How Many Service Packs Does Win7 Have

Windows seven

Note: I no longer develop this folio. It remains as a legacy resources.

Win7 Editions | Hardware | Installing & Updating | Security & Patches
Customizing & Tweaking

Windows 7 -- the last Windows designed for keyboard and mouse

Microsoft's Windows 7 Support Concluded

Microsoft's support for Windows seven ended January 14, 2020. Windows 7 is dangerous to use and will get increasingly and so.

An unsupported version of Windows will no longer receive software updates from Windows Update. These include security updates that tin can help protect your PC from harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software, which can steal your personal information. Windows Update also installs the latest software updates to improve the reliability of Windows—new drivers for your hardware and more.
— Microsoft

You Need to Discover an Alternative NOW

You can't go along to run Windows vii with information technology connected to the Net. You need to:

buy a new calculator; or
install a currently-supported alternative operating system; or
take your computer offline forever.

The various options are discussed in Replacing Windows: Upgrading when support ends.

Windows 7 ESUs

An Option for Enterprise Only

Windows 7 Extended Security Updates (ESUs) are aimed at enterprise customers and require a volume-licensing agreement.

The paid Windows seven Extended Security Updates (ESUs) will be sold on a per-device footing, with the price increasing each year. These ESUs will be available to any Windows vii Professional and Windows 7 Enterprise users with volume-licensing agreements….
— ZDNet

These interim measures are said to be $50 per device per year and will price more each year with limits on how long they'll be supported. While primarily aimed at enterprise customers, it may exist possible for smaller businesses with legacy hardware that won't run on Windows 10 to purchase fourth dimension to come up with another solution.

For everyone else, they must either upgrade to Windows 10, abandon Windows, go offline or observe an alternative.

Going Permanently Offline

If you continue to use Windows 7, yous'll need to have it permanently offline.

Cake internet access in Windows 7.

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Windows 7 Documentation Disappearing

Support Materials Mostly Gone

Microsoft is has already removed much of their Windows 7 support materials, replacing them with Windows 10 resources. Wait the balance to be gone soon now that Windows 7 is no longer supported.

Microsoft has stopped answering Windows 7 requests on their support forums.

Documentation for Windows 7 is now placed within the context of "Windows 10: previous versions" and any "recommended version" link takes you to Windows 10 documentation.

Some back up options are still available, merely could disappear without find:

Windows help — Windows 7 (below "Make the motion to Windows 10").
Optimize Windows for improve functioning applies to Windows 7.
Windows previous versions documentation is no longer regularly updated.
10 things IT professionals should know virtually Windows 7.
10 Windows 7 tips to get the near out of your machine.

New Privacy Concerns

Optional updates to Windows vii have included some that are controversial every bit they add "customer feel and diagnostic telemetry" information collecting elements to Windows vii.

Likewise the privacy concerns, these optional updates add to the load on the Windows 7 computer and may slow downwards older hardware. It also adds to your bandwidth usage which affects those with data caps or mobile plans.

You might want to avoid any optional updates that aren't clearly hardware fixes or updates that draw problems y'all're having with your computer.

The truth almost Windows seven and 8.1 'spy patches' KB 3068708, 3022345, 3075249, 3080149.
Microsoft vs. privacy: Windows 10's controversial tracking tools hitting Windows 7, 8.
Windows 10 privacy issues extend to Windows eight.1, 7: How to stop Microsoft from collecting more of your data.

Spybot Anti-Buoy

Spybot Anti-Beacon allows you to make significant choices about your privacy settings including many that are subconscious or non hands altered. It immunizes your computer and then you can bank check then reset your privacy settings after rebooting your estimator (particularly after a Windows Update).

Windows 7 Editions

There are 4 primary editions of Windows 7:

Starter aimed at NetBooks — small notebook PCs.
Home Premium recommended for about dwelling users.
Professional aimed at the needs of pocket-sized businesses and avant-garde home users including the ability to log into a domain and run productivity programs in Windows XP manner (XP way is no longer supported).
Ultimate combines the features in Professional with bit-locker encryption and 35 languages.

History

Released October 22, 2009, Windows seven Home Basic, Home Premium and Ultimate sales terminated in October 31, 2014 (October 31, 2016 for Windows 7 Professional person).

"Starter" Has Limitations

Virtually hardware with Starter edition installed are incapable of upgrade and then y'all'll want to be sure that your requirements are very limited and that you'll have no need to upgrade in the future.

Windows 7 Starter edition tin simply run 3 processes at a time and forces yous to search for many of the customizations that are quickly bachelor in other editions.

"Anytime" Upgrade Non Recommended

Microsoft offers an someday upgrade just ensure you purchase the version yous need to begin with because upgrade costs are steep.

What'southward New in Windows 7?

New features in Windows 7 include Libraries, Jump Lists, HomeGroup (works only with Windows seven or newer computers) and Snap.

No Built-in Electronic mail Client

Windows 7 has no built-in electronic mail client. Vista came with Windows Post and Windows XP came with Outlook Express (no longer supported and unsafe to use). Windows ten has an email app.

I'd strongly recommend moving to Mozilla Thunderbird or i of my other recommended email options.

Libraries

Libraries provide for the way we operate computers today — allowing you lot to pull similar content together from multiple sources.

Libraries are a Windows 7 feature that gives you a consolidated view of related files in one place. A Library doesn't contain files. Rather, a Library provides a unmarried aggregated view of multiple folders and their contents.
— Microsoft TechNet

You add files to a Library by linking to them. New Libraries can be added by right-clicking in the Libraries bar and selecting New then Library.

Learn more near Libraries by visiting these resources:

Introducing Windows 7 Libraries — MSDN Magazine.
Organizing with Windows 7 Libraries.
Windows 7 Libraries walkthrough.
Windows 7 Libraries FAQs.

Jump Lists

Jump lists give you lot quick admission to your favorite content — on your computer and elsewhere.

If you employ a program similar CCleaner to remove temporary files, yous may need to modify the settings if y'all wish to retain jump lists. Otherwise, your jump lists will be removed each time yous run CCleaner.

ReadyBoost

Some of the limitations of ReadyBoost (introduced with Vista) were removed in Windows 7. The benefits of ReadyBoost are minimal for nearly Windows 7 users and you lot need to ensure you're using a device that works with ReadyBoost. Those seeking functioning would be better served by a SSD boot drive large enough to install Windows vii on information technology (y'all can even so use a regular bulldoze for storage).

BitLocker

BitLocker is a full disk encryption feature but unfortunately was only provided in the Ultimate Edition. Windows 7 had the unique capability of encrypting removable drives.

Although in that location are third-political party encryption solutions, few would seek them out.

Learning More

You can visit these sites for more data well-nigh Windows 7:

Windows 7 Assist.
Windows vii on Wikipedia.
Windows 7 Editions

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Hardware Support

Can Y'all Run Windows 7?

I don't unremarkably recommend an upgrade of your current hardware to Windows 7 unless y'all are running a compatible Vista auto or a relatively powerful XP calculator. I upgraded two XP machines (including a Lenovo T61 laptop), but non before ensuring the necessary Windows vii drivers and software upgrades were available.

System Requirements

You'd best look at new hardware if you want to optimize your experience with Windows 7. See the general notes near Windows hardware requirements.

Microsoft lists the post-obit system requirements:

1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-flake (x64) processor
i gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or two GB RAM (64-chip)
xvi GB available hd infinite (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-fleck)
DirectX ix graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
Some games and programs might require a graphics carte compatible with DirectX 10 or college for optimal performance.

Windows 7 was designed to piece of work with today's multi-core processors. All 32-bit versions of Windows 7 can support up to 32 processor cores, while 64-bit versions tin support upwardly to 256 processor cores.

Legacy Hardware Back up Uncertain

More than probable the hardware is going to determine the supportability of your computer. Every bit your hardware ages and newer applied science emerges it is possible that your calculator could become unsupported. Moving to a newer estimator may also offer challenges.

Prior versions of Windows, including Windows vii and Windows 8.ane, have limited support when running on new processors and chipsets from manufacturers similar Intel, AMD, Nvidia, and Qualcomm.
— Microsoft

However, Intel may be building a new version of its Coffee Lake chipset just for Windows 7.

Installing & Updating

Given that Windows 7 has been around for some fourth dimension and that licenses are no longer available, most will exist re-installing Windows 7 rather than installing information technology for the first fourth dimension. The post-obit will give you some resource to ensure the procedure goes smoothly.

How to reinstall Windows similar a pro.

Secure Kick

Windows secure boot was marketed as a way to protect you from malware merely has the potential to prevent you from installing any other operating system except Windows 8 or 10 on your estimator. Windows 7 is not supported.

If your Windows 7 computer won't start, yous may have to enter the BIOS to check the settings. If you've enabled Secure Boot, Windows vii cannot boot and you demand to modify the settings. Look for an option like "Other OS" in your organization BIOS.

Secure boot vs restricted boot.

32- or 64-bit?

Windows vii comes with both 32-bit and 64-fleck versions. E'er install the 64-bit version on 64-fleck hardware. Acquire more than near the advantages and disadvantages.

Security & Patches

Windows 7 security is better than XP'due south. Its User Account Control is more configurable and less annoying than it was in Vista.

Microsoft Security Essentials

Microsoft Security Essentials lost back up for new installations with Windows 7, but existing installations can become signature updates until 2023.

Windows seven Service Pack i

Unlike many earlier versions of Windows, there was only a single service pack for Windows vii. Other patches were included in the diverse monthly updates.

Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) offers new improvements to features and services in Windows 7, such as improved reliability when connecting to HDMI audio devices, press using the XPS Viewer, and restoring previous folders in Windows Explorer later on restarting.

Some folks had issues installing the service pack from a dissever download, and so your mileage may vary. I recommend letting Windows Update perform the task automatically.

Windows Backup & Restore

Windows 7 has included an effective built-in backup and restore system to protect your information and to allow you lot to recover from a disaster quickly — provided you've taken advantage of these tools before the incident.

There are as well third-party commercial fill-in software

Acronis True Image is strongly recommended.

Tweaking & Customizing

Tweaking and customizing Windows 7 involves changing the way Windows does certain tasks or displays its content.

Themes and other features are congenital into Windows 7, merely there are other ways to brand these changes.

Removing Shortcuts

If you're like me, you find the "shortcut to" in the name of new shortcuts abrasive. You tin can tell information technology's a shortcut by the piddling pointer placed on the icon.

Right-click the shortcut so select Rename to remove the "— Shortcut" text in the description.
At that place is also a Registry fix. Copy the registry entry into a text editor to create the remove-shortcut-suffix-prefix.reg file as instructed.

Editing the Windows Registry directly is for advanced users.

Use Shortcuts to Resources

Many people accept lots of folders with photos, documents, tax data and more on their desktops.

This clutters your desktop. I recommend creating shortcuts to frequently-used content:

Create unique folders in your Documents or Photos folders
Create shortcuts on the desktop for the nigh used folders
- drag them to the desktop using the correct mouse button; and then
- select "create shortcuts here".

Sort Downloads

A shortcut to the Downloads folder allows yous to drag newly-downloaded files for later retrieval.

I recommend moving photos, videos and documents to the appropriate folders rather than leaving them in Downloads.

Broadband and Networking

Tweaking broadband and network settings is not recommended in Windows 7.

Windows Registry

Editing the Windows Registry straight is for avant-garde users.

Irresolute the Look

Windows 7 is much easier to personalize than before versions of Windows.

The Aero transparency and multiple groundwork, icon and other settings tin brand your desktop truly unique.

Support for XP Mode has Ended

Windows XP Mode allows you to run older, unsupported programs on computers running Windows vii.

Back up for XP Style has ended. If you have this feature installed, yous should disconnect from the Net before running programs in Windows XP Style.

Related Resource

Related resources on this site:

Replacing Windows
Switching to a Mac.
Moving to Linux.
Windows support life-cycles
Legacy Windows
Legacy recovery hints
Legacy hardware & software
Safely disposing of computers

or check the resources index.

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