kenArchi Loc: Seal Beach, CA

My asus 7 computer is about 5 years old. So there shouldn't be any difficulty to download 10 program?

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

I have and use Windows 7, its still get regular upgrades automatically and I use MSN without any issues!

nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY

You aren't FORCED to do anything.

Use Windows 7 as long as applications work on it AND YOU ARE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT SECURITY! There are apps that work in 7 that don't work in 10. You could possibly need to upgrade them.

Antivirus program is no different. If it still gets updates, it works. But it does not protect from security flaws.

You do NOT necessarily have to get a new computer for Windows 10, If Windows 7 runs well on what you have. Do web search for "Windows 10 System Requirements".

You CAN still upgrade from Win 7 to Win10 for free on your current computer, if you have the license key.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Regarding security---

Until Microsoft, Norton, Avast, McAfee, and all those people become aware of a new threat, even 10 is susceptible.

Do you think the antivirus people figure out that a threat exists before it hits computers???
Somebody's computer (actually many) is/are going to get hit first somewhere, then the anti-virus guys will discover the new threat and work on protecting other computers from additional attacks.
How many computers will get hit before they detect a new threat? Five? Five hundred? Five thousand?
Your computer may be one of those hit.

If Win 10 is the "new" operating system and all new computers have it and many are updated to 10, do you think the bad guys are going to continue trying to attack computers running an "outdated" WIN 7? No. Not worth it. (I'll bet no one is trying to attack XP systems now.) They will start putting their efforts into 10. The higher the number of systems running an OS the better chances they can have a successful attack.

Dennis833 Loc: Australia

It's very easy to upgrade to Windows 10 for free!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdNL-pvvXH4

nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY

The bad guys do not target Windows 7 and 10 as different targets. An attack on Windows will hit both. But Windows 10 will have protections that Windows 7 lacks.
They don't have to "continue trying to attack" Windows 7 specifically.

AirWalter Loc: Tipp City, Ohio

Anyone who has a windows 7 computer, likes it and wants to keep it should read this info.

https://www.howtogeek.com/509175/how-to-secure-your-windows-7-system-in-2020/

https://www.howtogeek.com/509148/microsofts-new-chromium-based-edge-browser-is-now-available/

I am still running three windows 7 computers, and three windows XP Pro computers (because they have software that I still use and hardware that does not have drivers for newer operating systems). They still do a good job, I built all of them myself. I have two laptops with windows 10 that I can't run the way I want to because Microsoft has decided to tell people how they can run their computers and put new things on your computer along with updates whether you want them or not. As long as I can secure my older computers with ESET Internet Security, Malwarebytes, and CCleaner I will continue to use my older computers because they perform the way I want them to and they work! I recently read an article from Microsoft that you are advised to move on to windows 10 and they do not advise installing it on an older computer. You are advised to by a new computer. This is nothing but scare tactics. If the computer you have has the hardware that will run windows 10 there is nothing wrong with installing it on your present machine if you really want windows 10. The only reason I have two laptops with windows 10 is to keep track of what they are doing with our computers now. Everyone needs to make up their own minds about moving on to windows 10 or keeping and upgrading what they have now if it still does the job that you need and like.

nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY

The programs you cite as securing your Windows 7 computers will not protect from the hazards that Windows 10 and its Updates do.

You can certainly do whatever you want for whatever reason. If your computers are doing a great job, they can very likely do it with Windows 10.

Microsoft knows, though, that people will attempt to run Windows 10, and are running Windows 7, on machines that are borderline or incapable of efficiently handling the newest operating systems. They cannot support every computer ever made.

There isn't a hard definition of what an "older computer" is. My Dell laptops range from 8-12 years old and Windows 10 works beautifully on them, They are late Core 2 Duo and early Core i3 and i5 CPUs. I did get rid of earlier models that were getting marginal for 10.

Some computers can be made more effective with memory upgrades, SSDs, graphics adapters etc. but there comes a time when hardware outlives its effectiveness..

AirWalter Loc: Tipp City, Ohio

First off, no computer is secure if it's owner does not know how to maintain it by keeping left over junk on it from being on the internet, facebook, and by allowing to let programs that they install and without their knowing allowing to let some of these programs install other things on their computers without their knowledge. You also have to know spam when you see it in your email and know when not to click on things that you don't recognize. You also have to have a highly rated security program to help protect your machine. I have used ESET Internet Security for years, at least a decade, and it has never let me down. It still stops me from going to pages on the internet that are not safe or known as causing problems. It does not give me false notices about bad unsafe pages like mediocre programs do. I don't want to offend anyone, but I learned a long time ago that antivirus programs like Avast, AVG, Windows Defender are OK, but they are rather mediocre in their protection. Norton probably does a good job of protecting computers, however the way that they do it uses way to many resources (ram) on computers and it slows computers to a crawl on some of them. McAfee, I don't think I could ever trust them again after some of the nutty things that the owner of that company has done in the past and some of the trouble He has been in. People themselves are the best security for their own computers. They really need to be careful about what they click on and what sites they go to on the internet. Another thing that people should do is go into the settings for their computers and make sure that allowing "remote computers" to have permission to connect to your computer is turned off! It is usually on by default and I'll bet 90% of computer owners don't even know about it. Keeping computers safe and clean and performing like they did when they were first purchased requires some common sense and daily maintenance.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Depends where the attack is aimed.
Each OS will most likely not have the same vulnerabilities.
A vulnerability in 10 may not exist in 7 or XP. And vice-versa.

AirWalter Loc: Tipp City, Ohio

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Pray-tell, where in settings?
I turned mine off years ago, but can't remember where that tidbit is located it's been so long.

AirWalter Loc: Tipp City, Ohio

Depends on the operating system.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

AirWalter Loc: Tipp City, Ohio

Windows 7:

1. Open control panel

2 click on system icon

3. (upper left) click on remote settings

4. click on remote tab

5. uncheck remote box at top

6. chose an option at the bottom. I always chose "don't allow".

7. click OK at bottom of window

That's all you need to do. If you are talking about windows 10 I'll have to turn one of my laptops on and find it. You might be able to go to the search window at the bottom of the desktop and type in "remote settings" and find it there. I haven't turned that off in windows 10 yet, but I think I will.