[xdude]

@deanhills

I also think its not a wise idea to buy Windows 8.1. Personally I think we can use Windows 7 for at least one year. Maybe little more with all updates till January. We don't install all sorts of crazy software or going to that kind of sites so there is very little chance of having a problem. I haven't had any sort of virus for last 3 years. I scan PC with Comodo and also with Node32 and BitDefender online scanners time to time. I heard the next Windows Version will be release in middle of this year so I think it's better wait and see how it goes.

https://www.window11updates.com/

[ikk157]

Thanks for the feedback @ikk157.  Looks like I'll be going for Windows 8.1.  Pity though as I really like Windows 7 very much.  Between Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, and my dated hardware, I guess Windows 8.1 will be the better of the 2.

I agree, better to do a clean install of Windows 8.1 instead of an upgrade.  Yesterday I checked the "Windows Anytime Upgrade" in Windows 7 - and of course that feature disappeared when Windows 7 support came to an end in January.  Just as well though.  I agree - clean install is always the best.

I'm now checking where I can get a cheap license for Windows 8.1 Professional. Looks like I may have to get two separate ones for the laptop and desktop.

Do you know whether updates for Windows 8.1 can be turned off in the same way as with Windows 7 - i.e. the option to choose not to have them automatic? I'd like to do it the same way as with my Windows 7 Professional.  Not automatic, and opting to choose which updates I want to download and install.

@xdude So have you changed from Windows 7 yet, and what Windows are you on now?

I’m glad you’ve made up your mind on the upgrade to windows 8.1!

As for the license, I personally haven’t really bought one. A friend of mine works as an IT technician in a company and they’ve got enterprise licenses which can be used on an insane amount of devices, and that’s what I used (can’t remember where I kept it, apologies). So you might want to ask around and see if anyone you know (or heck, anyone here!) might have one!

And disabling auto updates is quite straightforward (not sure how it was done on windows 7, so I can’t make the comparison). Here’s a guide i looked up real quick: https://www.isunshare.com/windows-8/turn...8-8.1.html

Hope that helps

[deanhills]

@deanhills

I had a quite a week. I decided to install Windows 7 again. I found this ISO which has 3 versions of Windows Standard, OEM and per-activated. Most importantly he stocked all essential updates like security updates and other things upto January 2020. Weeding out all BS updates. Plus .NET Framework 4.8, DirectX End-User Runtimes and last version of IE. ultimate deal for someone who want to install Windows 7. So I have downloaded it and started creating bootable USB with Rufus. Since then whole thing started going down the hill.

After falling to do with 3 USB drives I finally did get it done using a real Kingston 16GB drive. I used 2 fake 32gb drives and Rufus gave me an error in middle of the process. So then I started formatting the PC. Next problem started there. Installer refuse formatting the drive and installing OS saying partition was MBR and it needs GPT, whole different drama about this installer, 64bit OS and something. Anyway I forgot I can change the partition to GPT right there. So I cancelled the installation and tried to make another installer using another ISO I have. it was older one from 2018. That didn't go well. rufus couldn't get it done and then that USB driver stopped working properly. Then something wrong with OS i was using too. I mean PC was not booting in to Windows. So I had to use a Windows 7 DVD to install Windows 7 again. That copy was from 2012. Without updating the OS I couldn't even get virus guard running. Anyway somehow I used it for 5 days and today created another UBS installer. Going to install again later today. If I go missing for another several days that means I'm in trouble again. lol

Thanks for sharing this experience @xdude.  This is one of my greatest worries with Windows 7, as when I installed it on my desktop in 2014, already then I had an update nightmare on my hands, that I never really recovered from.  I disabled the automatic update downloader as with the first attempt it completely froze my computer.  I then used a system wsusoffline that bundles the updates so one only got one smooth download of updates and can manage and install it offline.  Not sure whether one can still use it - looks like German then translated for international use:

https://www.wsusoffline.net/docs/

Here's a good tutorial for it:
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how...d-servers/

But then a few months on - 2018 - of downloading Microsoft's bundles, my VPN one day stopped working, and I had to move to the previous version without the last bundle of updates.  That was in 2019.  I haven't done any updates since then - which is probably shocking to admit to - but I do have virus and malware protection and am still hoping for the best.  I don't download stuff from risky places.  

I was hoping that possibly Windows 8.1 would be an improvement over that scenario though?  If it is simple I thought to try it on a very old laptop of mine with Windows 7.  And see if it works for me.  However, if it's too involved, maybe Windows 10 Enterprise would be better after all.  For which I'll have to find someone who has access to Product Keys.  So plan of action for now is Windows 8.1 - but only in a test mode.  Unfortunately it's an OEM Product Key I purchased years ago with a Microsoft Disk (decided to dig through my software and was surprised to find it - I must have got it cheap).  So if Windows 8.1 looks as good as the reports say (I've heard good reports elsewhere as well and @ikk157 just reminded me when he reported here about this as well - there are many happy Windows 7 users who are happier after they moved to Windows 8.1 vs Windows 10 that turned out to be a problem possibly because of dated hardware technology wise).

@deanhills  I would suggest you may want to install Windows 8.1 on a separate harddisk as a free trial version first, before you actually go to buy a license.

And I would doubt if it is really a good idea to buy Windows 8.1 license now. Windows 8.1 extended support will end by January 10, 2023, so you will only get less than 3 more years support from now.

I've just found a very old OEM License for 8.1 that I never used so that solves that problem for trying out - and agreed, I should experiment with it first before I use it.  Furthermore, the difference between Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 may not be worth it for the change - as I'd probably have to find a whole new set of drivers for my hardware moving from Windows 7 to 8.1. I doubt if I choose to go for Windows 8.1 that I'll stay long with it.  Like I always told myself when I get new hardware (meaning my current hardware must be obsolete), I'll go for up to date Windows.  Only reason I'm still on Windows 7 is that I'm convinced my current hardware was built with Windows 7 in mind. New hardware is now built with Windows 10 in mind.  And possibly also Linux, which of course has a much higher learning curve if one wants it to behave Windows like.

In the final analysis though, I'm spinning my wheels, as just hate all of this effort and the possible rude surprises I'm going to get when some of my software or hardware will stop working.  If my Windows 7 was causing any problems, it would have been a different more pressing problem.  But I don't have problems and except for the updates issue it is still in perfect running order. I love my Windows 7.

[tryp4vps]

.....  But I don't have problems and except for the updates issue it is still in perfect running order. I love my Windows 7.

Honestly, I love my Windows 7 too.

So when I installed Windows 10, I installed it on a separate PC. But after I found that it is so difficult to disable automatic updates on Windows 10, I switched back to use Windows 7.

Now my Windows 10 installation is still there, but I think I have not booted it up for over a year.

[perry]

my windows 10 experience is how it should work.
my primary complaints:
- the things that gets installed with installation
- programs that are being reinstalled by adding a new user and signing into

i got this script to get rid of some telemetry and system tweaks:
https://pastebin.com/bjLLkzTR

[humanpuff69]

my windows 10 experience is how it should work.
my primary complaints:
- the things that gets installed with installation
- programs that are being reinstalled by adding a new user and signing into

i got this script to get rid of some telemetry and system tweaks:
https://pastebin.com/bjLLkzTR

I use debloater script before and it clean all the bloatware like cortana and almost all useless uwp apps . The script also get rid of telemetery

On lower end hardware windows 10 always spiking resource like cpu and hdd . And the debloater fix some of the spiking problem . Probably because of disabled telemetery

[ikk157]

 Furthermore, the difference between Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 may not be worth it for the change - as I'd probably have to find a whole new set of drivers for my hardware moving from Windows 7 to 8.1. I doubt if I choose to go for Windows 8.1 that I'll stay long with it.

Actually, from experience, finding drivers won’t seem to be as much of an issue as it seems to be.

For both laptops that I’ve upgraded to windows 8.1, I haven’t really faced any issues with drivers. That is for two reasons:

First off, almost everything worked perfectly without having it install its drivers at all!!!

And for the things that required the drivers to work, which are:

The display on my own laptop (since it won’t display windows on the entire screen without the driver), along with the network adapter (since for some odd reason, without the driver of the network adapter, the network speeds were insanely slow)

And the trackpad drivers for my friend’s pc (since I simply wanted to bring back functionality to the button that disables the trackpad, however the trackpad itself worked fine without the driver!)

And in all of these cases, the windows 7 drivers directly from the manufacturer website worked perfectly on windows 8.1 with no issues whatsoever!

I really encourage you to upgrade to Windows 8.1, I can’t express just how much of a performance boost it provides! You seem to still be convinced on remaining on Windows 7. But trust me, the upgrade is absolutely worth! Simply take a backup of your windows 7 installation, and you can always go back if things don’t work out for you.

[humanpuff69]

Actually, from experience, finding drivers won’t seem to be as much of an issue as it seems to be.

For both laptops that I’ve upgraded to windows 8.1, I haven’t really faced any issues with drivers. That is for two reasons:

First off, almost everything worked perfectly without having it install its drivers at all!!!

And for the things that required the drivers to work, which are:

The display on my own laptop (since it won’t display windows on the entire screen without the driver), along with the network adapter (since for some odd reason, without the driver of the network adapter, the network speeds were insanely slow)

And the trackpad drivers for my friend’s pc (since I simply wanted to bring back functionality to the button that disables the trackpad, however the trackpad itself worked fine without the driver!)

And in all of these cases, the windows 7 drivers directly from the manufacturer website worked perfectly on windows 8.1 with no issues whatsoever!

I really encourage you to upgrade to Windows 8.1, I can’t express just how much of a performance boost it provides! You seem to still be convinced on remaining on Windows 7. But trust me, the upgrade is absolutely worth! Simply take a backup of your windows 7 installation, and you can always go back if things don’t work out for you.

you can install most windows 7 or even vista driver on windows 8/8.1 or even because they basically architectually the same and based on NT version 6 (windows 10 version 10.0 is a lie . it is actually more like 6.4)

the only thing that wont work in windows 8+ is graphics driver that doesnt have WDMM . it is only found on <2005 hardware so if your hardware is new it will have the wdmm driver

[perry]

I use debloater script before and it clean all the bloatware like cortana and almost all useless uwp apps . The script also get rid of telemetery

On lower end hardware windows 10 always spiking resource like cpu and hdd . And the debloater fix some of the spiking problem . Probably because of disabled telemetery

my script does that ass well. but it's fully transparant.

what it does:
- Remove Telemetry & Data Collection
- SCHEDULED TASKS tweaks
- Disable Some Service
- Settings -> Privacy -> General -> Let apps use my advertising ID...
- WiFi Sense: HotSpot Sharing: Disable
- Change Windows Updates to "Notify to schedule restart"
- Remove Apps (be sure to remove the ones you need)
- Uninstall OneDrive (remove if you want)

[xdude]

Well I installed Windows 7 again using one of those DVD's with all latest security and other important updates till January. Only problem is I don't have a KEY. I do have an old Original WIndows 7 DVD which is from 2012 I think. But I have lost the cover and info. So Now it says I have 28 days. I can reset this anytime I want but only one month forward. Anyway I'm gonna use this for next since months since I don't have time to get used to a new OS right now.