|
Post by mslo79 on Aug 17, 2019 7:51:13 GMT
!!!IMPORTANT!!!
For those reading this who are still using Windows 7, you only have about 5 months left to either upgrade to Windows 10 (which can be done for free if you know what to do) or switch to a free alternative like Linux Mint (I suggest the Cinnamon version for most people since it's their most popular and it's general interface function is closest to Windows).
January 14th 2020 is the latest Microsoft will release security fixes etc for Windows 7 which means it's likely not all that long after that point Windows 7 will become risky to use online as more security flaws are found in Windows 7, which they inevitably will be with enough time. hence, continuing to use Windows 7 much after Jan 2020 is a bad idea if you care about your security online like if do other more sensitive stuff online like banking/ordering stuff from Amazon etc etc.
I suggest switching to Linux Mint if you don't do much else on your computer besides surfing the internet and some other fairly basic tasks as I would say the average computer illiterate user is safer browsing random websites with Linux then they are Windows simply due to the fact that many shady programs online specifically target Windows computers, which won't effect Linux. this won't protect you from everything but it gets rid of a lot of shady stuff from effecting those computer illiterate types (who tend to install a bunch of random junk) right off the start. but for those who have a decent computer that can run Windows 10... that's a decent option to. but for someone who's got a older computer(that's a bit slow or with low RAM), Linux Mint is probably your better choice as I can say Mint runs noticeably faster than Windows 10, especially on underpowered CPU's.
NOTE: for those wondering... with Linux you can still use the major browsers which is Chrome and Firefox for your general internet browsing. Linux Mint comes with Firefox by default but Chrome can be installed if one wants it.
p.s. even for Windows 8 (Win 8.1) users you got til Jan 10th 2023 to upgrade to either Windows 10 etc or free Linux variations as Microsoft stops supporting Windows 8.1 at that date like how Windows 7's above is Jan 14th 2020.
|
|
|
Post by divtal on Sept 5, 2019 21:04:10 GMT
Mslo79. Thank you for the suggestion. I, actually, came to this site to ask for thoughts on the best way to prepare for Jan. 14th. I am, indeed, "the average computer illiterate user." While I'm in awe of the potential of computers, high sophistication isn't vital to my needs, or lifestyle. I watched a video, put out by Microsoft, which suggested that purchasing a new Windows 10 computer might be a good idea. ( Profit motive?? You be the judge. ) I am considering it, and will decide in a month, or so. At home I use a desktop/tower. And, I have two laptops for travel. I did look at "10 towers," at Best Buy, and was taken by the smaller size/weight. The computer that I'm using, now, is probably 10 years old. Thank you for the suggestion of Linux Mint (who comes up with these names??). I may be back for further advice, as I explore. Thank you, again
|
|
|
Post by mslo79 on Sept 5, 2019 22:43:13 GMT
divtal If you got old hardware, Linux Mint might be a great choice especially if you do basic internet and the like with it and that will continue to work for years to come and it's 100% free. so regardless if you get a new computer or not, your current one can be turned into at least a decent internet machine with Linux Mint and you don't have to worry about general malware/viruses on Linux like you do with Windows since Linux only has about 2% of the market share where as Windows has about 87% of the market share (in terms of general desktop/laptop) as no one really bothers to target it etc. in fact, many say you don't even need a anti-virus on Linux like you generally will on Windows which just shows you ones chance of getting a virus is slim (to nothing) currently. but obviously, phishing stuff (like something pretending to be legit when it's not) can still effect you since it's not OS specific. but in general your safer online using Linux than Windows since alot of the stuff that effects Windows can't harm Linux. so unless there are certain Windows applications you use that you can't live without, Linux Mint would likely be what I would put on your current 10 year old computer. but depending on what Windows programs you do use, they might work under Linux using 'Wine' etc. also, when it comes to security updates etc those are offered in Linux Mint under it's 'Update Manager' which is pretty easy to use for the average person and they even have something in there called 'Timeshift' which is sort of like Windows 'system restore' in that if something acts up you can use that to restore the system to a previous working state. NOTE: the updates are not automatically installed so you have to manually allow them to install here and there but you can tell if there is updates available on the taskbar as the Update Manager icon changes from a Shield with a green check mark to a blue looking icon to alert you there is updates. it's also how your web browser (which Linux Mint comes with Firefox by default. if you prefer Chrome you can install that) gets updates.
with all of that said... how much RAM does your current 10 year old computer have? ; my guess is you have enough for running Linux Mint as it only requires 1GB of RAM although 2GB (or more) is recommended for more smoother usage.
for the record... you can attempt to put Windows 10 onto your current computer (assuming you have enough RAM etc) as the FREE upgrade offer (from Windows 7 to Windows 10) still works as I tested it on a couple of laptops I got a hold of earlier this year (i.e. using... www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 ). but I currently got Linux Mint on those since they have under-powered CPU's and Mint runs noticeably better on those vs Windows 10 as Windows 10 is a little too CPU resource hungry etc. Microsoft stopped advertising the free upgrade offer officially as of July 29th 2016. but it still works to give you a 100% working copy of Windows 10 on a computer running Windows 7. so unless your Windows 7 computer (I am assuming your running Windows 7) does not like Windows 10 for whatever reason, this is a option for you. p.s. as far as the names... basically there are plenty of variations of Linux, as all are free, but I suggest Mint because it's probably the all around safest bet for someone who's used to Windows interface.
|
|
|
Post by jackspicer on Sept 7, 2019 0:07:16 GMT
I'm most likely going to "upgrade" to Windows 8.1, and dual boot it with a Linux distro. I haven't used Mint, but I have used Raspbian, another Debian-based distro, so I understand the terminal, sudo commands, etc.
I don't know what I will do after Microsoft stops supporting Windows 8.1. I despise nearly everything I've heard about Windows 10.
|
|
|
Post by mslo79 on Sept 7, 2019 2:39:37 GMT
jackspicer Windows 8 is pretty much a failure as it's either Windows 10 or Linux pretty much from Windows 7. Microsoft put the nail in Windows 8's coffin after it's initial release with the interface being horrible for desktop/laptop users as it's interface, which was geared towards tablets and the like (which made it a chore to use for real computer users), killed it and while they apparently fixed it with 8.1, by then the damage was done. Windows 10 is good as long as it supports your hardware as I used it from Dec 2015 til Jan 2019 on my main PC. while I can understand some hate for Windows 10, given some slip ups (some fairly big slip ups to) since it's release, as long as your hardware supports it, it's likely not as bad as you have heard as those people who dis it tend to be those die hard Windows 7 types who refuse even the slightest change. but with that said... it does seem like there have been more slips with Windows 10 than in the past which I think is due to them always tweaking things and adding new features etc every 6 months with the general March and September release pattern (or two major releases a year).
but Microsoft has a general pattern with their OS's which has pretty much held true from Windows 98 to date... Win98(good),WinME(bad),WinXP(good),WinVista(bad),Win7(good),Win8(bad),Win10(good) (NOTE: I did not count Win2k (which was before WinXP) as while that was basically the first stable OS from Microsoft the average person could use, it was not targeted towards the average person). but just speaking personally... I used all of those for a while at one point in the past (along with Win v3.11/Win95) besides Win8 as I tried it briefly in a virtual machine and hated it due to it's interface upon release was not made for desktop/laptop as whoever made the decision to make a major change to Windows core interface function should have been fired as while some change here and there is okay, you just don't screw with the core general interface (i.e. start menu and the like being basically removed) like they did on Win8.
by the way... Windows 8.1's support ends Jan 10th 2023.
|
|
|
Post by msdemos on Sept 8, 2019 21:28:45 GMT
!!!IMPORTANT!!!
For those reading this who are still using Windows 7, you only have about 5 months left to either upgrade to Windows 10 (which can be done for free if you know what to do) or switch to a free alternative like Linux Mint (I suggest the Cinnamon version for most people since it's their most popular and it's general interface function is closest to Windows).
January 14th 2020 is the latest Microsoft will release security fixes etc for Windows 7 which means it's likely not all that long after that point Windows 7 will become risky to use online as more security flaws are found in Windows 7, which they inevitably will be with enough time. hence, continuing to use Windows 7 much after Jan 2020 is a bad idea if you care about your security online like if do other more sensitive stuff online like banking/ordering stuff from Amazon etc etc.
I suggest switching to Linux Mint if you don't do much else on your computer besides surfing the internet and some other fairly basic tasks as I would say the average computer illiterate user is safer browsing random websites with Linux then they are Windows simply due to the fact that many shady programs online specifically target Windows computers, which won't effect Linux. this won't protect you from everything but it gets rid of a lot of shady stuff from effecting those computer illiterate types (who tend to install a bunch of random junk) right off the start. but for those who have a decent computer that can run Windows 10... that's a decent option to. but for someone who's got a older computer(that's a bit slow or with low RAM), Linux Mint is probably your better choice as I can say Mint runs noticeably faster than Windows 10, especially on underpowered CPU's.
NOTE: for those wondering... with Linux you can still use the major browsers which is Chrome and Firefox for your general internet browsing. Linux Mint comes with Firefox by default but Chrome can be installed if one wants it.
p.s. even for Windows 8 (Win 8.1) users you got til Jan 10th 2023 to upgrade to either Windows 10 etc or free Linux variations as Microsoft stops supporting Windows 8.1 at that date like how Windows 7's above is Jan 14th 2020.
Thanks VERY much for posting this.....I have a laptop that's more than 5 years old that I haven't used in quite a while, and when I saw your post it occurred to me that it still had the original Windows 7 OS on it. And though it probably won't be used as my primary computer again (unless something dramatic happens to my current pc), I GREATLY appreciate the 'heads up' on this so I was able to get it updated while still possible, so it's ready to go if, and when, it's needed! Again, thanks...... SAVE FERRIS
|
|
|
Post by mslo79 on Sept 8, 2019 23:43:28 GMT
msdemosYou got basically two options and both cost you $0.00 (assuming you already got a USB stick or DVD recordable).... A)Upgrade to Windows 10, which can still be done for free. (NOTE: you need either a USB stick or DVD recordable. a 4GB USB stick at the minimum, but probably 8GB to be guaranteed to fit as the current Windows 10 1903 ISO may or may not fit on a 4GB USB stick since it's size is... "4.0 GB (3,967,483,904 bytes)") if that option fails... B)Install Linux Mint (or another version of Linux) which is free. (NOTE: you need either a USB stick or DVD recordable. a 2GB stick might work but 4GB will for sure work as currently the Linux Mint v19.2-Cinnamon ISO is "2.0 GB (1,973,911,552 bytes)" ; so it may or may not fit on a 2GB stick, but obviously will fit on a 4GB USB stick.) that will make you computer usable for years to come for general internet etc. plus, like you said... you won't be using it as your primary computer again short of your main computer(s) going down. still, it's always nice to have a backup computer around that you can count on. just having Linux Mint on your backup computer will give you a reliable/secure way to browse the internet for doing important stuff online like banking etc. so if you just want a reliable/secure operating system for general internet and the like... I suggest going with the Linux option since it's quite unlikely you will get any viruses etc on your computer using that. but... it can't hurt to attempt the free Windows 10 upgrade (all you got to lose is a bit of your time) as this way you got both options (i.e. Win10 and Linux). I suggest using Rufus (i.e. rufus.ie/ ) for creating your bootable USB stick which you will need to use for installing Windows 10 or Linux Mint from scratch. this is optimal since everything will be in good running order. or your using the more old school DVD option you won't need Rufus at all since any decent burning software (I suggest ImgBurn... www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/imgburn.html ; I linked to here instead of the official site since that one does not include the OpenCandy junk that the one on the official website does. but it's the exact same version of the program which is v2.5.8.0) should not have trouble burning a ISO. NOTE: but before attempting any OS upgrades etc... backup any important data on that computer to a external hard drive or USB stick etc as this way in a worst case scenario you won't lose anything important!
|
|
|
Post by Prime etc. on Sept 9, 2019 1:27:49 GMT
I have three old computers running on windows 7 and I hate to see them go kaput. I have to ask my brother what we will do about them. I'd hate to lose them since my two new computers (one is a laptop) I had intended to use for special video tasks and portable stuff, not my day to day internet stuff.
|
|
|
Post by mslo79 on Sept 9, 2019 3:30:05 GMT
Prime etc.Well if you just want a reliable day-to-day internet machine... I definitely suggest Linux over Windows, especially on aging hardware. plus, as I mentioned before... Linux is secure as you could use it for say anything important online like banking/paypal etc and you generally don't have to worry about viruses. all you have to do occasionally is manually allow the updates the 'Update Manager' finds (which it finds stuff automatically. but won't install automatically as it requires your permission to install) to install (which is security fixes and browser updates etc) and setup 'Timeshift' to take a system snapshot occasionally as this way if anything acts up after a update you can restore it to it's previous working state. this is not hard to do. another thing I like about Linux over Windows is updates generally don't require you to reboot the computer to take effect like Windows generally does. but I strongly suggest if your updating your browser for example (which is updated through the Update Manager)... close your browser first before allowing the updates to download and install and once it's finished then you can resume browser use like normal. but since nothing will install automatically without your permission you can select whenever you want to install the updates as they will never install without your permission. but obviously I would not wait too long before installing stuff as this way your system will stay as secure as possible. so if you say install Linux Mint, get all of the updates, everything is fine and then say you let that computer collect dust for a few months or something and power it up, chances are there will be a fair amount of updates to download in which case I would install those first before doing anything. so you definitely won't lose your Windows 7 systems as it's not like they will suddenly die as after Jan 2020, Windows 7 will still continue to function but any security flaws found (which they will be at some point) won't be patched which makes it that much less safer to continue to use online which is why you would need to move to either Windows 10 or a Linux variation.
|
|
|
Post by Prime etc. on Sept 9, 2019 3:46:58 GMT
I used two machines-one for email, internet, and torrents
the other for graphics related things (zbrush, photoshop, maya, after effects). But ancient machine now-very slow for graphics rendering, however Zbrush still worked well on it.
I had one other older graphics machine as a back up for rendering and it also had a shadow copy of my saved files.
Now I think I should decommission the oldest machine and concentrate on improving those two. The question is whether Linux will be better with those graphics programs (though in truth I really should switch over to the laptop for zbrush..but I am used to my old ways so I dont mind using the old PC for some things like basic modelling and graphics work).
|
|
|
Post by mslo79 on Sept 9, 2019 4:23:35 GMT
Prime etc. That will work on Linux as it's got enough torrent clients to choose from. in fact, Transmission is installed by default on Mint. I currently use something else though. qBittorrent is probably what I would try first though on Linux. but on Windows I used to use uTorrent v2.2.1 build 25302 for years (it was released in 2011) but switched to qBittorrent a while ago. but I currently don't have Windows installed, pretty much. when I do use Windows, I typically use it in a virtual machine. basically it's sort of like running Windows in a program from within Linux. basically you run VirtualBox (free software) on Linux which acts like a virtual machine (sort of like a computer on your computer) and then you install Windows to it etc. although I suggest you have a fair amount of system RAM to do this though (probably 8GB+, although 4GB+ might work okay-ish) NOTE: you can probably do the reverse of this to play around with Linux Mint if you want in that you can, with your current Windows 7 setup as it is, install VirtualBox then Mint as you can get a feel of it (things won't run as snappy as if it was running on your actual machine though but it gets the gist of it across). If it's pretty old I would probably put Mint on it as unless it's pretty ancient it should still work okay enough for general internet because I think the only time a machine is pretty much truly useless is when it fails to work as a passable basic internet machine and unless you got pretty ancient hardware, chances are it will pass this standard. p.s. depending on how much you use these machines... looking into putting a SSD (solid state drive) into them might be worth it as it makes things load up much quicker vs your standard hard drive and they are priced quite well right now as you can get something that will get you by, unless you install a bunch of stuff, for around $30. but like I say it depends on whether you plan on using them much or not as if your use of them is fairly minimal it's probably not worth it but if you use it a fair amount and $30-ish is not much for you, it's worth considering. If you use Windows specific programs like your zbrush etc there might not be a Linux alternative that satisfies you as by default Windows programs won't work at all on Linux unless it's got a Linux specific version to. but it's possible it might work under 'Wine' which basically makes it so some windows programs work on Linux as it's how I run my preferred music playback program 'Foobar2000' (and even my preferred CD/DVD burning program ImgBurn) on Linux is through 'Wine' and it works fine. Wine basically allows some Windows software to work on Linux as by default Windows programs won't work on Linux since it's a totally different operating system. this is partially why many viruses that target windows, won't effect Linux at all since when you attempt to run a .exe file (etc) on Linux it just won't do anything. but when Wine is installed it will attempt to load the program etc. but a quick look on Wine's website seems to suggest zbrush works (although it does list different versions of zbrush there etc)... appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=application&iId=1152 ; but if there is any Windows specific programs you can't live without, Windows 10 might be what I would look into upgrading to just to be safe (which assuming your hardware works on Windows 10, you can still get Windows 10 for free from upgrading from Windows 7). but if you can play around with things, you can try installing Wine (once you get Mint installed) which you can do from the Software Manager built into Linux Mint just to see if your Windows programs work on it etc. just some thoughts
|
|
|
Post by Prime etc. on Sept 9, 2019 5:12:24 GMT
Ah right-and I bought Zbrush so yeah-damn, I know they have some Linux versions around but this is software I actually bought. The oldest computer i have is from 2011--it is quite solid-hardly ever breaks down.
I use utorrent 2.2.1 myself.
|
|
|
Post by mslo79 on Sept 9, 2019 19:04:51 GMT
Prime etc.Yeah, if your oldest computer is from 2011 that's still likely plenty good for general use (especially assuming it's CPU was at least decent at the time) as my main PC's motherboard/CPU/RAM I bought in May 2012 (which I just swapped out my older board/CPU/RAM) and it's still going strong (the power supply I got in Nov 2012 and it's still going strong, which is my longest lasting power supply yet) for general use as I even replay some games occasionally. but being your oldest computer is from 2011... my guess is Windows 10 will work fine on it. it's probably a safer choice for you if your going to run Zbrush etc and, like I was saying, can still be upgraded to from Windows 7 for free right now using... www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows10Yeah, I kind of figured it was given what it says on that Wine site about 'web activation' on that '2018' version thing. but I am assuming that '2019.1' version is pretty recent? ; because people commented on that working although it had a issue they noticed in their brief testing... "when switching workspaces and switching back to where zbrush 2019.1 is on the stylus pressure stops working and the size of the window is altered and needs to be resized."
|
|
|
Post by Prime etc. on Sept 9, 2019 19:27:02 GMT
Well I bought Zbrush in 2003! But they always give free updates. This computer thing has me down because I have to decide. I have three machines in use.
Old graphics machine--from 2011 I think, it is still good and hardly breaks down. It has a see-through case. It's good for graphics--I used it as a backup. It is so-so for some programs--like Mudbox (a similar program to Zbrush) wont work on it.
Email computer-2012-this i got a year or so after the first, it was supposed to be a second graphics machine but my brother inexplicably made it half as powerful so its pretty useless for anything but internet, photoshop (although I notice the version I use--very old-9.0 is acting up --sometimes the screen disappears unless i click on the top spacebar..just some weird behavior). It also acts up on the other graphics machines.
Second graphics machine-2012-2013--this one is more powerful than the old-and it is the one I currently use for RDP--I link to the email computer and do most of my internet stuff on it(like right now). The old graphics machine is mainly used as a backup for the machine-so nightly my files are backed up to it...I also have a backup on a portable HD but it has been inactive for a while. When I start using my newest machine more regularly, then I would need to have a new arrangement for backups.
I am thinking if windows 10 works with the second machine, then I can just do that for now (and perhaps use Linux for the email machine--or migrate my email to the graphics machine and just use that one for everything). But if windows 10 doesnt work with some graphics programs, maybe I might get another PC computer-not was powerful as my latest, but something decent enough since I hate to lose a computer for graphics if something breaks down and while my laptop is a graphics machine too I dont feel right relying on it for heavy duty anything. I'd rather use to RDP to the other machines.
|
|
|
Post by mslo79 on Sept 9, 2019 22:19:12 GMT
Prime etc.My guess is he pulled the GPU from it especially if what program your using uses the GPU. Yeah, it's safer for me to tell you to try Windows 10 first since chances are most stuff that worked on Windows 7 will work on Windows 10. so unless a program is pretty old, chances are it will work on Windows 10 if it worked on Windows 7. but yeah, if your doing quite a bit of graphics stuff it does make sense to have a backup machine if possible. so this way if it does down, your not totally screwed.
|
|
|
Post by Prime etc. on Sept 9, 2019 23:34:01 GMT
The plan is to give my brother the main graphics machine to upgrade with windows 10 that way its a smooth transition. Hoping he can add something to the machine. More HD space or something. So then I will use the one computer for email, internet, and minor graphics stuff. But I still have the newest machine and the laptop as well.
|
|
|
Post by mslo79 on Sept 10, 2019 3:35:26 GMT
Prime etc. Anything you use on a regular basis... I would definitely recommend getting a cheap/brand name(Samsung/Crucial/Intel etc) SSD for it as that's hands down the best upgrade you can do for a cheap price. NOTE: I am just assuming your RAM is sufficient etc, which it most likely is. it just depends on how much storage space you need as the less you need the cheaper of SSD you can get. but even decent sized SSD's have dropped quite a bit in price vs not all that long ago. but in general... 500GB range SSD's are probably the sweet spot for one who wants a good enough of storage space but keep the cost fairly low. but for those who would rather get the largest SSD for a reasonable price it seems the 1TB range is the sweet spot. I would avoid buying a SSD larger than 1TB right now although I suspect many would prefer the 500GB range models given it's still plenty of storage space for most people and the price is solid. but for those who are tight on cash can still get a 250GB range one as that's why I waited as long as I did to get my 250GB SSD as I got it in May 2015 which is when decent sized/reliable SSD's finally started getting into that price range that was decent (see "p.s." below). p.s. I got a couple of SSD's myself... Samsung 850 EVO 250GB/Intel 545s 128GB. for what I paid for that Samsung SSD in May 2015 you can get one 4 times that storage space now for the same-ish price. just shows you how much the price has dropped on SSD's. side note... currently you get get a Intel 545s 128GB SSD for $27.99 on Newegg's site which is a solid SSD if you don't mind the lack of storage space. or... the 256GB model for $42.99.
|
|
|
Post by Prime etc. on Sept 10, 2019 5:39:39 GMT
I could always get smaller portable HDs and just duplicate the content on them--I know one grand giant one might be a tad risky--not to mention my brother is saying if Iw ant a much bigger one I should get it on Amazon.
|
|
|
Post by mslo79 on Sept 10, 2019 19:31:17 GMT
Prime etc. You can get those pre-built external hard drives. but personally what I use is a docking station (with a USB 3 connection so I get full hard drive speed as USB 2 will limit you to 30MB/s transfer when many hard drives can do at least 80-100MB/s etc) which you can slide in any regular 2.5"(laptop) or 3.5"(desktop) hard drive you have into it as the one I have supports up to 8TB hard drives. it's nice for using older hard drives I removed from my desktop externally. but if you want several smaller hard drives... you can get a 2TB Hitachi for $39.95 right now (I actually have one of these) which is the cheapest 2TB range hard drive I know of. but personally... short of that mindset, I would generally avoid buying hard drives smaller than 4TB. but anything under 2TB is pointless because for $40 for 2TB it makes little to no sense to buy anything smaller (assuming we are talking desktop hard drives).
p.s. but personally... for any higher importance data backup I tend to have a minimum of two copies on two different hard drives along with a copy on two different kinds of quality DVD recordable media (Verbatim/Taiyo Yuden) as this way, short of a house fire etc, my chances of losing the data is very slim. I realize in general hard drives are best since they are convenient and offer plenty of storage space for cheap and transferring data to them is quick etc, but stuff like family photos/videos I tend to burn on DVD to as a precaution as I tend to trust DVD recordable media to reliably retrieve my data for at least 10-20 years (I have some 10+ years old and are still going strong) where as a hard drive, while not bad, could act up out of no where or someone could potentially accidentally delete the data etc.
|
|
|
Post by Prime etc. on Sept 10, 2019 21:53:13 GMT
|
|