MS dumps 7 support?

fightingfi

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Microsoft

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella

Microsoft is warning customers that the end is soon coming for free Windows 7 support. Microsoft will end free mainstream support for Windows 7 on January 13, 2015.

This covers all versions of Windows 7, Mary Jo Foley points out .

The end of support generally means no more updated features or performance improvements, unless you are covered by extra "extended support."

UPDATED: Microsoft has promised to provide security patches even after it ends mainstream support, through 2020. What is ending is design changes, warranty claims and no-charge incident support.

This move will mostly affect consumers. Businesses that pay for extended support for Windows 7, as most of them do, will be get all updates for another five years, until January 14, 2020.

That's important, because many businesses are right now are in the process of upgrading their old Windows XP PCs, but they're moving to Windows 7, not Windows 8.

There's some speculation that, given the popularity of Windows 7, Microsoft might change its mind as the date nears and continue to support it a bit longer, like it did for Windows XP. All told, Microsoft supported XP for about 13 years.

That kind of extension doesn't seem likely at this point. Remember, Windows 8 basically includes a full version of Windows 7, called Desktop mode. With Windows 8.1, it's possible to run a Windows 8 machine in Desktop mode and almost avoid the new-and-confusing Windows 8 part of the OS.

And Microsoft really needs to nudge consumers into buying Windows 8 machines. More Windows 8 machines means more developers will want to write software for Windows 8, which will make more people want to buy it.

By the way, Microsoft also set an end-of-life of mainstream support for Windows 8 (including the latest version, Windows 8.1), for January 9, 2018.

This is another hint that Microsoft should have its next version of Windows ready in 2015, code-named "Threshold" (sometimes referred to as Windows 9).

If Microsoft plays its cards right, Windows 9 will be to the unloved Windows 8 what Windows 7 was to Vista, which InfoWorld ranked No. 2 on its list of the 25 biggest tech flops (also PCWorld's "Biggest Tech Disappointment" of 2007.)
 
This information was widely available the moment 7 was released, and could have been inferred from previous Windows releases (Vista, 98, etc). XP was the exception, not the norm.
 
We never even got a SP2...that's what sucks. Just as many if not more downloads now as XP had at EOL with a fresh reload from 7 SP1. It's fucking ridiculous.
 
The transition from mainstream to extended support is not unexpected and not too much to worry about.

Free support incidents included with retail copies are no longer valid but honestly how often do people really call support and how many people use retail copies anyway.

Non-security hotfixes become chargable but honestly if you haven't been bitten by a bug in the first 5 years it's fairly unlikely ito be a bug that can't be reasonablly worked around.

Security hotfixes remain free in extended support.
 
We never even got a SP2...that's what sucks. Just as many if not more downloads now as XP had at EOL with a fresh reload from 7 SP1. It's fucking ridiculous.
What would you like in another service pack? Anything in particular, or do you just want something called a service pack?
 
What would you like in another service pack? Anything in particular, or do you just want something called a service pack?

I want to be able to install Windows 7 without having to download literally dozens of updates and multiple reboots to get it up to date. I thought that was pretty fucking clear. And I don't want to have to use a 3rd party hack to slipstream an updated install iso. Even Vista had a SP2. That clear enough for you?
 
What would you like in another service pack? Anything in particular, or do you just want something called a service pack?

NT 4.0 was magical. So many service packs. When my system properties would go from SP5 to SP6 my heart would flutter.
 
Nope. Maybe you should've added a few more "fucking"s to have really gotten your point across.

I don't think that would help. See below.

We never even got a fucking SP2...that's what fucking sucks. Just as fucking many if not more fucking downloads now as fucking XP had at fucking EOL with a fresh fucking reload from fucking 7 SP1. It's fucking ridiculous.
 
I don't think that would help. See below.

We never even got a fucking SP2...that's what fucking sucks. Just as fucking many if not more fucking downloads now as fucking XP had at fucking EOL with a fresh fucking reload from fucking 7 SP1. It's fucking ridiculous.

fuckin eh right...well put. I feel the same.
 
anyone fucking else fucking bothered by this? we got one so fucking far.
 
The SP is not a BFD. There are plenty of tools to automatically download and slipstream updates into install media.
 
Julie Bort's article is nothing but click bait. She is ignorant to the way Microsoft handles extended support (originally claiming updates of any kind would not be given past 2015). Obviously with the "update" she posted, it's clear she didn't know what she was talking about and shouldn't of even wrote the piece.
 
The SP is not a BFD. There are plenty of tools to automatically download and slipstream updates into install media.

I don't want 3rd party tools that are unsupported and cause me more work...and how many of them do I have to slipstream, one for every month of updates? Yes, there would still be downloads after another SP but it would still be much better. Come on people please use common sense...no wonder I swear. :rolleyes:
 
I'm with 450 and pcjunkie. Reloading a Win 7 system takes far longer than it should, waiting for a slew of updates to download. All I would expect from SP2 would for it to be a big rollup of updates. Especially given that a lot of corporations are just now in the process of rolling Win 7 out, it would be a huge help.
 
I don't want 3rd party tools that are unsupported and cause me more work...and how many of them do I have to slipstream, one for every month of updates?

If you really don't want to spend the time every time you install, you can always maintain your installation WIM. You can offline update your installation media every time a new patch comes out. It can even be scripted so you don't really have to do anything, it's not that big of a deal.

And you don't need any third party tools; dism is installed with windows.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff794819.aspx
 
I want to be able to install Windows 7 without having to download literally dozens of updates and multiple reboots to get it up to date. I thought that was pretty fucking clear. And I don't want to have to use a 3rd party hack to slipstream an updated install iso. Even Vista had a SP2. That clear enough for you?

Install MDT with SUS and let it do all of that on deploy.

Welcome to the future.
 
I'm with 450 and pcjunkie. Reloading a Win 7 system takes far longer than it should, waiting for a slew of updates to download. All I would expect from SP2 would for it to be a big rollup of updates. Especially given that a lot of corporations are just now in the process of rolling Win 7 out, it would be a huge help.

We are prepping to move to windows 8.1/9 now that 7 is done. No point in sitting around for another XP debacle. Keep up.
 
We are prepping to move to windows 8.1/9 now that 7 is done. No point in sitting around for another XP debacle. Keep up.

Good luck with that...your business must have money to burn just for the sake of "keeping up". We will probably move to Windows 9.x eventually but in the mean time another Win 7 SP or roll-up would help.
 
Good luck with that...your business must have money to burn just for the sake of "keeping up". We will probably move to Windows 9.x eventually but in the mean time another Win 7 SP or roll-up would help.

No luck needed. It is called software assurance and volume license agreements. It is also called not waiting until hell freezes over to stay current like most people are still doing with XP. Proactive IT, not reactive "ZOMG we got hax0red!!!" IT.

And look into my comment about MDT and SUS. All patches rolled into the deploy from SUS. Automate the process, save time.
 
No luck needed. It is called software assurance and volume license agreements. It is also called not waiting until hell freezes over to stay current like most people are still doing with XP. Proactive IT, not reactive "ZOMG we got hax0red!!!" IT.

And look into my comment about MDT and SUS. All patches rolled into the deploy from SUS. Automate the process, save time.
You're right, but SA is very expensive unless you're a charity or non-profit. Many companies just roll with the default OS and server install.
 
I want to be able to install Windows 7 without having to download literally dozens of updates and multiple reboots to get it up to date. I thought that was pretty fucking clear. And I don't want to have to use a 3rd party hack to slipstream an updated install iso. Even Vista had a SP2. That clear enough for you?
Sounds like you want an update roll-up, not a service pack.

A service pack includes an update roll-up, but it may also contain patches that were not released individually, and will also extend the mainstream-support phase of the OS's support lifecycle.

An update roll-up is more like what you described: All current patches rolled together into a single update.
 
We never even got a SP2...that's what sucks. Just as many if not more downloads now as XP had at EOL with a fresh reload from 7 SP1. It's fucking ridiculous.
learn2use images for restoration.
 
No luck needed. It is called software assurance and volume license agreements. It is also called not waiting until hell freezes over to stay current like most people are still doing with XP. Proactive IT, not reactive "ZOMG we got hax0red!!!" IT.

And look into my comment about MDT and SUS. All patches rolled into the deploy from SUS. Automate the process, save time.

Software assurance doesn't buy you relief from the update migration headaches it brings, although it will eventually need to be done. No need to update now as (Win 7) is not even on extended support yet. And why on earth would you update to 8.1 now if Windows 9 is coming out next year? How many OS's do you want to support? Sometimes being too proactive can be just as bad as too reactive.

PS: Am looking into that MTD and SUS now...thanks.
 
learn2use images for restoration.

That sounds easy but when there is only two of us in a company with so many different types of configurations and workstations that the maintenance and updating of those images would require hiring another person. We only have so much time in the day the way it is now.

In other words learn2use your time more wisely.
 
That sounds easy but when there is only two of us in a company with so many different types of configurations and workstations that the maintenance and updating of those images would require hiring another person.
Not sure what you mean by "maintenance and updating of those images" :confused:

You just need one image, which you can then deploy to any hardware.

In other words learn2use your time more wisely.
He's trying to tell you how to use YOUR time more wisely.

You can integrate Windows Deployment Services (WDS), the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT), and Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) to create a deployment server that can PXE boot any machine on your network into an imaging environment that can capture and/or deploy Windows images that are always up-to-date and work on any hardware.

Best part? Once you've captured a base image into MDT, it's generalized. It can be deployed onto ANY hardware. You can register drivers and updates from the MDT workbench on your deployment server and create task sequences for totally unattended installations. Once you've got everything set up you can literally walk up to any machine on the network, PXE-boot it (WDS acts as a PXE server), and image the box using your task sequences. Everything is automated, updates and drivers, software installs, everything. It's a HUGE time-saver.

Now, when we get a new machine in (doesn't matter what it is) we plug it in, connect it to the LAN, boot it from the network using PXE, select a task sequence, and come back in 30 minutes to find a fully company-ready Windows install (already joined to the domain with a correctly formatted machine name) ready to be logged-into by a domain user with no further interaction by IT.
 
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Here's a +1 for WDS + image updating combined with WSUS... Worked wonderfully for my org for many years before we finally put in SCCM (which works well too, especially since so many of the components from WDS are really just taken from the deployment components of SCCM)...

On the other hand, maintaining this type of environment for the really small business (think 10-25 users) is really hard to justify. For supporting home users is a bit more difficult too. When you're tasked with fixing a grandmother's personal laptop, sometimes it's just damn tough to hunt up drivers (and get some of those crap drivers to install right) after using a slipstreamed WIn7 USB install... Sometimes it's easier to get the thing running again with the crazy "restore CD", (Because, you know, the grandma really liked and used that bloatware that came on the laptop... Yes, I've seen it.) But then it takes FOREVER to get updates downloaded and installed.

Is an update roll-up really too much to ask for?
 
Sometimes it's easier to get the thing running again with the crazy "restore CD", (Because, you know, the grandma really liked and used that bloatware that came on the laptop... Yes, I've seen it.) But then it takes FOREVER to get updates downloaded and installed.

Agreed, but as a home user, and not an IT person, I just do that fresh install Win 7, install SP 1 off a CD, and then let the system run overnight. "Forever" is generally less than 8 hours. :) Again, I'm the "sysadmin" of my family's home network.

Is an update roll-up really too much to ask for?

No it's not.

Just wondering here. How about a "crowdsourced" roll-up. Someone put up a website where people can post links to all the patches. Then write a script to auto-download all those patches to someone's system. Then people can burn their own "update roll-up" DVDs or images. Just wondering. ;)
 
I'm with 450 and pcjunkie. Reloading a Win 7 system takes far longer than it should, waiting for a slew of updates to download. All I would expect from SP2 would for it to be a big rollup of updates. Especially given that a lot of corporations are just now in the process of rolling Win 7 out, it would be a huge help.
It's very easy to create a new install.wim file for Win7 that will install as stock as you want, with whatever updates are current. I just made one last night for work. Windows 7 Pro, updated to July 2014, it installs as if I was installing off the Windows 7 DVD. One cool thing is with default profile customization, I also do a couple of little tweaks like the wallpaper and turning off effects and some sounds.. that will be for every user with that image, automatically.

Technically no third party tools are required. Just Win7 media, WAIK, and a computer with two drive bays (or two computers). I cheat and use VirtualBox. To whip up a new image takes roughly an hour.
 
I'm with 450 and pcjunkie. Reloading a Win 7 system takes far longer than it should, waiting for a slew of updates to download. All I would expect from SP2 would for it to be a big rollup of updates. Especially given that a lot of corporations are just now in the process of rolling Win 7 out, it would be a huge help.

Corporations use something called WSUS so it is a non-issues.

Install your system, and do an image and use that image to reload your system when you need to install of install Windows 7 and then download everything...
 
Software assurance doesn't buy you relief from the update migration headaches it brings, although it will eventually need to be done. No need to update now as (Win 7) is not even on extended support yet. And why on earth would you update to 8.1 now if Windows 9 is coming out next year? How many OS's do you want to support? Sometimes being too proactive can be just as bad as too reactive.

PS: Am looking into that MTD and SUS now...thanks.

We support windows 7 x64 for users, and are putting out 8.1 to select users on their secondary machines. We will probably skip 8.1 as a mass deploy, and deploy the next version of windows.

And with MDT, you don't need 500 images, it allows you to create software deployments that run after OS imaging.
 
I suppose another option for very small-scale deployments would simply be to slipstream a Windows 7 SP1 install with all current updates.

The process is pretty simple:
1. Install Windows to reference computer
2. When the "Out Of Box Experience" appears, press Ctrl + Shift + F3 instead of entering information or setting up a user account.
3. The system will reboot into Audit Mode (temporary local admin account).
4. Install all updates.
5. Run the Disk Cleanup Wizard and clear update rollback data.
6. Run "sysprep /generalize /oobe /shutdown"

At this point, the Windows install will generalize itself and shut the PC off. It is VERY important that you DO NOT boot back into the OS at this point. It has been prepped for capture, and booting into the OS will undo that process.

7. Follow this guide to create a Windows PE disc that includes ImageX: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744320(v=ws.10).aspx
8. Use this bootable Windows PE environment to capture the syspreped hard disk to a WIM file.
9. Replace the "INSTALL.WIM" file on your Windows 7 installation media with the new one you just captured.

Aaaaaand, you're done. When you boot up from your newly-created install media, it will install Windows 7 with all current patches pre-integrated.
 
I suppose another option for very small-scale deployments would simply be to slipstream a Windows 7 SP1 install with all current updates.

The process is pretty simple:
1. Install Windows to reference computer
2. When the "Out Of Box Experience" appears, press Ctrl + Shift + F3 instead of entering information or setting up a user account.
3. The system will reboot into Audit Mode (temporary local admin account).
4. Install all updates.
5. Run the Disk Cleanup Wizard and clear update rollback data.
6. Run "sysprep /generalize /oobe /shutdown"

At this point, the Windows install will generalize itself and shut the PC off. It is VERY important that you DO NOT boot back into the OS at this point. It has been prepped for capture, and booting into the OS will undo that process.

7. Follow this guide to create a Windows PE disc that includes ImageX: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744320(v=ws.10).aspx
8. Use this bootable Windows PE environment to capture the syspreped hard disk to a WIM file.
9. Replace the "INSTALL.WIM" file on your Windows 7 installation media with the new one you just captured.

Aaaaaand, you're done. When you boot up from your newly-created install media, it will install Windows 7 with all current patches pre-integrated.

I'm going to give this a shot...thanks.
 
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