What's with this 'serious Windows 7 bug'..?

elle_may

dipsomaniac wrote: »

the article advises you to update to win10

Brother running W7 would like me to update to W10 but i don't know if this is still a free update and where i can do this if so. Thanks.

victor2

elle_may wrote: »

Brother running W7 would like me to update to W10 but i don't know if this is still a free update and where i can do this if so. Thanks.

Officially the free upgrade window has closed, but there are ways to still get it...
https://www.zdnet.com/article/heres-how-you-can-still-get-a-free-windows-10-upgrade/
Don't know if it still works, but could be worth a try. I also read that you can do a clean install of Windows 10 with a 7 licence key.

Frozen_up_north

If you want the grown ups version of the Chrome bug, as opposed to the BBC kids version, see:
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/03/07/google_chrome_zero_day/

System

Charlton_King wrote: »

What do I need to do to cover myself? The reports say you have to get the latest Windows updates with the 'patch' ASAP - but I thought the thing updated itself automatically - I've never so much as once received any 'update notification' in that entire time!

Windows 7 will soon no longer get any updates at all unless you're paying for extended support from Microsoft.

Charlton_King wrote: »

Thanks. I have no interest in Windows 10. I can't see any advantages and I know of many people who have actually switched back to 7 from 10.

Windows 7 is a stinking turd of an OS now, wide open for anyone to take a pop at as it has more holes in it than Swiss Cheese and is a complete and utter mess after several years of patches, fixes etc. It is the equivalent of a banger car in the 80s where you'd find things like sills bodged up with paper or bake bean tins to get through a MOT - looks OK but is absolutely cream crackered underneath.

Windows 10 has several security features in it which are impossible to implement in Windows 7 as it required a major rewrite of the OS to achieve.

System

elle_may wrote: »

Brother running W7 would like me to update to W10 but i don't know if this is still a free update and where i can do this if so. Thanks.

Download it from MS and create an installation disc/USB stick. Use the Windows 7 product key to install it.

dipsomaniac

Charlton_King wrote: »

Thanks. I have no interest in Windows 10. I can't see any advantages and I know of many people who have actually switched back to 7 from 10.

i don't understand your position as you will have to update at some point in the near future or change os. for reasons given above i would update asap especially as it's free

Frozen_up_north

Charlton_King wrote: »

Thanks. I have no interest in Windows 10. I can't see any advantages and I know of many people who have actually switched back to 7 from 10.

The reasons “many” people didn’t like Win 10 compared to 7, was the “Windows Phone” user screen. To make Win 10 look and behave like Win 7 (or XP) is to use “Start is back” https://www.startisback.com/
Or the free, but no longer supported, “Classic Shell”:
http://classicshell.net/

To stop Win 10 “phoning home” try:
https://www.safer-networking.org/products/spybot-anti-beacon/

The “Win 7 look alike” start button and Spybot Anti-Beacon should satisfy even the most ardent Win 7 fans...

techquest

elle_may wrote: »

Brother running W7 would like me to update to W10 but i don't know if this is still a free update and where i can do this if so. Thanks.

Did a W7 to W10 1809 upgrade last week and it went like a dream, used the Media Creation tool to see what would happen. The laptop was an old Toshiba Satellite C350, which I thought might cause a problem re the drivers. It's been running fine since.

Use something like produkey to get the W7 key and make a note of it just in case, it will get your MS office key also. Though I didn't need the keys in the upgrade.

Yes it's free to upgrade because you have a W7 key.

https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.ht

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10

techquest

Charlton_King wrote: »

Thanks. I have no interest in Windows 10. I can't see any advantages and I know of many people who have actually switched back to 7 from 10.

I use Chrome, yes, but again my understanding is that the browser updates itself, no?

Once an operating system enters extended support it means that Microsoft will continue to patch any security threats but won't add any new features (as it would do during the 'mainstream support' phase). Mainstream ended January 13th 2015, Extended support ends January 14th 2020.

It doesn't mean your W7 will go belly up, there are millions throughout the world who don't want and will not move to W10. As for the mentioned bug as long as you keep chrome updated you should be fine.

As JJ Egan says the flaw exists in core elements of the OS, sadly there are those throughout the world who are hell bent on exploiting any OS let alone W7. Such is life as far as technology is concerned.