Windows Vista, Windows 7 and 8 (+8.1)

OK. So it is old stuff!

You may consider that this page is history. I can assure you that I know people who are still happy to use Windows Vista. Surprisingly thay don't seem to have security problems! But they certainly do have non Windows security software installed!

The How to Geek site says that you can still upgrade to Windows 10 if you have a Windows 7 or 8 key
In view of the fact that Windows 7 is no longer 'supported' this may be the way to go. See https://www.howtogeek.com/266072/you-can-still-get-windows-10-for-free-with-a-windows-7-8-or-8.1-key/

If you decide to stick with Windows 7 It would be worth reading. https://www.howtogeek.com/509175/how-to-secure-your-windows-7-system-in-2020/

Why stick with it ? It was the best Windows by far. Windows 10 requires a whole new learning curve. I still dislike it after months of use. Some programs, which I use, such as Movie Maker and DVD Maker were dropped in 10 and it is difficult to find substitutes. And when you filter them out from the scams you can be sure that their FREE turns out to typically be $30 or more.

If you are really concerned about security you could decide to disconnect your PC from the net and get on with your essentials such as word processing and spreadsheets, which is what half the world uses a PC for. Perhaps back it up with a tablet from Apple or one of the Google based machines for your communications and social networking.

Windows 7, 8.1 and 10 were the replacements for Windows XP, 2000 and Media Edition. All support and updates for these versions has now now ceased. Vista was supported until 2017. Windows 7 and 8.1 support finished in January 2020.. If you buy a new machine you will get Windows 10 unless you want a machine which has Windows 7 (just do a search). In July 2015 the latest version of Windows (10) was released. Users of versions 7 and 8 were asked to register interest in version 10. Those who agreed by July 2015 were given the upgrade free as an update. Microsoft uploaded the Windows 10 files to people who registered an interest. See the page on Windows 10 if you are tired of receiving 'nags' to upgrade from Microsoft. But see at the top of this page why it may still be possible to upgrade from Wundows 7 or 8 to 10

You cannot update Windows Vista and XP to Windows 7, 8 or 10. If you have updated from Windows 7 to 10 your machine retains a copy of your old OS in case you want to go back to it. It takes quite a lot of room but it can easily be deleted, Windows 10 is the LAST version of Windows. Any further changes will be by updates..

There was so much news on Windows 10 that I created a page at Help33b

See more at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/features Microsoft is hoping to make the latest version of Windows the hub of many devices around the home and have been cooperating with many manufacturers to ensure that, whether they are directly or wirelessly connected they will just work. There will be up to nine kinds of Windows 10, though some vary only slightly. The basic version (Home) contains support for Windows Universal Apps, the Edge browser (as well as the latest version of Internet Explorer), Windows Hello facial recognition, Fingerprint recognition software and the Voice recognition software (Cortana). The Pro version gives you tools for linking into Cloud Services (big deal!) and managing Mobile devices. Windows 10 Enterprise is like Pro but for those buying volume licenses. It also have Device Guard so uncertified apps can be locked out (by the boss). Windows 10 for Education (cheap academic volume licenses) plus some extras.
Mobile users may get Windows Mobile or Mobile Enterprise (for small screens) plus a light Office suite and the ability to connect to a large screen and keyboard. There will also be versions for ATMs, robotics and yet another for those little machines with small capacities. Microsoft's Windows Marketing Chief is aptly named Tony Prophet

Windows 8.1 and 10 includes automatic encryption of your hard disk. This means, if someone steals it or finds it they will not be able to get at your data without a password. One more password !

For Microsoft Q & A about upgrading Windows 8.1 see http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/upgrade-to-windows-8 Also see http://bestnetguru.com/win8.1/

However, Windows 8, which is a complete redesign, is very confusing for people used to XP, Vista or Windows 7. The take-up must have disappointed Microsoft despite it being the Operating system being installed in most new Windows PCs. In fact there were a number of programs one could download to enable you to make it look more like the older systems. Microsoft finally issued a free update to Windows 8.1 in October 2013 to address some of the complaints.

The most useful Windows Shortcut Keys

Windows key – brings up the Metro start screen. USE THIS ALL THE TIME. You can start typing to search for an app, just like the Win7 start menu.
Win + D – brings up the old Windows desktop. Use this to see a 'normal' desktop
Win + C – brings up the Charms bar (stupid name), where you can Search, Share, and change Settings and even switch off !
Win + I – opens the Settings panel (as above), where you can change settings for the current app, change volume, wireless networks, shut down, or adjust the brightness.

1. SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS (written before 8.1 became available)

1(a) Early Launch Anti-Malware. In Windows 8, the integrated antivirus products can start earlier in the boot-up process to scan the system’s drivers for malware. This helps protect against rootkits that start before the antivirus program and hide from it. Windows Defender starts earlier in the boot process out-of-the-box.
1(b). SmartScreen Filter. Previously used only in Internet Explorer, the SmartScreen filter is now implemented at the operating system-level. It will be used to scan EXE files you download from Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and other programs. When you download and double-click an EXE file, Windows will scan the file and send its signature to Microsoft’s servers. If the application is known-good, such as the installer for iTunes, Photoshop, or another popular program, Windows will allow it to run. If it’s known-bad, perhaps if it contains malware, Windows will prevent it from running. If it’s new and Windows doesn’t know what it is, Windows will warn you and allow you to bypass the warning. This feature should help less-experienced users from downloading and running malicious programs from the Internet. Even new pieces of malware will be detected by the SmartScreen filter as an unknown new program that should be approached with caution.
1(c). Improvements to the way Windows 8.1 manages memory. When a security hole is found, these improvements can make the security hole harder or even impossible to exploit. Some types of exploits that function on earlier versions of Windows wouldn’t function at all on Windows 8.
1(d). Sandboxed Apps. Apps downloaded from the Windows Store are 'sandboxed' and restricted in what they can do on your computer.This ensures that they cannot also load malware, even if they have been hacked
2. Boot Speed : Windows 8 uses some tricks to dramatically improve its boot speed. (it certainly needed it) Instead of shutting down normally, Windows 8 saves the state of low-level software such as the kernel and hardware drivers to the disk and restores them when you boot it up. It also uses UEFI which boots faster than systems using the old-style BIOS.
3. File Copying in Windows 8 is dramatically improved. The new file copy dialog allows you to pause file-copying operations, view multiple file-copying operations in the same window, and more easily manage file conflicts.
4. The new Task Manager allows users to easily control the software that loads at startup. It’s also easier to understand at a glance, with color-coded resource usage columns and more human-readable program names. You can also quickly research a mysterious process online by right-clicking it and using the Search online option.
5. Windows Explorer is now named File Explorer. While some users may dislike the new ribbon interface, it makes it easier to access powerful options like viewing hidden files without digging through menus and dialog boxes. You can also easily collapse the ribbon if you never want to see it.
6. Hyper V. Windows 8.1 included Hyper-V, which allows you to create virtual machines out-of-the-box. So you can add another operating system (such as Ubuntu or XP) easily.
7..Restore to factory settings is easy and you will not lose your data (photos, music, personal files or personal settings) unless you wish to. Some unrecognised apps will be removed.
8.. If you want to get back all of the Windows 7 games and put them in Windows 8, go to this link. http://www.howtogeek.com/122145/what-happened-to-solitaire-and-minesweeper-in-windows-8/
9. Battery life is promised to be better

Good video on Windows 7 HERE

PSR or Problem Step Recorder is available from Microsoft for Windows 7. If downloaded and turned on it will record the steps you take to solve a problem and even screen shots of every stage

Http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-vista/products/features/entertainment, has a number of videos on DVD Maker, Movie Maker, Photo Gallery and Media Centre. n.b. Many of these are only available to Windows 7 and Vista Home Premium Edition users (Not Home Basic)

Sharing printers and files on a home network with Windows 7 : This is said to be easy using the Homegroup feature of Windows 7 See article HERE. However, if you also have an XP or Vista machine attached to the network the position is different. Se the other article HERE

A good site about curing Windows 7 problems at http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/top-5-commonly-reported-windows-7-problems-fix/

Windows 7 users weren’t be able to install Internet Explorer 9 until they downloaded Service Pack 1, according to the company.

Q. When I move a window to the edge of the screen in W7 it changes shape to occupy half the desktop

A. This is W 7 'feature' called Snap designed to make it easier to load two pages side by side. If you would prefer this not to happen click Start, Control Panel, Easy of Access, click the Ease of Access Centre link and scroll down to Make the Mouse easier to use and put a tick against 'Prevent Windows from being automatically arranged!

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