3 ms·

>If that bothers you the only real solution is to stop using Windows. I don't know, Windows 7 Pro 64-bit is still a pretty great solution, personally.

babypuncher 3y ago
There is lots of popular consumer software that no longer runs on Windows 7.
- ProllyInfamous 3y ago
  Steam stopped working this year, forcing me to consider updating to Windows 10... but still hasn't happened, yet.
  - timw4mail 3y ago
    Last I checked (a month or 2 ago), Steam still works on Windows 7, but is unsupported.
    - babypuncher 3y ago
      You can basically keep using the last supported version of Steam, but it will eventually break. However few if any new games support the old operating system at all. Windows 7 is a complete non-starter in 2024, it's too old.
RIMR 3y ago
Using a 15 year old OS that hasn't had a security update for over 4 years as your daily driver isn't something I would recommend anyone do. ESU ended over a year ago, so you're stuck on an abandoned OS even if you're willing to pay for updates. Apple has been keeping the user experience a priority in all their latest updates, and Linux desktops are more usable than they've ever been. There's absolutely no reason to use Windows 7 for anything important if Windows 11 is a dealbreaker. Microsoft isn't about to reverse course and make Windows good again, so if you've already decided not to use Windows 11, start the process of acclimating to a new OS now, rather than stagnating on a dead OS that is only going to get less safe to use moving forward. If budget is a concern, I promise you your Windows 7 PC will run Linux. If you are experiencing the sunken cost of all the Windows-exclusive software that you have already purchased, then pony up for a Windows 11 PC, because you're not going to survive on a EOL Windows OS for very long.
- jxramos 3y ago
  I'm curious what is the vulnerability there exactly, would it be from the browser or the browser not getting updates? If someone were to bring a Win95 machine online and connected to the web today would it be bombarded with assaults or something? I'm curious the mechanics of this all.
  - StableAlkyne 3y ago
    It's less about known vulnerabilities, and more about how there is nobody to care about vulnerabilities on the OS anymore. Why tie your horse to an abandoned platform?
  - Terr_ 3y ago
    Two random examples: A malicious Word document that when opened can automatically run an attacker's Powershell script [0], or if you're tricked into using Remote Desktop to access an attacker they can run commands on your machine [1]. [0] https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2022-30190/ https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2022-30190/ [1] https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2022-21851/ https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2022-21851/
  - Shank 3y ago
    > If someone were to bring a Win95 machine online and connected to the web today would it be bombarded with assaults or something? I'm curious the mechanics of this all. Generally speaking yes, but realistically only if you’re opening your ports to the internet. There are lots of random scanners out there that are attempting to exploit known 0-days etc in all systems. Granted the biggest one is probably ETERNALBLUE, which I think doesn’t go back to 95, but still. Obviously browsing infected pages on a hypothetically working web browser would also do the trick, but sites like HN are benign. Windows 95 is so old, though, that you’re unlikely to find much web-enabled software that works well outside of enthusiast projects.
  - halfcat 3y ago
    There are unpatched remote code execution vulnerabilities on basically every version of Windows that is out of support. If you plugged it into the internet with a public IP, someone would likely gain full remote control of the machine in a matter of seconds to hours. You might think you’re safe if you only connect to your home internet, since that’s not wide open for anyone to scan. But then your kid/nephew/friend uses your wifi and they have a spyware-filled Doodle Jump game clone on their phone that asks for permission to connect to the local network, and your kid/nephew/friend wants to play the game so of course they click yes, and now that’s scanning your home network, and now your Windows 7 computer is part of a botnet. The same thing would happen on the coffee shop’s WiFi, the hotel’s wifi, and so on. Unless you never connect to a network of any kind ever, it’s a bad idea.

babypuncher 3y ago

There is lots of popular consumer software that no longer runs on Windows 7.

ProllyInfamous 3y ago
Steam stopped working this year, forcing me to consider updating to Windows 10... but still hasn't happened, yet.
- timw4mail 3y ago
  Last I checked (a month or 2 ago), Steam still works on Windows 7, but is unsupported.
  - babypuncher 3y ago
    You can basically keep using the last supported version of Steam, but it will eventually break. However few if any new games support the old operating system at all. Windows 7 is a complete non-starter in 2024, it's too old.

RIMR 3y ago

Using a 15 year old OS that hasn't had a security update for over 4 years as your daily driver isn't something I would recommend anyone do. ESU ended over a year ago, so you're stuck on an abandoned OS even if you're willing to pay for updates. Apple has been keeping the user experience a priority in all their latest updates, and Linux desktops are more usable than they've ever been. There's absolutely no reason to use Windows 7 for anything important if Windows 11 is a dealbreaker. Microsoft isn't about to reverse course and make Windows good again, so if you've already decided not to use Windows 11, start the process of acclimating to a new OS now, rather than stagnating on a dead OS that is only going to get less safe to use moving forward. If budget is a concern, I promise you your Windows 7 PC will run Linux. If you are experiencing the sunken cost of all the Windows-exclusive software that you have already purchased, then pony up for a Windows 11 PC, because you're not going to survive on a EOL Windows OS for very long.

jxramos 3y ago
I'm curious what is the vulnerability there exactly, would it be from the browser or the browser not getting updates? If someone were to bring a Win95 machine online and connected to the web today would it be bombarded with assaults or something? I'm curious the mechanics of this all.
- StableAlkyne 3y ago
  It's less about known vulnerabilities, and more about how there is nobody to care about vulnerabilities on the OS anymore. Why tie your horse to an abandoned platform?
- Terr_ 3y ago
  Two random examples: A malicious Word document that when opened can automatically run an attacker's Powershell script [0], or if you're tricked into using Remote Desktop to access an attacker they can run commands on your machine [1]. [0] https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2022-30190/ https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2022-30190/ [1] https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2022-21851/ https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2022-21851/
- Shank 3y ago
  > If someone were to bring a Win95 machine online and connected to the web today would it be bombarded with assaults or something? I'm curious the mechanics of this all. Generally speaking yes, but realistically only if you’re opening your ports to the internet. There are lots of random scanners out there that are attempting to exploit known 0-days etc in all systems. Granted the biggest one is probably ETERNALBLUE, which I think doesn’t go back to 95, but still. Obviously browsing infected pages on a hypothetically working web browser would also do the trick, but sites like HN are benign. Windows 95 is so old, though, that you’re unlikely to find much web-enabled software that works well outside of enthusiast projects.
- halfcat 3y ago
  There are unpatched remote code execution vulnerabilities on basically every version of Windows that is out of support. If you plugged it into the internet with a public IP, someone would likely gain full remote control of the machine in a matter of seconds to hours. You might think you’re safe if you only connect to your home internet, since that’s not wide open for anyone to scan. But then your kid/nephew/friend uses your wifi and they have a spyware-filled Doodle Jump game clone on their phone that asks for permission to connect to the local network, and your kid/nephew/friend wants to play the game so of course they click yes, and now that’s scanning your home network, and now your Windows 7 computer is part of a botnet. The same thing would happen on the coffee shop’s WiFi, the hotel’s wifi, and so on. Unless you never connect to a network of any kind ever, it’s a bad idea.