Should I upgrade from Windows 7 Home to 11?

[mi7chy]

Anything classified as 'remote code execution' from this list should be of concern.

https://www.cvedetails.com/product/17153/Microsoft-Windows-7.html?vendor_id=26

https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/en-US/vulnerability/CVE-2021-34527

https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-34535

 

[rwh63]

ok, so bottom line seems to be: windows 7 can be updated to 10. this particular machine cannot be updated to 11. since i don't have anything personal on it, is it best to wipe the drive and do a completely fresh install (probably takes as more complicated path than using 7 to go to 10)?

this laptop will possibly be donated to a family member. it will be used for light duty stuff. they could probably download third party security software.

 

[Technerd108]

Yes Windows 10 is good and should be supported on your device.

I would have recommended that you stay away from Windows 11 for now specially if you are used to Windows 7.

It is always best to do a complete wipe and a fresh install for such a major upgrade to the software!

Windows 10 runs very well and is very stable. In my opinion at least for now Windows 10 is much better than Windows 11 so you really aren't missing anything.

An alternative to Windows would be Linux. If you are going to donate to a younger member of the family then Linux may be a good platform for them to learn and use. If they are computer illiterate then Windows 10 is perfect.

On a side note for Windows 10 you do not need 3rd party security software. Run Windows security and enable real time protection. Keep Windows updated and run the Windows defender scan once a week and make sure your firewall is running and you should be good. You could also get a free copy of Malwarebytes to catch anything Defender misses.

Ubuntu Linux is a very user friendly version of Linux that should run fine on your hardware and you can download and make a bootable usb disk. You can then run Linux from the usb disk to see if you like the system and if wifi and sound etc work.

Good Luck!

 

[maflynn]

is it best to wipe the drive and do a completely fresh install

Definitely, Even if you had personal info, more often then not, its best to just wipe and reinstall, even with macOS. You're starting fresh, and in the unlikely circumstance something doesn't work, your job of hunting it down will be easier with a fresh install.

 

[sracer]

I have to disagree, there's been too many security patches released to protect windows since MS dropped windows 7 that you're playing with fire even when you behave responsible.

Why using Windows 7 in 2021 is so dangerous

I have to disagree with your disagreement.

That article didn't offer any insight as to why it is "so dangerous", or extremely dangerous...

From the article:

"This is extremely dangerous. Not only is Microsoft not releasing any more software updates for Windows 7, it’s also not patching any security issues or providing any tech support. For the vast majority of people, this simply isn’t a risk worth taking."

I get it. Recommending upgrading to the latest version of a supported OS is the safe call.

However, the dangers of NOT upgrading are overstated and hyperbolic. For any computer that will be connected to the internet, the greatest level of protection comes from a person using common sense and safe computing practices.

There are people running on the latest version of Windows 10 with the latest and greatest fixes and security updates that have succumbed to ransomware.

Do people actually read the details of what the security holes are? They are almost exclusively about some esoteric set of conditions that 99.2% of general home users won't encounter.

Back when Windows 7 was initially released, the tech industry try to instill fear in the Win XP hold-outs by claiming that a Win XP system could be infected with a virus within 30 seconds of connecting to the internet. That was only true under very specific (and contrived) conditions. With the typical modems, routers, and firewalls that are in use by consumers, it is even less true now.

I still have Windows XP and Windows 7 systems running and connected to the internet. No viruses, no malware, no ransomware.

To the OP, if you practice common sense and safe computing practices, the only reason to move on from Windows 7 is if you are unable to run the software that you need. That will most likely be your web browser.

 

[rwh63]

Definitely, Even if you had personal info, more often then not, its best to just wipe and reinstall, even with macOS. You're starting fresh, and in the unlikely circumstance something doesn't work, your job of hunting it down will be easier with a fresh install.

never did a wipe and install (usually updates on OS X, and a fresh hard drive adventure using a target mode laptop to iMac). i guess the procedure is to download 10 onto a flash drive, and install using that once the hard drive in emptied?

 

[rwh63]

thx for all of the help with this subject. i know where to find you if i run into issues!

 

[ackmondual]

If the computer has the Windows 7 license sticker intact, you can go ahead and disk wipe to either re-install Windows 7 from scratch, or fresh install Windows 10 then upgrade to Windows 11 or go straight to Windows 11... If you don't have the Windows 7 product key, you can still proceed with the fresh install however you will need to shell out for a Windows 10 or Windows 11 product key since you will not be able to do a free upgrade...

I have the know-how on how to deal with your situation, however I don't think I can easily translate the steps into something a non-tech savvy or someone with little to no Windows repair/reinstall knowledge can easily understand... But if I was your friend or at least a neighbor, I would do it for you for free and maybe teach you along the way/as we go through the steps...

You can also watch some YouTube videos as a starting point before you proceed with working on the computer...

How do you reinstall Windows 10? PC manufacturers no longer include the install discs for Windows.

 

[Technerd108]

How do you reinstall Windows 10? PC manufacturers no longer include the install discs for Windows.

If you have Windows 10 installed then re-installing Windows or Resetting Windows which downloads a current copy of Win 10 and installs it while wiping your drive if initiated.

Go into settings, recovery, and then follow prompts to reset your pc.

Alternatively if you wanted to install a fresh copy of Windows 10 you can go to Microsoft website and download the windows 10 download assistant. Once you run the software it will create a bootable usb disk of Windows 10 you can use to install on your pc.

Finally, you can contact your pc manufacturer and get them to send you a recovery usb disk with your operating system that shipped with your pc and all drivers.

Let me know if you have any questions. I can guide you through the process if need be.

 

[ian87w]

How do you reinstall Windows 10? PC manufacturers no longer include the install discs for Windows.

Just download the ISO from Microsoft.

 

[Nermal]

I have to disagree with your disagreement.

That article didn't offer any insight as to why it is "so dangerous", or extremely dangerous...

From the article:

"This is extremely dangerous. Not only is Microsoft not releasing any more software updates for Windows 7, it’s also not patching any security issues or providing any tech support. For the vast majority of people, this simply isn’t a risk worth taking."

Indeed. Something that's "extremely dangerous" might land you in hospital. Running Windows 7 could only land you in a PC repair shop.

I also enjoyed the bit about the lack of tech support being "not a risk worth taking". I wonder what percentage of users actually make use of MS tech support.

With that said, if you don't have a specific reason to stay on 7 then I agree that you're better off with a supported version.

 

[maflynn]

Running Windows 7 could only land you in a PC repair shop.

Its not the hardware that people worry about, but their data. We hear about new vulnerabilities almost daily, and much of the time, the infection is caused by a user not keeping up with patches. So with windows 7, there are no patches to keep up with.

With an unpatched system, the user can be exposed to ransomware, or identity theft. Its never been about getting your PC fixed. People tend to store personal, confidential and even sentimental data, and to lose that can be devastating, i.e. having their bank/credit info stolen. So yes, it can be dangerous, at least in terms to keeping your financial, and personal data well being safe ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Hey if you, the op, or anyone else wants to run a 13 year old system that lost support from MS years ago - more power to you, its not something I'm willing to do, and all I was doing was voicing my opinion on why that's a bad idea.

 

[Hexley]

If you want to tinker then go to Win11 immediately.

But if you want a usable computer then I'd stick to Win10 until October 14, 2025.

Allow Microsoft, 3rd party devs and tinkerers time to weed out the bugs for you for the next 3 years & 8 months. By then it would be solid stable with reduced headaches.

What cant Win10 do that Win11 can other than a new shiny thing to play with?

 

[ackmondual]

Just download the ISO from Microsoft.

That's right! Win10 is (mostly) free, so this sort of method will now be available!

 

[Nermal]

With an unpatched system, the user can be exposed to ransomware, or identity theft. Its never been about getting your PC fixed. People tend to store personal, confidential and even sentimental data, and to lose that can be devastating, i.e. having their bank/credit info stolen. So yes, it can be dangerous, at least in terms to keeping your financial, and personal data well being safe ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

And this is stuff that an article called "Why using Windows 7 in 2021 is so dangerous" should explain, rather than leaving it to people like you

But I'll say it again: Use a supported version unless you have a specific reason not to (e.g. my dad runs an ancient AutoCAD in a VM because it's too expensive to get a newer one).

 

[nickdalzell1]

You don't need TPM at all. Or even a dual-core or 8GB RAM. I'm running Windows 11 right now on an Acer Aspire M 'Ultrabook' from 2013. Legacy BIOS and everything (still uses Phoenix/Award BIOS!). I used the 'registry' trick during setup. It's the most recent Windows 11 you get from the Microsoft site, 64-bit. When it claims 'this PC can't run Windows 11' you go back a step, type 'shift+F-10' and type 'regedit', go to 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE-->Software-->Setup and create a new 'key' called 'LabConfig'.

Then inside that, create DWORD 32-bit values called 'BypassTPMCheck' 'BypassCPUCheck' and 'BypassSecureBootCheck' and set them to a Hexidecimal of '1'.

Exit regedit, click 'next' accept the license agreement and go. This is actually an official bypass that Microsoft revealed not long ago and works. You don't need a new computer to run Windows 11. This one works perfectly fine!

There are other methods that work even more than the 'registry method'. There's plenty of articles online. Basically, if your PC is capable of running Windows 10 64-bit, it can run Windows 11. Not fast, mind you, in some cases (such as my eMachines with Athlon 64 and 2GB DDR2 from 2008!) but it will run. Not sure what the whole TPM thing is for anyway, since it works 100% without it. It's not like modern macOS which depends on the Secure Enclave to boot.