Mike wrote:
On 3/1/2019 12:39 PM, Bill in Co wrote:
Roger Blake wrote:
On 2019-03-01, Bill in Co surly_curmudgeon@earthlink wrote:
What support? (If you're a home user, I mean). In which case, it's a
moot point. So I expect some of us will stick with Windows 7, or even
Windows XP, at least for those few of us that like to work on their PC
without all those extra encumberances getting in the way.

I would say that as long as you can run an up-to-date antivirus program
and web browser then you're golden with Windows 7.

I hate to say it, but I'm taking a few chances by NOT using the latest
antivirus programs, because I just can't handle all the bloat and slower
performance of the newer versions. That said, I try to play it safe
with my online browsing and emails. :-).

I'm guessing the day will come when I will have no choice but to go to
Windows 7, if for no other reason, due to the browsers not working
anymore on most sites. So I've got a Windows 7 laptop next to me for
that, which I occasionally boot up, just to check for and presence of
rust. :-) But the aggravation of using it, with Win 7 and all its
ownership and permissions baggage getting in my way, especially when
using Windows Explorer for any file operations, is just too much for me.
I'm too old for this nonsense. :-)


Turn off UAC.
Don't try to put stuff in protected directories.
Don't use Windows Explorer.
I prefer Totalcommander, but there are several that claim to be
as good.
You can easily take ownership of anything you want.
You can take ownership of the whole drive.
But I have had issues with circular references in the user's
directories after doing so. But there's a tool to fix that.

People get very excited about tiny changes in the UI.
Put links to everything you use frequently in one directory
and load that page. Or link stuff to the toolbar of startmenu.

If your computer has enough horsepower and available drivers
for your hardware, win7 is a slam dunk.

You can say the same thing for win10 once you get the updates under
control and delete anything that's deletable, especially active
icons on the start page.

I've done some of those things, but it's still a bit of a PIA. And don't
get me started on the circular references and junction points crapola!

As I've said, life is too short for this obfuscation (at least for me).
OTOH, if you're just using it for work programs and higher level stuff,
maybe it's not such a problem. The problem is when you get down to the file
administration level and it gets in your face. Well, that, and the pathetic
GUI that needs Classic Menu to be even halfway usable. And that it takes
twice as long to boot up in the first place (might as well get a cup of
coffee while its booting up).

Windows XP (and Windows 98SE and Windows 2000) were simply lean and mean,
with nothing ever getting in your way. If you wanted to do something at the
file level, nothing was stopping you. That said, I wouldn't want to go back
to Windows 3.1. :-)