they want with the software they develop. They must cater to the whims of their users, no matter how big or small they are compared to the number of users as a whole.

If you don't like how Microsoft does things, there are perfectly viable alternatives: Linux or FreeBSD. Nobody's holding a gun to your head and telling you that you must use Windows. And if you go "but there's something I do that only works on Windows!" well too bad. Developers aren't free. Either hand Microsoft a fat wad of cash to do what you want or build your own.

Not only Microsoft doesn't cater to whims of small community of "only" millions win 7 users, they do not care about big ones either. What they care most is money and user CONTROL (to ensure more money, hence "free" OS). And this is a optimistic view. INVASION of user private space/data for military and intelligent government sectors is pessimist view (and most likely the purpose of win 10).
You are absolutely wrong to think Microsoft can have abusive behavior towards its users because it is their own software. No, they cannot. Human dignity is above all else.
Let us also not forget how Microsoft came into being: by literally destroying its Japanese OS competitor (TRON) so that only Windows could rise. If not for Microsoft we'd be 10 years (at least) more advanced in field of Operating Systems.
We are living in an age that corporations are forgetting their places. Not using their software is the least that we can do for now.

 

[palladin9479]

Windows NT 6.1 (Windows 7) is perfectly fine and there is nothing it can't run. If someone wish's to stay with that then more power to them. Windows NT 10 (really 6.4 but Microsoft) is also perfectly fine (now), especially since third party folks have taken care of the two major complaint areas (GUI and data collection).

Anyone going "but muh security" is just using FUD to push an opinion, mature platforms tend to be extremely secure and the vulnerabilities that do pop up are third party software related. Thankfully NT6+ executables are pretty darn universal so keeping third party software updated and secure is trivial.

 

[Howardohyea]

Why is everyone acting like W10 will reach EOL at 2025? Like Windows 7 it'll get support in the LTSC channel for probably another 5 years, and add another 2 years from Extended Security Updates we're looking at another decade for Windows 10 support, for a total of 17 or 18 years.

That's pretty long, and in my opinion, gives sufficient time for users/companies to upgrade their hardware to something that's supported by Windows or Linux in 10 years time

 

[ezst036]

Oh that's easy to figure out. Linux sucks.

Opinion aside, it's not quite so easy, the user said "I can't afford". So if I started by telling them to buy a Mac seemed to be really tin-ear. Besides, Apple has its own shady practices, the most recent being (phone) batterygate.

I was trying to be conciliatory talking about a doorway out of the whole corporate chicanery all together while keeping their current hardware intact. Cost: $0. But yes, they could buy out of Microsoft and into the Mac world and deal with a whole new round of it in a few years, whatever "it" may be.

 

[beszt95]

Please tell me this isn't actually happening. I can't afford to upgrade my home computer to Windows 11 because of a trivial TPM requirement. Contrary to popular belief, I'm pretty sure TPMs do very little to actually increase system security. I really don't think secure boot is all of what it's hyped up to be and it's a major hassle to deal with.

You could just update to 10 instead and be good until October 2025, but also it's easy to bypass the TPM and Secure Boot requirements if you make the Windows boot media with Rufus. You can also bypass needing a Microsoft account for setup. I installed Win 11 22h2 on an i5-2300 that way not long ago.

 

[shafted]

I read thru all the comments. Everybody is missing the bigger issue about using 7. I have several PC's. All were on 7 till December 2022. I switched all 8 of them to 11 now. PITA. Don't like it at all. Always permission problems running and installing programs - new hurdles every day. I would've stayed with 7 ; I even still used XP in 7 until recent and had 7 running flawless on 3 PC's that aren't supposed to be capable of running 7 because the hardware is to new. But Google chrome is stopping support also and soon many sites will say you need to update your browser to view this page. It's the same reason I finally gave up on using XP in windows 7 - because of browser support. And most browsers are chrome based, so Ubuntu here I come; I think. I can't decide which distro I want to go with and it's hard to learn new stuff at my age.