Desert W 7 - least worst alternative?

If I search for disk management it comes up with a load of old zip files relating to formatting hard disk partitions. Is there a path to the disk management that you are advocating?

If no disk management that means you are running Windows Home and not Windows Pro and above.  Windows Home comes with less stuff.  Would suggest pay the extra for Pro.

You should stop where you are and go no further.  You have made comments of going to your CPU Shop and that you are Computer illiterate.  As nothing needs fixing I think we should stop here and that you talk with your shop and that when get a new system you want to be there and learn and have them install Linux so it is setup for Dual Boot.

As well you keep ignoring my suggestion of not bothering with Windows 10 and go straight to Windows 11.   As well you have ignored my statement of things are in different places in Win10 and Win11 or are called something else in Win11 or might not be there in Windows 11.

For someone that is computer Illiterate you should do the above or your only going to confuse yourself learning things that are not there 6mos later.

At this point the Topic has been answered in full and You have answered with I will take it to my Computer Shop or Buy from my Computer Shop.  You have clearly answered and have said no point in the URLs and running the programs.

I suggest that you then end your Topic here and that no further responses are needed.

As well I have answered your Topic Question and I with Draw further Support on this Topic.    See your computer store.

I am sorry that it has come to this, unintentional I assure you.  Your advice was appreciated.

For the record I am running Windows 7 Professional. I will continue to investigate disk management.

As someone who is fairly experienced with Linux, you should not have to create a new partition to install it alongside Windows. The Linux installer will do that for you, safely and effectively. you will be given the opportunity to decide how large each partition will be.

I agree that Mint is your best bet. Very user friendly, and comes loaded with everything you need. With a 3 Ghz CPU and 4 GB RAM, I think you could run the "flagship" version of Mint, "Cinnamon." You can try it without installing it, as the installer lets you do that. If it seems not to run very well, shut down and download the XFCE version.

The ideas that Linux is only for geeks is no longer true. Anyone can learn to use it. There are distros for every level of competency.

Tks for the interesting eye opener in what you say.

But that is the point: I have no experience with Linux whatsoever. Nor with partitions.

There is no doubt that each of the OS's could do the job.  I would prefer the one that is "closest" to what I've got (W7). Seamless transition.

Tks for the interesting eye opener in what you say.

But that is the point: I have no experience with Linux whatsoever. Nor with partitions.

There is no doubt that each of the OS's could do the job.  I would prefer the one that is "closest" to what I've got (W7). Seamless transition.

First, I need to possibly correct what I said about Linux automatically creating the partition for itself. In my recollection, that has indeed happened. but the last time I installed Linux Mint alongside Windows 7 I did need to create a partition. So maybe scratch that suggestion.

Here's how I handled the EOL of W7. First, I tried W10, several times, and every time rolled it back or reinstalled. Just can't stomach it. Fortunately, I was already into Linux. So, my modus operandus is to run Linux for everyday web stuff. Very safe and easy. I use W7 for my music creation (I'm an amateur composer). I keep W7 offline by default. But I do  make brief excursions online with it, if I have already shut my Linux machine down (I have Linux and Windows on separate machines). I use Microsoft Security Essentials as my antivirus. It still works on W7, and you can manually download the definitions yourself (easier than using MSE's updater for some reason). When I leave the internet, I disable the network adapter, run a quick scan, and that's it. Newer had any problems. But I keep my W7 browsing to just a few sites, having to do with music mostly. Definitely nothing risky.

So. you could try that. Use Windows 7 offline, for Excel or whatever you need it for. And put Linux on another machine. That way there is no need to fool with partitions. You don't need to shut down and restart, as you would in a dual-boot. Both machines can be on, you just go back and forth between them. If you use a wireless keyboard and mouse, you only have to switch the dongle when moving from one to the other. This has worked very well for me. I have Windows 7 for my music, and Linux for everything else.

If you don't have another computer available for Linux, refurbished HP's and Dell's can be had for around 130.00 U.S. Almost as good as new.

Edited by mdiemer, 13 January 2025 - 05:59 PM.

I won't scratch it. It might be a way around the problem if I can get acquainted with creating partitions and the transition to W 10 or W 11 is less than seamless ..

I get shot at, rightly, for being reluctant to quit W 7 which has served me well on my desktop PC.  The choice of alternatives is W 10 or W 11.  Of these which could I use, probably on a different PC, to look, sound and smell as near to W 7 as practical? That includes transferring and reproducing the many shortcuts and favourites/bookmarks on my desktop, and running old MS Office programs, Word, Excel in particular. Is there less of a jump from W 7 to W 10 than to W11?

 

When I have decided,  what is the best way to transfer programs (I know this is not simple or always doable) and data as far as practicable?

 

Tks

Windows 10 is your best option for a familiar interface similar to Windows 7, with better compatibility for legacy programs like Office. It's a smoother transition compared to Windows 11. Use tools like Windows Easy Transfer or third-party apps for data migration.

For Win 10 / 11 Start Menu : https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/open-shell-brings-back-the-glory-days-of-the-windows-start-menu/  

Lobotomize Win 10 with MS Gold Partner. So MS knows what this does :  https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10

Make a folder for it, download and run it, every few months check site for a new one and download save over top of the file and run new one.

Will find it it is much like 7 in a lot of ways. As well can google how to turn off stuff and as well how to turn stuff on as there is left overs of win7 in 10.

I won't scratch it. It might be a way around the problem if I can get acquainted with creating partitions and the transition to W 10 or W 11 is less than seamless.

That sounds like a smart approach. Understanding partitions can help ensure a smoother transition. Windows 10 or 11 setup might still have hiccups, but proper preparation should minimize potential issues.

If I chicken out and invest in a new but refurbished / second hand W 11 desktop, and ask the shop to transfer all my user and data files and bookmarks from the W 7, is it a reasonable request that what I end up with will be "clean" of malware and all the other nasties that we read about in these forums? I intend to leave the heavy lifting to the shop.

The other problem will be to get a W 11 OS to read my Office 2016 word and excel files. Assuming that the more modern the system the more difficulty it will have in looking backwards into the past.  Would buying and installing a more modern MS Office be the answer? Like a "bridge"?

Yes, it's a reasonable request, but there's no absolute guarantee. Ensure the shop uses reputable tools to scan for malware before transferring data. You might also consider a fresh install of Windows 11 and manually transferring only essential files.

Yes thanks. It was never my intention to attempt on my Android the kind of tasks that are routine on my desktop.

In the interim I have come to the conclusion that the route outlined in post # 28, take the jump and invest in a W 11 PC, should hopefully eliminate much of the clever tweaks necessary to get the show on the road. That means get my PC shop to do all the heavy lifting: file, bookmarks and program transfers, compatibilities and the like - that would otherwise just cause headaches.