New Laptop with Windows 10

[Skybird]

If you install W7, you do want to update to SP1, but not much beyond that. Find an archive with SP1 - and then switch of Windows Update completely. All what is bad in W10l has been inverse-patched into W8 and W7 as well. So do not move beyond a patch status much later than SP1.

You would want to go to dual boot then, a Linux installation for surfing, emailing, browsing, work, for everything except

- game-launching, which is the only purpose you should use a not-upated and thus unsecure W7 for.

I did that myself and still do so, though not dual boot on one system anymore (that was for some testing months only), but now separating the two on two rigs. It works.

[Reece]

If I purchased a new version of windows 7:
win7
will it have latest updates quote "but not much beyond that."
I will also have to buy SP1, the price has certainly risen.

Edit: I now have taken ownership of folders and files that I need to edit etc.

[Skybird]

Get an original W7 and SP1, and then leave it to that. SP1 I found on the web, but that is 18 months ago, I do not know how easy or difficult it is to find patch archives these days anymore.

Do not run Windows uopdates ever, not a single timwe, it will shovel all that bad stuff uo to the very present onto your HD. All the bad stuff you do not want.

And I repeat my warning, just not to be misunderstood: such an outdated Windows will have huge security holes that should prevent it from being used for sensitive, or ordinary, or money-related work or surfing, browsing, emailing, shopping. I always understood this W/-SP1 to be just a game-launching platform, not more. So again: there is a certain risk involved. Minbimise it by not using this W7+SP1 fpor anything else than just firing up your games.

Which means you need a second basis/OS for all the other things: surfing, emailing, etc etc. Or you use W7 without internet connection only.

I do not recommend to use W7 non-updated all alone for anything. That means asking for trouble sooner or later.

P.S. Also be careeful where oyu buy your W7. There are many non-valid installation codes out there being offered. Sorry, no advise how to differ the good from the bad apples. W7 has become difficult these days, I'm sorry to say.

[Moonlight]

Bah! you lot are so bloody fixated on Microsnot screwing you over you can't see the wood for the trees.
Simplifying updates for Windows 7 and 8.1

New Windows 7 SP1 convenience rollup makes image creation much faster
We’re happy to announce today that we’re making available a new convenience rollup for Windows 7 SP1 that will help. This convenience rollup package, available to download from http://catalog.update.microsoft.com/...aspx?q=3125574, contains all the security and non-security fixes released since the release of Windows 7 SP1 that are suitable for general distribution, up through April 2016. Install this one update, and then you only need new updates released after April 2016.
This convenience update is completely optional; it doesn’t have to be installed and won’t even be offered via Windows Update – you can choose whether or not you want to use it.
To apply this update, you must install the April 2015 servicing stack update for Windows 7 (KB3020369). You can read more about the Convenience rollup update for Windows 7 SP1 here.

I did a fresh install of Win7 SP1 when I heard about the file above and it went without too much bother. There were only about 40 files left to download (there might be more now though), the only thing to watch out for are the monthly rollup files, if you need to update Win7 further just download the security only updates ones from the link below.

Install the three KBs in the order I've listed them, they're a fix for Win7 taking forever to search for any updates.
KB3020369 first
KB3172605 second
KB3177467 third

You'll also need these three files as well before you install the security patches.
July 21, 2016 — KB3172605
August 16, 2016 — KB3179573
September 20, 2016 — KB3185278
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...update-history

I hope that hasn't confused things too much, Now I'm going for a lay down in a darkened room after all that typing and research type whatnot.

[Skybird]

This convenience update puts together all the stuff that you do not want - or not: point is you do not know. I have read about it before, and the tendency in views is to warn of it.

We do not want the reverse-implementing of W10 snuffware, spyware and privacy violation into W7 and W8, but that is what you get when you install patches for W7 beyond a certain critical date. Thats why I say: in case of doubt: upgrade to SP1, but no patch that came after that. I personally went to patch status summer 2015, but I had an independent patch archive for that that seems to be no more available on the web.

Do not just trust descriptions of patches, since Microsoft has lied on some poatches one time too often now. Trusting their word is no longer justified. They want their telemetry and profiling stuff on your rig, may it be W10, W8 or W7 - and they do not take your No as an answer. Thats the only thing you need to keep on mind about them. If you intend to mean your No serious, do not run Windows update, do not use the patches later than spring or early summer 2015 - as long as you do not want to spend hours and hours for manually investigating the trustworthiness and correctness of everxy single one patch the is. I found that to become a many-hours-consuming half time job - and that was when I decided to move to Linux and leave Windows behind. The time investement was not worth it anymore.

Simple rule: do not accept anything for Microsoft anymore. Do not give them access to your rig. Lock them out, completely.

You cannot rule out that they infest even older patches in their arhcives with their wanted sniffware, it is not unexpected if they do that, since occasionally they change the content of patches anyway over the years (since long time already), or re-release patches people refuse to get repeatedly under different markers or names. During GWX campaign they did that with one critical famous door-kicker patch I think 18 times: rub it under their nose until they finally inhale it, you always catch a few with any new attempt.

[Reece]

Thanks all, I'll keep trying to get things going with Win 10 but failing that I will go to 7. (this laptop and other household damages has tied my funds up for a bit)

[BarracudaUAK]

Originally Posted by blkdimnd

Can you run Silent Hunter 5 under Linux?? O_o
If so, I might dual boot.

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

According to WineHQ, you're golden with SH5! Unless there's been a regression with WINE since then, it should work even better today than when it was tested with WINE 1.5. Current version was 2.1-rc2 last I knew. It's been flawless so far. You get an error message when leaving JSGME but just close the error box and continue as if it didn't happen!

I also don't have SH5, but I can say that SH3 has worked flawlessly for several versions since 1.7.33 (maybe 1.7.35), 1.7.40 worked but the water was flat black. SH4 (steam) has only given me issues once in 1.9.X, but at that point all my steam games gave me trouble.

So you should be good to go.

Originally Posted by Reece

....
I know nothing about Linux/Unix whatsoever and at 65yo am a bit scared to delete windows and try it.
I seriously must look at a Linux boot disk/usb stick for a try, however there are a few things that I need this laptop for:
.......

I believe Ubuntu does, I know Fedora does... but way back when...

*wavy screen fading to a flashback*

There was Knoppix. It is Debian based (like Ubuntu), but it is "geared" to run mainly off of the CD/DVD. Ubuntu/Fedora run off of the CD/DVD/USB (anybody remember when we actually spoke with REAL words?) but are designed primarily to function from a write-able drive (for the swap file).

Knoppix is good as it will auto-detect MOST of your settings, give you a lean (but good looking) desktop (that you can change), and "mount" all of your drives.

HOWEVER.
IT. WILL. WRITE. PROTECT. YOUR. HARD. DRIVES.

You can turn the write protection off, but it is to keep you from deleting things accidentally.
Very useful while you play with Knoppix to learn linux.
Also useful as you can't mess up Knoppix. You simply reboot, and TADA! System good as new.

Takes a bit of time as it loads from the CD (or you can copy it all to a ram drive on boot), but nearly "bulletproof".

In my dual boot days, I used Knoppix to partition my drives so I could install 98/XP/Fedora without worrying about forgetting to account for a particular OS.

*wavy screen as we fade back to present*

And it is here:
http://knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html

And I'm done.
This was muchlonger than it needed to be.

I'm off to make a topic on WINE.

Barracuda

P.S. This post was off topic, and had nothing to do with Win10. I don't have Win10, so I can't be of assistance there.
I do hope you get your laptop setup the way you want.