I found a local networking and support company that will install Win 7 on a machine legally. I prefer the 32 bit Pro version, no problem. Not sure about backing 10 down to 7, but I would ask a pro shop about it. Costs about $85 to have it installed. They want to do a machine checkup first, but I decline. Most of my machines are refurbished and I can often order them with whichever OS I want. If they come with 7, I usually replace the bootable hard drive with a new one cloned with all software intact. The old drive becomes the backup. 7 is almost as good as XP was in its day, and will be workable probably 2-3 years after support stops in 2020. Then software writers will begin to stop writing for the OS. My automatically renewed Norton still works with XP-to 10, and keeps up to date without any intervention.
Thank the big users for the extended support for 7, changing OSs is a very costly technical problem for them and I know our health insurer throws their weight around about resisting the seemingly arbitrary changes Micro$oft imposes on its not so happy users. I still have a couple of XP machines running, but they rarely go online, and most of the time, the machines last far longer than the hard drives' MTBF of 7 years in a desktop, 4-5 years in a laptop. Having the old drive in reserve lets you operate again, although you may lose some stuff unless you make a clone image backup whenever you install new software.
Most of my data is backed up on a 1 terabyte DropBox account (nearing 300 gigs now). Programs can be reinstalled if necessary. Dropbox no longer works automatically with XP, which is the main reason I switched to 7. It works fine in my one Win 10 laptop. 10 isn't terrible, and I love the laptop's light weight and 5-6 hour operating life with a very small battery. That laptop is becoming my traveling companion and run Office 2003, which costs practically nothing to buy (legal copies) on the internet. That version of Office is my favorite and still has the revolutionary breakthrough of drop down menus instead of the more recent revival of the ancient WordStar menu, now called the Ribbon.
I hope this novella has been useful.
Our network now has 7 machines on it, for file and printer sharing mainly. One thing I very much liked about the 10 machine is that it found the wireless printer out in my office shed, all by itself. One thing I really don't care for about 7 and 10 is Windows Explorer. Not Internet Explorer, which I'd never use since switching to Firefox. Nor do I like the new internet software in 10. Most modern Micro$oft software makes me feel that Bill is looking over my shoulder and is "allowing" me to pay for and use HIS machine. I'm too old to bother going through the learning curve for Linux, but I think for some purposes it is a very good option.
I have to be compatible with client machines, so that means Windows or Apple. My wife has an ipad and MacBook, and I don't see much advantage and I hate having to learn hand gestures to make the touchpad do its thing. Give me a mouse every time. When I have to try to fix things on her Apple machine, I demand a mouse!
Sometimes I think I might be a computer troglodyte in the making, then I take a look at what Micro$oft has imposed on us whether or not we like it. Then I recall that I am a normal person who just doesn't like being screwed around with by a big, unresponsive monopoly.
Thank the big users for the extended support for 7, changing OSs is a very costly technical problem for them and I know our health insurer throws their weight around about resisting the seemingly arbitrary changes Micro$oft imposes on its not so happy users. I still have a couple of XP machines running, but they rarely go online, and most of the time, the machines last far longer than the hard drives' MTBF of 7 years in a desktop, 4-5 years in a laptop. Having the old drive in reserve lets you operate again, although you may lose some stuff unless you make a clone image backup whenever you install new software.
Most of my data is backed up on a 1 terabyte DropBox account (nearing 300 gigs now). Programs can be reinstalled if necessary. Dropbox no longer works automatically with XP, which is the main reason I switched to 7. It works fine in my one Win 10 laptop. 10 isn't terrible, and I love the laptop's light weight and 5-6 hour operating life with a very small battery. That laptop is becoming my traveling companion and run Office 2003, which costs practically nothing to buy (legal copies) on the internet. That version of Office is my favorite and still has the revolutionary breakthrough of drop down menus instead of the more recent revival of the ancient WordStar menu, now called the Ribbon.
I hope this novella has been useful.
Our network now has 7 machines on it, for file and printer sharing mainly. One thing I very much liked about the 10 machine is that it found the wireless printer out in my office shed, all by itself. One thing I really don't care for about 7 and 10 is Windows Explorer. Not Internet Explorer, which I'd never use since switching to Firefox. Nor do I like the new internet software in 10. Most modern Micro$oft software makes me feel that Bill is looking over my shoulder and is "allowing" me to pay for and use HIS machine. I'm too old to bother going through the learning curve for Linux, but I think for some purposes it is a very good option.
I have to be compatible with client machines, so that means Windows or Apple. My wife has an ipad and MacBook, and I don't see much advantage and I hate having to learn hand gestures to make the touchpad do its thing. Give me a mouse every time. When I have to try to fix things on her Apple machine, I demand a mouse!
Sometimes I think I might be a computer troglodyte in the making, then I take a look at what Micro$oft has imposed on us whether or not we like it. Then I recall that I am a normal person who just doesn't like being screwed around with by a big, unresponsive monopoly.
