Windows 7: farewell

 

Although it had flaws, Windows 7 was viewed as being an improvement over Windows XP when it was released 14 years ago. Few end users and IT administrators preferred User Account Control, and vendors weren't prepared for it. Important drivers were also missing (which had been first introduced in Windows Vista).

However, even though it has been supported for ten years and received three more years of extended security updates, many users and administrators are still using it as of this month. (Many contend that Windows 7 was their favorite operating system and assert that Microsoft won't ever release another platform similar to it.)

By now, there should be a few security flaws on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 still need to be fixed if "ancient code" is supposed to be more secure. However, the Patch Tuesday update from last week addressed 42 vulnerabilities for Windows 7, including 25 flaws that allowed for the elevation of privilege. Even while I freely acknowledge that both Windows 10 and 11 occasionally drive me slightly insane, I don't miss Windows 7's installation and patching problems. Compared to Windows 7, I find it much simpler to perform a repair install of Windows 10 or even a clean installation of Windows 10 or 11.

I frequently get requests from readers of Askwoody.com for documentation on how to patch Windows 7 entirely, which requires navigating hundreds of updates. I dread having to go through that procedure again because I went through it for such a long time. The latest operating systems to provide security-only, non-cumulative upgrades were Windows 7 and 8.1. (along with security and non-security monthly bundle). It is now difficult to cleanly install Windows 7 since Microsoft has hardened and altered the Windows update servicing stack to no longer support SHA1.

However, Windows 7 users still have options, such as 0patch, to watch for and assess potential future security flaws. 0patch intends to continue giving Windows 7-specific updates. But be aware that Windows 7 will become more challenging to use and maintain, and that finding a backup vendor who supports it will become more difficult.

Users (you know who you are) are urged to switch to a supported system with a cutting-edge web browser that can better protect them. Consider carefully how you access the internet because websites and cloud applications are frequently used by criminals to obtain your data.

I have to ask: What are you doing right now to secure and isolate your computer if you still intend to use Windows 7 after it is no longer supported? I frequently configured a null proxy in Internet Explorer for Windows XP to prevent it from accessing the internet once I left support. This is how:

Click Tools in Internet Explorer (IE) once it has opened. Select the Connections Tab under Internet Options. Simply select LAN Settings. To prevent your system from accessing the internet, select "Use a proxy for your LAN" and then type a false IP address. Close IE, then open it again after clicking OK twice. Do the same thing now on Windows 7 for other browsers.

Conclusion: Change can be challenging. But too frequently, we fail to remember the challenges we faced while advancing technology. An operating system can't just be patched and fixed to make it more secure. Windows 7 is ceasing support nearly 14 years after its debut and still requires patches. And it will require much more come February.

Don't put yourself in danger as a result of Windows 7 because it had a long run.