Using a Windows 7 laptop as a daily driver in 2024

[Redaktion]

For those of us still holding Windows 7 close to our hearts, let's see if the OS is really worth holding on to by testing how well it copes with Web browsing, content creation, media playback and gaming.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Using-a-Windows-7-laptop-as-a-daily-driver-in-2024.798503.0.html

[George]

Funny you should mention this...

You see NOT EVERYONE uses their computers for 'internet' related tasks.

My installation of Open Office is able to run just fine on WIN7. The 90's and 00's era Lazer printers can still print out documents authored with OO and those documents can be shared via a NAS on my local LAN just fine.

Ditto with my handful of DSLR cameras with OEM and expensive photo editing software. They all run just fine in WIN7.

Computer games? Ok, you go me there as I got suckered into 'Steam' and I don't own DVD's for all of them. BTW: does it matter that NONE of them are 'online' or 'multiplayer' at all? Other then the ones I regrettably purchased from Steam they all work fine and don't require a 'network connection'.

Since at least 2010 most (if not ALL) computers get connections via a local LAN behind a hardware firewall. Firefox has 'no script' & no-advertising plugin's that can dramatically reduce its potential exposure to harm if taken out on the web.

Computers that have older OS's don't "just stop working" because there are newer versions available. (Typed on a 13" 2013 MBP with OSX10.13.6 and using Firefox 115.7.0esr)

I wonder how much landfill waste can be attributed to "planned obsolescence" of otherwise perfectly good electronic products?

[Andrea]

Oh, the v5-131! <3
I used one as a daily driver for a few years, loved it! (to be fair it was an Aspire One 756, same chassis with a different name, AKA Travelmate B113)

BTW there's one thing I do not understand: why keeping it 32 bit on a machine equipped with 8GB of RAM? Windows 7 benefitted from more than 3-4GB

[Hunter2020]

Windows 7 sucks. The 32-bit version is faster than the 64-bit version BUT many .NET apps will throw an out of memory error with only 4GB USABLE memory in the system.

Windows 8.1 is much better than 7.  Sure it doesn't look as pretty as 7 and the Metro start menu is weird as hell, but the x64 version is just as fast as the x86 version!

[Sеrgey]

You see NOT EVERYONE uses their computers for 'internet' related tasks.

I see, George! It's just I mainly use my laptop to do actual work that I get actual money for. If I wasn't connected to the Internet, I would not be able to check my inbox, send Discord messages, use the TYPO3 CMS and do other things that I normally do.

as I got suckered into 'Steam' and I don't own DVD's for all of them

I deleted my Steam account a couple of years ago. It was a freaking piece of spyware that was really slowing my system down. I now consider myself free to download cracked versions of the games I had purchased. Heck, I paid for those products so I have a right to use them the way I want to.

NONE of them are 'online' or 'multiplayer' at all

CS:GO and other competitive games sure require one to be connected to the Internet all the time. Most games do not, thankfully!

Computers that have older OS's don't "just stop working" because there are newer versions available

No, they do not but at one point they become so slow, one has no choice but to purchase a new system. Software ages too, slowly but surely becoming incompatible with the latest standards and file formats and so on. It's not necessarily about planned obsolescence. (I do agree that Big Tech companies want us to buy new phones/tablets/computers every year.)

[Sеrgey]

I used one as a daily driver for a few years, loved it

It's a great little laptop! The screen is a little dull - after all, most laptops sold these days have 100% sRGB panels and this one delivers something like 60%. But it isn't a deal breaker.

What do you use now if you do not mind me asking?

why keeping it 32 bit on a machine equipped with 8GB of RAM? Windows 7 benefitted from more than 3-4GB

The laptop would not let me install 64-bit Windows 7. Windows 8.1 worked; Windows 10 worked; Windows 7 - "close but no cigar". Either way, there are several patchers out there that let 32-bit Windows 7 installations make use of more than 3 GB of RAM.

[Sеrgey]

Sure it doesn't look as pretty as 7 and the Metro start menu is weird as hell

You're right! It does not & it is.

Windows 8.1 comes with just one or two pre-installed themes and no "sample music". Sure, it is better at managing drivers and devices than Windows 7 is but other than that I do not really like the OS. It's a question of personal preference more than anything else.

[NikoB]

At the moment, LTSB is a direct replacement for W7 for old hardware. But unfortunately, it does not have a classic theme with compact window buttons (without a dll system patch), so professionally packaged UI interfaces of various professional software simply will not fit on the screen with the same resolution as in W7 with the classic theme.

And the main problem (due to the fault of the scoundrels in M$) of the classic W7 theme is the lack of V-Sync support in browsers and when displaying outside the Overlay surface in players. Which is extremely painful for users.

So there is only one way out today - install LSTB and patch system dlls for the classic theme with compact window control buttons.

Alas, all versions of Windows, starting from 8+, can be considered amateurish, made for housewives, not professionals, precisely for this reason - the inability to fix the Windows shell the way they need.

Or switch to an even more buggy and unfinished Linux.

[hfm]

Using a Windows OS that hasn't gotten security updates in years is a monumentally horrid idea.

[Neenyah]

Using a Windows OS that hasn't gotten security updates in years is a monumentally horrid idea.

If you don't know basics of how to stay safe (online) then yes, true.

[RobertJasiek]

Using a Windows OS that hasn't gotten security updates in years is a monumentally horrid idea.

It is ok if only used offline.

[Neenyah]

So there is only one way out today - install LSTB and patch system dlls for the classic theme with compact window control buttons.

Alas, all versions of Windows, starting from 8+, can be considered amateurish, made for housewives, not professionals, precisely for this reason - the inability to fix the Windows shell the way they need.

Yeah, true professionals spend their days at work starring into interface of their Windows, not in their professional apps. I just don't know why do huge names and multi-billion companies like ABB are so amateur-ish and housewife-ish to make their pro software like the Automation Builder just for Windows 10 and 11 (and Server, of course), hmm. Mysteries of this world... 🤔

"Operating systems   
Windows 11 (32/64 Bit) Professional/Enterprise,
Windows 10 (32/64 Bit) Professional/Enterprise,
Windows Server 2012 R2 64 Bit, Windows Server 2019"

[George]

You see NOT EVERYONE uses their computers for 'internet' related tasks.

I see, George! It's just I mainly use my laptop to do actual work that I get actual money for. If I wasn't connected to the Internet, I would not be able to check my inbox, send Discord messages, use the TYPO3 CMS and do other things that I normally do.

as I got suckered into 'Steam' and I don't own DVD's for all of them

I deleted my Steam account a couple of years ago. It was a freaking piece of spyware that was really slowing my system down. I now consider myself free to download cracked versions of the games I had purchased. Heck, I paid for those products so I have a right to use them the way I want to.

NONE of them are 'online' or 'multiplayer' at all

CS:GO and other competitive games sure require one to be connected to the Internet all the time. Most games do not, thankfully!

Computers that have older OS's don't "just stop working" because there are newer versions available

No, they do not but at one point they become so slow, one has no choice but to purchase a new system. Software ages too, slowly but surely becoming incompatible with the latest standards and file formats and so on. It's not necessarily about planned obsolescence. (I do agree that Big Tech companies want us to buy new phones/tablets/computers every year.)

Ahhh... you see even if I were not RETIRED, MY computers are 'home use' and when I worked for someone, I used THEIR computers. (and could not care any less which OS or patch level was on THEIR computers) :)

OS's don't slow down by themselves, MS fubars them with patches! (my XP & WIN7 boxes run the same speed as they did new)

Sure, the entire industry/world's economy runs on everyone replacing their electronics every 12-36mo's even if there is nothing wrong with them. <groan>

Yes, as time goes on newer stuff won't run on older OS's and hardware. That is a given.

It is ONLY a problem IF you actually need/want to run newer stuff.

:)

[Andrea]

It's a great little laptop! The screen is a little dull - after all, most laptops sold these days have 100% sRGB panels and this one delivers something like 60%. But it isn't a deal breaker.

What do you use now if you do not mind me asking?

Yeah, it is not (as they aren't those little horrid speakers! :D). After all my actual A515-44 still has a comfortable but still dull screen!

The laptop would not let me install 64-bit Windows 7. Windows 8.1 worked; Windows 10 worked;

Huh, what a shame! In fact, I used it with Win 10 no problem.
I recall I used to read about those patches but never happened to use them, I just could switch to the 64 bit version.

If you don't know basics of how to stay safe (online) then yes, true.

Agree. I used XP on the internet for a long time after it was expired and never had any problem.

[A]

@Sergey - you should switch it to Linux, it will run much smoother than windows 7 and you get security updates still

Funny you should mention this...

You see NOT EVERYONE uses their computers for 'internet' related tasks.

My installation of Open Office is able to run just fine on WIN7. The 90's and 00's era Lazer printers can still print out documents authored with OO and those documents can be shared via a NAS on my local LAN just fine.

Ditto with my handful of DSLR cameras with OEM and expensive photo editing software. They all run just fine in WIN7.

Computer games? Ok, you go me there as I got suckered into 'Steam' and I don't own DVD's for all of them. BTW: does it matter that NONE of them are 'online' or 'multiplayer' at all? Other then the ones I regrettably purchased from Steam they all work fine and don't require a 'network connection'.

Since at least 2010 most (if not ALL) computers get connections via a local LAN behind a hardware firewall. Firefox has 'no script' & no-advertising plugin's that can dramatically reduce its potential exposure to harm if taken out on the web.

Computers that have older OS's don't "just stop working" because there are newer versions available. (Typed on a 13" 2013 MBP with OSX10.13.6 and using Firefox 115.7.0esr)

I wonder how much landfill waste can be attributed to "planned obsolescence" of otherwise perfectly good electronic products?

OpenOffice? Why not switch to LibreOffice? It got far more updates since

Overall though, I suggest switching to Linux, it runs much faster and smoother. If you have some windows apps you need, WINE via proton or playonlinux and other such tools makes running them easier, and you can always run them in a Windows VM.