My 2 Cents on the Windows 7 Debacle

[SeriousWays]

I am starting this discussion for the simple reason of tracktion. The more discussions there are on the matter and the more active they are, the higher the chance Valve actually pays attention to Windows 7 users and decides to figure out some compromise.

I am using Windows 7 and all of the games in my Steam library run on it without any problem. Even newer post 2020 titles.

My refusal to install a newer version of the WIndows OS is based on the fact that newer Microsoft -made operating systems are:
1. Bloatware filled with ads.
2. They constantly enforce updates, many of which have broken functionalities on the OS and have needed subsequent updates to fix.
3. Near unavoidable telemetry and constant flow of information between MS servers and the OS on which I have little to no say.

Why not migrate to Linux, Valve offers complete support for it, including Proton?

-> How long will it be before Valve decide that it is not worth pouring resources into an OS that less than 10% of the domestic computers use. Realistically looking at it, almost an insignificant part of Steam's users use Linux as much as Win 7.
-> Besides that, I have a ton of specialized softaware for which there is little to no support on Linux.

Argument: Microsoft has stopped its support for Win 7, Valve should hold no responsibility towars its users.

-> My computer's videocard has stopped receiving driver updates since somewhere around 2018. It still works perfectly, runs all of the games it is capable of running, and I have zero complaints from it. Should Steam automatically block me from using their platform just because a third party (e.g. the Graphics Card vendor) has decided to conclude its support for their product? Wheter they support a certain system or not is solely the decision of Valve, that is why I have created this thread here and not on Microsoft's forums. I am quite thankful to Valve for supporting my OS for so long, and they have done it because they have decided so. Not because Microsoft told them to.


Argument: Newer Windows OS's offer better security.

-> Whether Microsoft, or a third party spies on me, it is all the same since in both cases, my privacy has been compromised.

Question: Newer versions of Chromium do not run on older Windows versions. Do you expect a corporation to compromise its clients' security just to keep running on a depricated OS?

-> No. I completely understand that technoogicall progress cannot be compromised over a few late adoptors. I do not ask for the Steam official client to suffer in any way.

Question: Then what do you want?

-> I do not mind going on Steam's site and buying games from there. I just want to be given a method to run them. Steam currently runs on WIn7, so it is quite possible to achieve this. Either through a separate client, or some type of a legacy launcher which allows me to download and play the games I have purchased, activate games through product codes I have bought from third-party vendors such as Fanatical, etc, and to have multiplayer functionality on the games I have purchased.


I do not ask for mod integration, community integration, or any other features which the Steam client currently or will in future support. Just the ability to run the products I have purchased as I am currently able to run them.

As my position is stated, I consider it to be quite reasonable. I also believe that a billion-dollar corporation, which runs the biggest videogame digital marketplace to date, can afford the manhours to fulfill them. It's not like they are currently busy with HL3 anyway.

Have a good, safe, and productive day!

[crunchyfrog]

引用自 76561198285398721：

引用自 crunchyfrog：

Do you have any evidence of this claim?

dis
https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/4784-4F2B-1321-800A
"In order to continue running Steam and any games or other products purchased through Steam, users will need to update to a more recent version of Windows."
its what the red bar at the top takes u to

Thank you, but still a bit of a moot point as you can't run online things forever on old systens. It's part of the nature of such things and always has been.

I don't know why people don't realise this.

[Zero]

引用自 Wynters：

Those who cannot adapt to changes are in for a rude awakening around 2038...

Nothingburger. Y2K did nothing and Y2038 will do nothing. The computer just rolls back to the earliest time it is programmed for. Had an 80s PC do that in Y2K. Literally nothing else happens.

[MonkehMaster]

引用自 Zero：

引用自 Wynters：

Those who cannot adapt to changes are in for a rude awakening around 2038...

Nothingburger.

word salads are great with a bit of ranch

[NakiBest]

引用自 Muppet among Puppets：

引用自 Master.Constructor：

(Usual WIndows 10 major upgrades used to be happening TWO times per year.

I started those updates not more than once a year.

I usually update to them all, but wait for 3-4 months for it to mature first. :)

@Master.Constructor - you are welcome. :)

[crunchyfrog]

引用自 Zero：

引用自 Wynters：

Those who cannot adapt to changes are in for a rude awakening around 2038...

Nothingburger. Y2K did nothing and Y2038 will do nothing. The computer just rolls back to the earliest time it is programmed for. Had an 80s PC do that in Y2K. Literally nothing else happens.

Yup, it's always funny when people scaremonger about things they don't understand.

It's dead easy to find out how overflows work. It'll roll over to 1970 again (or whatever the systems have as their start date).

[NakiBest]

What if the problem software is running on a medical facility, or nuclear rocket one??
No one will suffer, or... !? :)
Are you quite sure?

[AlexTheRedScout]

引用自 NakiBest：

What if the problem software is running on a medical facility, or nuclear rocket one??
No one will suffer, or... !? :)
Are you quite sure?

those run on separate os's and are updated almost daily unlike average computer user who just uses it for alot of different stupid stuff

[Mr Happy Penguin]

引用自 NakiBest：

What if the problem software is running on a medical facility, or nuclear rocket one??
No one will suffer, or... !? :)
Are you quite sure?

In those cases you should have dedicated air-gapped hardware. You shouldn't be running Steam on it.

I noticed currently, steam has a separate steamwebhelper for windows 7.
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\bin\cef\cef.win7x64

I wonder if they'll keep this browser active at the end of the year, but just not update it.

[TonyTechnic]

I understand the benefits of using Windows 7, especially if you are running on limited hardware and need less resource requirements from the operating system. But despite your claims, Windows 7 is incredibly limited, vulnerable and outdated. Even if your setup IS bad, there is modded versions of Windows (and Linux) which take much less resources.

It's not worth it for Steam as a company to continue supporting Windows 7 or even Windows 8. Yes, not many people use Linux either. But the amount of people using Linux for Steam greatly surpasses the amount of people using Windows 7.

Just because a small minority still uses an outdated operating system for gaming doesn't mean it should keep getting complete or any support from Steam. I know people who still occasionally game on Windows Vista, are they worth getting Steam support?

If the bloatware bothers you, just remove it when you get a fresh install of Windows 11 or Windows 10. There are even techniques and programs to MAKE these operating systems cleaner and look and feel more like Windows 7 and Vista.

This is just my opinion, but I feel like keeping Windows 7 support on Steam is redundant both financially for Steam and for the consumer.

[NakiBest]

引用自 Mr Happy Penguin：

引用自 NakiBest：

What if the problem software is running on a medical facility, or nuclear rocket one??
No one will suffer, or... !? :)
Are you quite sure?

In those cases you should have dedicated air-gapped hardware. You shouldn't be running Steam on it.

I noticed currently, steam has a separate steamwebhelper for windows 7.
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\bin\cef\cef.win7x64

I wonder if they'll keep this browser active at the end of the year, but just not update it.

No, no, I did not mean Steam at all.
I am sure Steam will be ready for Year 2038 bug at least 4-5 years in advance, or maybe they already are. :)

I meant something else.
And NO, the software on such high availability systems with very high degree of security & danger is most certainly NOT updated every day.
Quite the opposite, it is updated only after extensive years of testing of any new code/changes.

If you mean updating security systems & protocols - for access to the building & more secure areas - every day, then for that of course yes. :)

[crunchyfrog]

引用自 NakiBest：

What if the problem software is running on a medical facility, or nuclear rocket one??
No one will suffer, or... !? :)
Are you quite sure?

It doesn't work like that.

MANY institutions (like banks or hospitals) use older OSes but they're professional separate versions of them and pay for such support. It's different.

Just because the splash screen says they run Windows 7 or something doesn't mean it's the same - it isn't.

[lailaamell]

引用自 crunchyfrog：

引用自 NakiBest：

What if the problem software is running on a medical facility, or nuclear rocket one??
No one will suffer, or... !? :)
Are you quite sure?

It doesn't work like that.

MANY institutions (like banks or hospitals) use older OSes but they're professional separate versions of them and pay for such support. It's different.

Just because the splash screen says they run Windows 7 or something doesn't mean it's the same - it isn't.

but the one thing they got in common is they generally dont go out on internet and is usally limited to a certain function

[crunchyfrog]

引用自 lailaamell95：

引用自 crunchyfrog：

It doesn't work like that.

MANY institutions (like banks or hospitals) use older OSes but they're professional separate versions of them and pay for such support. It's different.

Just because the splash screen says they run Windows 7 or something doesn't mean it's the same - it isn't.

but the one thing they got in common is they generally dont go out on internet and is usally limited to a certain function

Yup, the point is it's false equivalence.

Those very much are closed systems and they still have their support from MS - they pay heavily for it, mind.

It's a totally different set up.

[Muppet among Puppets]

From linux perspective,
there is no privacy difference between xp and a right set windows 10.

There is no "good microsoft" and a "post my os microsoft"

[C²C^Guyver |NZB|]

引用自 Zero：

引用自 Wynters：

Those who cannot adapt to changes are in for a rude awakening around 2038...

Nothingburger. Y2K did nothing and Y2038 will do nothing. The computer just rolls back to the earliest time it is programmed for. Had an 80s PC do that in Y2K. Literally nothing else happens.

2038? Why do you bring that date up? A Steam ban? 2038 is a placeholder. Those bans are permanent.