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Win7 SP1 Mainstream Support Ends Jan 13 — Parallax Forums

Win7 SP1 Mainstream Support Ends Jan 13

ercoerco Posts: 20,256
in General Discussion
http://download.cnet.com/blog/download-blog/windows-7-mainstream-support-ends/

Hurry if you want/need free online/phone support!

"For home users, free online and phone support are disappearing. Microsoft stopped distributing new licenses to manufacturers and vendors in October 2014, so don't expect to see many more new PCs preinstalled with Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium, or Ultimate.

Windows 7 Service Pack 1 now enters its extended support phase. Microsoft will continue to release security patches until January 14, 2020. Business PCs with Windows 7 Pro will still be available for sale, and so will OEM keys of the Pro version. Paid support will still be available. Downgrades will be honored for the business edition of Windows. For example, if you purchase a PC with Windows 8.1 Pro, you can still downgrade to Windows 7 Pro."

Comments

  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    'Don't need their d$%! support! Or their updates either. My originally-installed Win7 works fine, lasts a long time, don't mess with it.

    -Phil
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »
    'Don't need their d$%! support!

    In this instance, does "d$%!" rhyme with "witty"?
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    This is a non-issue for me, since I have never once in 20 years needed to call Microsoft for help. I honestly think they'd be pretty useless if I did.

    I do allow most important (security) updates for Windows 7 and those will continue until 2020. That's probably all that's needed, but even that is debatable.

    A lot of their "security" updates just seem to be protection for Internet Explorer and people that do stupid stuff on the internet ("carefully crafted web pages" pops up a lot in the security update descriptions).
  • koehlerkoehler Posts: 598

    Same here.
    Simply sitting on a NAT and NOT running attachments without pre-scanning has worked well for me. Along with keeping up on current AV status from Wilders Security, and running a browser under Sandboxie with NoScript, etc.
    Not really that much overhead/work.

    If it ever gets seriously difficult, there are more hardcore options to protect oneself, aside from jumping to Linux with W7 in a backed-up VM.

    "Wikip"
    Deepfreeze
    FarStone RestoreIT - Restore PC from Hidden Partition with 24/7 Ongoing Continuous Protection
    Horizon DataSys' RollBack Rx
    Userful Desktop (a Linux-based multiseat operating system) [1]
    fsprotect (for Ubuntu, Debian-based systems)
    HDGUARD[6]
    Returnil Virtual System (Returnil)
    Sandboxie (Invincea)
    Shadow Defender (ShadowDefender.Net)[7]
    System Revert[8]
    Horizon DataSys' Reboot Restore Rx
    ToolWiz Time Freeze


  • Martin_HMartin_H Posts: 4,051
    Two companies I've worked for have paid for Microsoft premier support. When we've had problems with their products my management has requested that I open cases. Each time is a sureal dance that always ends up at the same destination.

    I report the problem. First line support requests a sample that replicates it. I provide the sample and they either ignore me, or want to close the case. I call back and they claims it works as described and want to close it. I escalate to second level support and they ignore me or want to close the case. I nag second level support and eventually get them to admit that the behavior is a problem. Second level support escalates to the engineering support group who ignores them. I escalate to a senior manager in my company who calls someone at Microsoft telling them we've paid them for support. Engineering support tells second level support that yes it is a bug, but we have no plan to fix, and the case is closed.

    I tell management that this case has gone to the same graveyard as all the other support cases. When I ask them why we do this even though we know Microsoft will do nothing I get told "due diligence".
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2016-01-09 18:37
    [img][/img]The New Microsoft Technical Phone Support:

  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    Coincidently as we have been moving house recently I found a Windows XP Professional service pack 3 CD buried under a pile of Smile. From 2002.

    Looks like we are good to go for another 10 years or so.


  • Cluso99Cluso99 Posts: 18,069
    I have found that updates for one version, after they get to SP1 of the next windoze version, just seem to slow the computer down, so I try not to take updates much after new versions.
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