Your opinions and advice on using Windows 7 in 2020 and beyond?

[Robert Peruzzi]

I cannot install Windows 10 on my 8-year-old Dell Latitude Windows 7 laptop. It continues to run well, and I am satisfied with Windows 7.
I use it for my business. I don't want to spend the money just yet to purchase an equal performance Windows 10 machine, and I don't want to buy a cheap Windows 10 with lower performance.
Anyone else in a similar position?
Any advice or warnings against depending on an unsupported operating system?
My guess is that it will be third-party software such as Matlab or Quickbooks that will force me to make the purchase.
I hope this will open up a discussion
Thank you.
Bob P.

 

[TrainableMan]

In my case what forced me to win10 was that my motherboard died and I bought a new computer. So as long as your hardware lasts you are probably fine with Win 7.

 

[RolandJS]

My two laptops will run w7p until they die or I die. Because I can buy replacement MOBOs, because I have MS w7p install DVDs, windows 7 is and will be my friend for a long time.
Also, both laptops have several alligators in the security moats, so the castles should be fine, as long as the day and night watchfolks stay alert.

 

[Epsilon7]

I cannot install Windows 10 on my 8-year-old Dell Latitude Windows 7 laptop. It continues to run well, and I am satisfied with Windows 7.
I use it for my business. I don't want to spend the money just yet to purchase an equal performance Windows 10 machine, and I don't want to buy a cheap Windows 10 with lower performance.
Anyone else in a similar position?
Any advice or warnings against depending on an unsupported operating system?
My guess is that it will be third-party software such as Matlab or Quickbooks that will force me to make the purchase.
I hope this will open up a discussion
Thank you.
Bob P.

For the last 3+ years I have used XP Pro. It's EOS/EOL has meant absolutely nothing. All the much ballyhooed viruses, rootkits, trojans, and other bugaboos constantly threatened by M$ (and their legion of lapdogs) never materialized. In three years I have gotten 3 or four PUPs. Given this experience, my belief is that EOS/EOL is mostly a M$ marketing ploy to stampede the sheeple to the next rendition of Windows, and keep the income flowing in. It is the CA nazis, and their broken and embedded security certificates store (which renders all chrome/chromium based browsers useless), that forced me to move to Win 7.

If you are still concerned, I will offer the same advice someone gave me. Get a wired router, engage its NAT & SPI, set incoming to default deny, close all ports not essential, and before hooking it up to the router, do a full malware sweep of your PC to insure it's clean. Engage a software firewall, in addition to the hardware firewall. Use Malewarebytes Free and Superantispyware to scan once weekly. That is all I did, and my XP Pro remained near bulletproof for over three years, and that is all I'll be doing when I transition to Win 7.

 

[hmazuji]

i ended up transitioning away from win xp to win 7 ultimate, and never looked back. what forced me was my desktop inability to read more than 3.5 gb ram. i upgraded to ryzen 7 2700, 16 gb, m.2 ssd, win 7. it was a bear to install, but now works flawlessly. i have had one program that wouldn't run on win 7, but i forgot what it was

 

[Ann M Diamond]

I need to find a tax program for my Windows 7 for this April 2020 returns . Can anyone suggest one? Last year H and R Block downloaded one to my computer for me. Haven't heard that they will do that this year. Has anyone been able to do that?

 

[Epsilon7]

I need to find a tax program for my Windows 7 for this April 2020 returns . Can anyone suggest one? Last year H and R Block downloaded one to my computer for me. Haven't heard that they will do that this year. Has anyone been able to do that?

Looks like H&R flipped off Win 7 users:

Does My Computer Meet H&R Block Software System Requirements?

Learn more about the system requirements for installing H&R Block Tax Software with detailed information from product experts.

www.hrblock.com

Although here it seems to say different:

Software Archives

Get H&R Block software support for your tax return. Our Help Center will guide you through filing your taxes with our software products.

www.hrblock.com

Tax Software for Easy At-Home Preparation & Filing | H&R Block®

Discover tax filing software that makes DIY preparation easy. H&R Block offers a range of tax preparation software for everyone from basic filers to business owners.

www.hrblock.com

Mixed signals! Alternatives:

H&R Block Alternatives

H&R Block is an extremely popular tax software for many individuals, but not the best for everyone. Here's our best H&R Block alternatives.

thecollegeinvestor.com

19 Best H&R BLOCK Alternatives & Competitors (Free & Paid)

List of best H&R BLOCK alternatives and competitors for your business. Compare real user reviews, features, exclusive deals, and pricing.

www.softwaresuggest.com