windows 7

Microsoft has warned users of a significant unpatched security flaw in Windows. It's offered some key steps to take while the problem is being fixed. The problem affects all currently supported versions of Windows, though Windows 7 and 8 machines ... are affected 'critically' according to the Microsoft advisory bulletin. Attacks on Windows 10 machines are considerably more constrained due to its enhanced security features. Microsoft says its currently only aware of targeted attacks on Windows 7 machines, though that could change now the bug has been made public. (Source: microsoft.com ) Adobe ... (view more)

Microsoft has issued one extra fix for Windows 7 after it passed the deadline for security updates to the system. In an all-too-familiar move, the extra update fixed a problem caused by the final scheduled update. January 14, 2020 officially marked ... the end of Windows 7's Extended Support period . During the Extended Support period, Microsoft no longer added new features or offered free support, but did issue security patches, fixed major bugs and offered chargeable support for consumers. That's now over and the official position is that there will be no further updates of any kind for Windows ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Shelby C. writes: " Dear Dennis, I am in a huge hurry to upgrade my machine to Windows 10 because there won't be any more security updates for Windows 7 in January 2020, when Windows 7 reaches its end of life. I have tried to ... upgrade using the Upgrade Assistant and Windows 10 media, but I keep getting ' SAFE_OS phase error during Replicate_OC operation ' error, whatever that means. Windows 10 simply won't install on my machine! I have looked at articles all over the Internet including one from the Windows Club and none of them work. I really need your help! Can you please ... (view more)

January 2020 marks the end of extended support for Windows 7 from Microsoft. This means Windows 7 users have just one year left to upgrade to either Windows 8 or 10 (or an alternative), before their systems become a major security risk. Support for ... Windows 7 comes in a two-stage process. The first is known as mainstream support, which means the system is under warranty and Microsoft offers free technical support over the phone and its online forums. During this time, Microsoft also continues developing new features, and users can get hot fixes which patch any performance or security problems ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Jerry K. writes: " Dear Dennis, I've read that the Windows 10 free upgrade ends at the end of this year. I have Windows 7 on my main PC and and my wife has Windows 8 on her laptop. In all, I find Windows 7 easier to use. Can we ... continue using Windows 7 and 8 indefinitely? Can you give me a few good reasons why I should get the free upgrade? " My response: I have been receiving a lot of questions lately similar to this, so I will try and answer this as best I can. First let's address your first question: no, you cannot continue using Windows 7 or 8 indefinitely (at least, ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Judy G. writes: " Dear Dennis, I'm running Windows 7. Throughout the day, I often receive a message from Windows that says: 'Windows has detected your computer's performance is slow ... To improve performance, try changing the ... color scheme to Windows 7 Basic.' I click the option to 'Keep the current color scheme, and don't show this message again', but the error message 'Windows has detected your computer's performance is slow...' returns about 5 minutes later. I don't understand why this message appears, and I can't stop it from reappearing! It's incredibly annoying! Can ... (view more)

It's official: Microsoft says that Windows 10 will be free of charge -- but the offer comes with limitations and caveats. The free upgrade offer is part of what could be the biggest change to the Windows business model, ever. Microsoft's comments at ... a launch event this week have been interpreted by some analysts as meaning Windows 10 may also be the last major release of the operating system. Instead, Windows may receive more frequent, but less substantial updates in the future. The Windows 10 free upgrade deal will only apply to consumer versions of Windows 7 (Service Pack 1) and Windows ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Bill C. writes: " Dear Dennis, I run Windows 7 64 bit on my computer and my wife has an old Windows XP 32-bit PC (Dell Inspiron E521). She's a real stickler about [keeping her PC exactly the way it is, so she can still access all ... her files and programs, but I know it's time for an upgrade and I'd like to upgrade it to Windows 7 64 bit for her] ... I already have on hand all the items I thought I'd need: Windows 7 upgrade CD, more RAM for her PC, two new 1 TB hard drives, a video card, etc. What I'd like to be able to do is make a disk image clone of her old XP hard drive, ... (view more)

Dell President Renee James says Windows 10's impact on the struggling PC market will be huge, with the release of Microsoft's next operating system (OS) leading to an estimated 600 million PC upgrades. James, who recently spoke at the Credit Suisse ... Technology Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, says there are hundreds of millions of PCs out there that are four years old or older. James says that many of the owners of these aging PCs have been putting off an upgrade because they simply weren't wowed by Microsoft's last operating system, Windows 8. Microsoft Being " ... (view more)

It's the end of the line for Windows 7 -- sort of. After this Friday, October 31, Microsoft will no longer sell Windows 7 licenses to PC manufacturers, otherwise known as OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers). That will force most PC makers to ... turn to Windows 8.1 -- at least, until Windows 10's release next year. For businesses who don't appreciate Windows 8's main features -- like the Start screen, touch integration, and "Modern" (or "Metro") user interface -- there's some good news. Microsoft will continue to allow PC makers to produce Windows 7 ... (view more)