
Someone found a way to bypass Windows 7 Extended Security Updates checks - praveenscience
https://www.ghacks.net/2019/12/07/someone-found-a-way-to-bypass-windows-7-extended-security-updates-checks/
======
klingonopera
I'm one of those users holding on to Windows 7 as long as possible, and I'm
really glad that people are also interested and motivated to keep it running
for as long as possible.

But I recently got a new laptop, a Ryzen 3550H with the Vega 8 iGPU, and then
had to discover, that a) there aren't any drivers for Vega 8 for Windows 7 and
b) my laptop's firmware doesn't provide any legacy BIOS emulation required to
get Windows 7 running (explicitly: INT10H and VBIOS are required by the
fallback Windows 7 graphics driver (VGA.sys), which also runs during setup and
PE [0]).

I'm glad I recently still got Windows 7 onto desktop, 2nd-gen Ryzen platforms,
but I fear that that was one of the last modern PC platforms to be able to run
Windows 7.

My new laptop now has Windows 10, because I'm currently developing some
windows applications, but once I'm done with that, it's over to Linux.

This was my first own PC with Windows 10, and I thought I might have a change
of heart, but it's truly quite terrible. Subjectively, it doesn't feel like a
PC with an OS anymore, more like an advanced XBOX with mouse and keyboard.

[0]: [http://reboot.pro/topic/21108-install-windows-7-at-uefi-
grap...](http://reboot.pro/topic/21108-install-windows-7-at-uefi-graphics-
output-protocol-gop-hardware/)

EDIT: ...but if anyone finds out how to get Windows 7's VGA.sys working with
GOP or knows a 3rd party alternative to it, I'm all ears!

~~~
_bxg1
I love 10 (as far as Windows goes). 8 was a flop, but in my opinion 10 is a
slam-dunk. It is to 7 what 7 was to XP. Other than the annoying thing where
your profile has to be tied to an online account, I don't understand why
anyone is still holding out.

~~~
klingonopera
I read about the tying to an online account, and also read that keeping the PC
offline while installing is a useful remedy.

Which I did, so at least my Windows 10 installation is a "local" installation.

But when you stop to think about it: Are we living in a sane world, when I
have to "fool" my PC/OS in order to get it to act in a certain kind of way?
That, in a nutshell, is my biggest gripe with Windows 10. I have no problems
with _the defaults_ being made to accustom the computer illiterate, but you
should allow power users to do whatever they want to a their PCs, and this is
what MS doesn't allow (anymore, or at least, not in ways that they previously
allowed).

Since you asked, the following may be a bit non-conformant to HN standards, so
I'll set it in quotes, it's my post/rant on FB venting my initial frustrations
with Windows 10: ""Why does less information fit on my laptop despite it
having the same resolution as my desktop? OMFG, who the fuck resetted my
display scaling?"

"Oh, defaulting to 'public network' is nice. Finally, some common sense. Let's
check out the firewall... _every Microsoft app has an exception_ ...well, I'll
retract that again. Also, every app I installed now has an exception on public
and not on private, so I have to not only add the exception on private, but
remove it on public too. At least Windows 7 asked me each time, so this shit
wouldn't happen. Wooo! More grinding. Thanks, Bill!"

"Can I add shortcuts to the start menu? NOPE! THIS IS NOW OUR ADVERTISING
SPACE!"

"My computer on the desktop, I need that. Where is that option? _Looks, looks,
looks and gives up_ Fine then, I'll just create a shortcut if there's no
'real' 'My Computer' for the desktop. It kinda works (but no 'Manage' option
on right-click, since it's a user shortcut, not a system one). But it feels
like a step back. Why did MS remove 'My Computer'? Oh, because USE THE FUCKING
CLOUD YOU MORON! MANAGING YOUR OWN DATA IS SO 1998! WHY WOULD YOU NEED
ANYTHING OTHER THAN ONEDRIVE (which is preinstalled, but fortunately still,
uninstallable)?"

If Windows 10 would behave like Windows 7 with the extra features (newer UI,
UEFI, that stuff), I would've welcomed it, hell, with the company I wouldn't
even bat an eye to pay for retail copies. But no, they didn't decide to do a
new Windows, they decided to turn your PC into an advanced XBOX. Fuck you!
Stop being so DISRUPTIVE TECHONOLOGY and just create good operating systems,
FFS. But it's too late now.

And so it goes."

~~~
Nition
> "My computer on the desktop, I need that. Where is that option? _Looks,
> looks, looks and gives up_.

One of the biggest problems with Windows 10 is the dual nature of Settings vs.
Control Panel which has made simple things like this that aren't directly on
the new interface yet much harder to find.

To get My Computer back on the desktop:

\- Right-click on Desktop and select Personalize

\- Click Theme on the left

\- Scroll down past pretty much everything to "Related Settings"

\- Click the "Desktop icon settings" text

\- Tick "Computer"

~~~
Wowfunhappy
The dual Settings and Control Panel interfaces is such a stupid problem.

Microsoft should not have introduced Settings until it was ready to move over
_all_ first party functionality.

Having one control panel with outdated visuals is much better than having two
separate control panels (one of which _still_ has outdated visuals).

~~~
Nition
It's not even split like "normal settings" vs. "power user", which would at
least make a small amount of sense. e.g. Mouse pointer speed isn't in the new
Settings yet.

------
lurker1970
Long time lurker here, but I had to create an account to voice my opinion:

I am a really happy Windows 10 user! Please, don't judge what others (dis)like
and make sweeping generalizations.

Many of the issues you mentioned can be addressed (even if imperfectly by your
standard). For example, you can pause updates for over a month, then when that
time is up, pause again right away. I always get to choose when my computers
update.

And Windows 10 comes with many improvements over Windows 7. [0][1] Some
highlights for me:

\- Full boot in under 10 seconds (with an SSD)

\- Dark theme

\- Windows Sandbox (to run un-trusted/one-off apps in a light VM)

\- Multiple desktops

\- Support for new hardware innovations: NVMe, High DPI, HDR, Raytracing

But it is fine if you don't consider these improvements as important enough
over the cons of Windows 10. Just don't pretend that they don't exist.

[0]:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_new_to_Windows_8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_new_to_Windows_8)

[1]:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_new_to_Windows_10](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_new_to_Windows_10)

~~~
wott
> \- Full boot in under 10 seconds (with an SSD)

And then 45 minutes of updates: 15 in the foreground, and then 30 in the
background, during which the laptop is still basically unusable (it can take
up to 2 minutes for a CTRL-ALT-DEL to come into effect...) despite pretending
to be active. Great.

~~~
klingonopera
Also, that's hardly a feature of Windows 10, more of your SSD and UEFI, as
well as the fact that the Windows 10 default doesn't really shutdown anymore,
it's now actually a form of hibernation:
[https://www.howtogeek.com/349114/shutting-down-doesnt-
fully-...](https://www.howtogeek.com/349114/shutting-down-doesnt-fully-shut-
down-windows-10-but-restarting-it-does/)

Also, FWIW, I've a laptop with Win7 and an mSATA SSD, booting in legacy BIOS
mode with the "No GUI boot" option, and it's there in 10 seconds, too.

------
wiseleo
Ugh. One thing that drives me nuts is the fact that Microsoft makes it very
difficult to use drivers written for the previous release on the new release.

I remember Windows 3.1 ".386" drivers that weren't compatible with Windows 95
that introduced ".VXD" drivers compatible up to Windows ME.

I remember NT 4 drivers becoming incompatible with XP that introduced WDM. XP
drivers stopped being compatible with Vista that introduced WDF architecture
for drivers. If I recall correctly, it should still be possible to run pre-WDF
NT drivers on Vista.

However, every single release starting with Vista uses the same WDF driver
architecture. I am puzzled why can't I use Vista drivers on Windows 10 without
resorting to hacks.

That is my biggest problem with Microsoft - unless the vendor elects to re-
release code flagging the new release as supported, my hardware effectively is
tied to Windows life span.

------
Tepix
It's weird that Microsoft appears incapable of implement a server-side check
that blocks you unless you are eligible to receive paid upgrades.

~~~
zozbot234
I think this only bypasses the "check" on software compatibility and the like,
and then only for the test update that was released for free. You're still
required to pay or you won't actually get those future updates from M$.

------
jtbayly
On my iPhone this page reloads a couple of times per second and is impossible
to scroll or read.

------
oldienotgoldie
Windows 7 is older than Windows XP was when 7 was released. Think about that.

~~~
antisthenes
And if WinXP had support for DX11 and more than 4GB of RAM, I'd gladly stay on
it.

Software shouldn't be developed for development's sake.

~~~
zamadatix
And improved filesystem support and an improved CPU scheduler and a redesigned
security model and a new network stack and an accelerated compositor for
larger/faster displays to work and DPI awareness and proper support for SSDs
and UEFI boot and...

Point being by the time you actually make XP into something modern it turns
into the thing you think you hate.

~~~
Erlich_Bachman
He probably meant the interface. If it was Windows XP with the same interface
and the same functionality, but with those added low-level features you
mentioned, it would be a great hit of an OS today.

~~~
pcdoodle
remember when search actually worked? Miss that dog...

