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Microsoft has quietly killed off Windows 7 support for older Intel PCs.
If your PC doesn't run Streaming Single Instructions Multiple Data (SIMD) Extensions 2, you apparently won't be getting any more Win7 patches. At least, that's what I infer from some clandestine Knowledge Base documentation changes made in the past few days.
Even though Microsoft says it's supporting Win7 until January 14, 2020, if you have an older machine — including any Pentium III — you've been blocked, and there's nothing you can do about it.
Here's how it happened. Back in March, the Win7 Monthly Rollup, KB 4088875, included a warning about SSE2 problems:
A Stop error occurs on computers that don't support Streaming Single Instructions Multiple Data (SIMD) Extensions 2 (SSE2).
I talked about the bugs in KB 4088875 — one of the buggiest Win7 patches in recent memory — shortly after it was released. At the time, the KB article said:
Microsoft is working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release.
[...] To recap: Up until June 15, Microsoft was promising that it would fix the bug that prevented Win7 Monthly Rollups and Security-only updates from installing on older pre-SSE2 machines. After June 15, Microsoft wrote off the pre-SSE2 population, without notice or fanfare, and retroactively changed the documentation to cover its tracks.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 04 2018, @10:06AM
Yasmin said on July 3, 2018 at 12:02 pm
@ ddk said on July 3, 2018 at 12:31 am
“Linux will NOT save you.”
You’re right – that’s for Jesus!
“It’s absolutely the worst computing experience imaginable.
Countless bugs, regressions, software breakage, erratic performance, constant crashes, terrible GUI/themes/designs etc. It was a migraine and emotionally draining experience using it.”
Wow, never been down that road.. Oh yes, I have! The entire time I used Windows starting all the way back with 3.x. People were so gracious for Windows XP (2000 & 7) because, in part, it wasn’t crashing all of the time, freezing, hard locks requiring a reboot, BSOD, sluggish behavior, etc. Still – the experience for me was at the least, included in what you said about Linux. I’ve had the opposite experience with Linux, actually.
“IMHO, consider switching to Mac OS as an alternative”
Yeah, no. Both are proprietary (closed source) Operating Systems loaded with proprietary software.
I recommend you read the following:
https://stallman.org/apple.html [stallman.org]
Please direct all disagreements to the author, which of course is not me.
“if not then Win 7 or 8. Win 8 is great, very stable & with classic shell, we got our start menu back.”
Yay! They gave us a start menu again! I’m so happy! Yeah, no. Try Linux with the ton of window managers and several desktop environments to choose from. For example, it’s a real treat to be able to load up old and new tech with something minimal like openbox, fluxbox, etc. whereas Windows does not give you this choice! Windows gives you what Windows gives you, and that includes M$ root access to all of the installs. I don’t eat from the dog scraps under the table.
“Win 10 LTSB is fantastic and even though a demo, probably can be “rearmed” for additional extended use. Mine says 2 rearms available. I might be good until March 2019 if that’s the case.”
Wow! How fantastic! Yeah, no. I can choose from tons of Linux distributions, each designed for a different purpose. I can choose FREELY, distribute freely, modify freely, upgrade freely, and so forth. I don’t need to worry about licenses, whether or not some or all are legit, call up M$ and beg for help should some license issue go haywire. Did you purchase new hardware and it tells you to call M$? Come on, it’s 2018, people should know better. Privacy/security issues are discussed widely across the net, I’ll let you search for those, but IMO you really sound like a M$ rep. of some sort.
So in closing, yes, Linux does save you from a lot, especially if you devoted a large portion of your life to using and/or supporting Windows boxes. I can load Grandma up with a Linux box and customize it within minutes and Grandma never experiences any trouble. But give her a box with Windows on it and she’ll never leave you the .. alone.
- https://www.ghacks.net/2018/07/02/windows-10-installing-unwanted-store-apps/#comment-4383537 [ghacks.net]