Steam, Windows 7 - 2025

[Master.Constructor]

We're almost finished 2024 and we've had several Steam client updates as well as Windows 7 updates via UpdatePack7. So far Windows 7 seems to be running well and will carry me into 2025 at the very least.

I've been running Windows 7 since transitioning from XP after bypassing (and watching the fallout from) Vista. So far so good aside from DirectX12 and some driver restrictions.

I closely followed the roll-out of Win8, 8.1 and 10 waiting for a good time to transition to a newer OS, testing a few other options while I've been waiting (Linux, Windows Server, Tiny/Lite Windows). So far I haven't found anything that seems to worth the effort or privacy risks / compromise.

Windows 7 SP2/3?

In 2021 I found UpdatePack7 which is a monthly security pack for all editions of Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008R2 (seems to be in development since 2013) and have had very good results with it. There is a small ~1MB downloader program (v1.5.0.0) which will download and/or verify the update pack (~800MB). The latest release was three days ago (24.6.12) and no issues to report. It's a significant saving of bandwidth, time and drive space and I am very grateful for it's consistent and diligent development. It is essentially the SP3 that Win7 users were always waiting for.

If you're having issues on Windows 7 SP1, try running the following from CMD (as administrator) and post your results here.
chkdsk
sfc /verifyonly

Hint:
I find starting Steam offline is much faster and smoother. Here's my steps to starting Steam Offline:
1 - edit the file loginusers.vdf
... mine was located here: \Steam\config\loginusers.vdf
2 - change "WantsOfflineMode" from 0 to 1
3 - save and set file [Properties] to [Read-only]
4 - start steam to check

Also, to remove the red banner at the top I added this to my steam.exe shortcut:
-pretendeol-w10


Updates
=======
UpdatePack7 25.4.10 (Windows 6.1.7601.27666)
- Added KB5055561-x64 with disabling telemetry and checking processors (replaces KB5053620-x64)
- Added KB5056456-x64 (replaces KB5050681-x64)

UpdatePack7 25.3.12 (Windows 6.1.7601.27615)
UpdatePack7 25.2.12 (Windows 6.1.7601.27566)
UpdatePack7 25.1.15 (Windows 6.1.7601.27520)
UpdatePack7 24.12.12 (Windows 6.1.7601.27412)

Steam Beta Branch: Stable Client
Steam Version: 1730853000
Steam Client Build Date: Thu, Nov 7 7:55 PM UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Wed, Oct 9 5:44 PM UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient021

- UpdatePack7 2024.10.10 (Windows 6.1.7601.27366)
- Steam Version: 1726604483 (Tue, Sep 17, 2024)

[bidulless]

hello

1 - it doesn't install anything

This was still the most used argument until recently, but it is difficult to sustain given that each rollup provides a list of modified files in CSV format that is easy to check with a right click and a PowerShell script
Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion" | `
Format-List ProductName,DisplayVersion,CurrentBuildNumber,BuildLabEx

2 - It is illegal and pirated software

Well that's probably the most complicated part to get rid of because I have to admit that I myself consider it to be messy, and part of a gray area. However, it is not illegal and pirated software for 2 reasons
-The first is that the latter does not use a pirate key to install the updates that are accessible by everyone from the Mikeysoft catalog If it used a key to install ESU and Insurance updates, yes indeed it would be a pirate software but it's not the case...
-The second reason is that all Mikeysoft updates are freely downloadable from the catalog, free to access and free to use
And yes the updates are 'modified' during their extraction by 7zip which removes the overlay associated with the file (it doesn't know how to extract it) and so the installation does not have the original script(s) , just the package
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/useterms/
https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/servicesagreement

Note that ESU keys are only accessible to professionals and in no case to people such as us, the end consumers. So if you find in these 2 documents relating to rights and restrictions that I would have ignored, please point it out and be constructive/argued

[bidulless]

hello

3 - it runs in the "kernel" and/or ring-0

I still wonder how people using this argument can have such conclusions without using updatepack and especially without having software to identify this type of access (taskmanager really lol xd)

and the answer is clearly no and I think I already answered this one a short time ago (an elevation of privileges has nothing to do with a kernel or ring-0 access )


4 - It "crowbar" Mikeysoft updates

I didn't know that the use of dism allowed you to force updates, especially those for a 'different' SKU but hey you can learn it every day I guess because suddenly, I'm still wondering where are the updates for Windows 7 ultimate, pro, edu,s, n, enterprise,etc

[Amaterasu]

Publicado originalmente por bidulless:

hello so i guess it's time to debunk all the last ♥♥♥♥ that have been posted here so here we go xd

I'm a little flabbergasted by the level of computer science of the people who posted false and unverified informations on their own about this tool.

Alright then, start providing evidence to every one of your claims. If you don't provide evidence to a claim, then that is a false claim and nothing more than assertion. I will give you a generous 24 hours to prove your claims with legitimate evidence.

And no, it is not my job to prove you wrong even though I have before. So hop to it and start providing evidence or what you assert without evidence will be dismissed without evidence.

Edit: I didn't even finish this post before you started to assert things without evidence. I'm actually impressed. But will still be generous and give the full 24 hours. And in fact, because I'm a lazy ♥♥♥♥ when it comes to mathematics, you'll technically have 24:27 as of this edit as I will wait til noon tomorrow for this evidence.

[bidulless]

hello

5 - It is from Russia and has a link to a Russian site and modifies the files

Yes it modifies the 'packages' by unzipping them and therefore removes the overlay which contains the tracker included in the installation script.
2 logs are generated.
the first one being during the scan phase (log in Russian indeed 'UpdateScan7.log' but no link to a Russian site in it)
a second 'UpdatePack7.log' in English and here again no link to any Russian site...

After all, the person who made this tool being Ukrainian, what could be more normal (right click on the installer and you will have his name)
Because yes, not everyone can afford a security certificate from agencies without having a company and showing their credentials in order to keep their certificate valid without incorporating malware (since 2013)
It's up to you to do your research with this entry point


6 - It uses a weaker SHA algorithm

lol which therefore since the only algorithm capable of using the recent updates is sha256 and a patch must be installed in order to be able to use updates (since 2020)
funny because the person who posted this argument doesn't understand what sha-1 is used on files....


7 - It cannot use any update other than Windows 7

My first remark would be to say where are the updates for the other 'SKUs' such as Windows 7 Pro, Ultimate, Edu, N, S, Enterprise are hiding when only 3 types of updates are available :
The following are available: Namely Windows 7, Windows Server 2008R2, Windows 7 embedded
Unfortunately or more precisely exactly, all the differents SKUs use the same base, namely a nt 6.1 kernel which makes it feasible and also explains why any vulnerability affects a Windows 7 also affects a Windows 2008R2 and so on.

The reciprocity is also valid provided that you have the feature present in the other sku in question (we will then speak of backward compatibility from the server - main - to the client down)
I already mentioned earlier that the 'rollups' were identical between the 3 main distributions visible on the catalog (SHA-1 identical) :
Windows Server 2008R2 update , Windows 7 embedded and windows 7.

In fact the updates you download such as Windows Server 2008R2 KB5055561 are Windows 6.1-KB5055561-x64_391d40e6ce999b3d80908629941c2f19a26c5a34 and not named
windows-server2008r2-KB5055561-x64_391d40e6ce999b3d80908629941c2f19a26c5a34

[bidulless]

8 - it is not opensource

UpdatePack is built using Nullesoft Installer which is opensource https://nsis.sourceforge.io/Main_Page

So if our computer science cador is willing to take the trouble to analyze the source code and give us his opinion, he is welcome otherwise I don't know of any opensource tool using nullesoft that shares the installation script
That said, among the tools used there is dism (v10.0.26100.1) W10 and its various DLLs as well as 7z Unpacker (which is open source)
And note that no Mikeysoft update are opensource nor dism :D

anyway Here is the list of 'programs' used by the installer:
29/11/2024 20:00 1ÿ907ÿ712 7z.dll
01/04/2024 19:41 329ÿ272 dism.exe
01/04/2024 19:41 476ÿ728 dismcore.dll
01/04/2024 19:41 230ÿ968 dismcoreps.dll
01/04/2024 19:41 300ÿ472 dismprov.dll
07/04/2025 12:06 6ÿ656 ExecDos.dll
01/04/2024 19:41 701ÿ880 ffuprovider.dll
01/04/2024 19:41 95ÿ672 folderprovider.dll
01/04/2024 19:41 247ÿ224 imagingprovider.dll
07/04/2025 12:06 25ÿ600 INetC.dll
01/04/2024 19:41 190ÿ008 logprovider.dll
07/01/2012 18:36 118ÿ628 modern-wizard.bmp
07/04/2025 12:06 12ÿ800 nsArray.dll
07/04/2025 12:06 9ÿ728 nsDialogs.dll
06/12/2019 21:09 131ÿ224 oscdimg.exe
07/04/2025 12:06 25ÿ088 Reg.dll
07/04/2025 14:35 <REP> ru-ru
01/04/2024 19:41 140ÿ856 siloedpackageprovider.dll
07/04/2025 12:06 11ÿ264 System.dll
07/04/2025 12:06 14ÿ848 Time.dll
11/12/2024 02:25 572ÿ128 Update7z.exe
07/04/2025 12:06 4ÿ096 UserInfo.dll
01/04/2024 19:41 599ÿ608 vhdprovider.dll
01/04/2024 19:41 910ÿ888 wimgapi.dll
01/04/2024 19:41 697ÿ912 wimprovider.dll
25 fichier(s) 7ÿ761ÿ260 octets

[Amaterasu]

Also I'm just going to point out the fact that you torpedoed the ♥♥♥♥ out of the argument that UpdatePack7 works by saying that it doesn't install anything into Ring-0(Which is what I said). Because it doesn't touch Ring-0, it means that it cannot interact with the NT 6.1 Kernel and would only do things on the OS level which would look for and say it with me now, Windows Server 2008 R2.

So I would like to congratulate you on completely destroying this entire topic by confirming something I said.

[bidulless]

hello
now let dive on some remark would you xd
so wait a bit before posting current ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ as allways , i need to save screenshot on web site so it can take a bit of time xd

[Phoenix]

Publicado originalmente por bidulless:

8 - it is not opensource

fortunately that if, at least in large part UpdatePack is built using Nullesoft Installer which is opensource https://nsis.sourceforge.io/Main_Page So if our computer science cador is willing to take the trouble to analyze the source code and give us his opinion, he is welcome otherwise I don't know of any opensource tool using nullesoft that shares the installation script That said, among the tools used there is dism (v10.0.26100.1) W10 and its various DLLs as well as 7z Unpacker (which is open source) And note that no Mikeysoft update is opensource XD anyway Here is the list of 'programs' used by the installer:

Generally, without permission from Microsoft, analyzing the source code would run a person afoul of the DMCA. Such is the nature of the computing world we live in.

[bidulless]

hello
here is the situation before the test i've done
and 3 points will be showed here so be patient and comment later plz
and comment on the 3 points will be done at end so be patient xd

here is the key used under a mix of updatepack and normal update done inside w7 pro
https://i.postimg.cc/HnK4TXxn/Capture.jpg
no key is used here.
https://i.postimg.cc/1Xgw7XHQ/1Capture.jpg
no update are available on the current update chanel
https://i.postimg.cc/wTmDhtM5/2Capture.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/Kv2tDGMd/3Capture.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/13R6bvMB/4Capture.jpg
updatepack has been used one month ago and it used dism as the main tool to update w7( dism is a milkeysoft tool )

[Amaterasu]

Publicado originalmente por Phoenix:

Publicado originalmente por bidulless:

8 - it is not opensource

fortunately that if, at least in large part UpdatePack is built using Nullesoft Installer which is opensource https://nsis.sourceforge.io/Main_Page So if our computer science cador is willing to take the trouble to analyze the source code and give us his opinion, he is welcome otherwise I don't know of any opensource tool using nullesoft that shares the installation script That said, among the tools used there is dism (v10.0.26100.1) W10 and its various DLLs as well as 7z Unpacker (which is open source) And note that no Mikeysoft update is opensource XD anyway Here is the list of 'programs' used by the installer:

Generally, without permission from Microsoft, analyzing the source code would run a person afoul of the DMCA. Such is the nature of the computing world we live in.

And the tool used to build something being open source doesn't make the thing itself open source. Assuming otherwise is asking for trouble.

Also UpdatePack7 is Extended Service Updates, which is a paid service for enterprise users, for Windows Server 2008 R2 being repackaged by some dude in Russia and being sent out for free to other people. There is a term for such distribution, it's called... piracy.

[Amaterasu]

Publicado originalmente por bidulless:

hello
here is the situation before the test i've done

Personal anecdotes are not evidence. Try again.

[MonkehMaster]

Publicado originalmente por Amaterasu:

Publicado originalmente por bidulless:

hello so i guess it's time to debunk all the last ♥♥♥♥ that have been posted here so here we go xd

I'm a little flabbergasted by the level of computer science of the people who posted false and unverified informations on their own about this tool.

Alright then, start providing evidence to every one of your claims. If you don't provide evidence to a claim, then that is a false claim and nothing more than assertion. I will give you a generous 24 hours to prove your claims with legitimate evidence.

And no, it is not my job to prove you wrong even though I have before. So hop to it and start providing evidence or what you assert without evidence will be dismissed without evidence.

Edit: I didn't even finish this post before you started to assert things without evidence. I'm actually impressed. But will still be generous and give the full 24 hours. And in fact, because I'm a lazy ♥♥♥♥ when it comes to mathematics, you'll technically have 24:27 as of this edit as I will wait til noon tomorrow for this evidence.

yes, you have to prove yourself, sorry.

no you havent provided a shred of evidence.

no one here is going to give in to your demands, again sorry.

Publicado originalmente por Amaterasu:

Also I'm just going to point out the fact that you torpedoed the ♥♥♥♥ out of the argument that UpdatePack7 works by saying that it doesn't install anything into Ring-0(Which is what I said). Because it doesn't touch Ring-0, it means that it cannot interact with the NT 6.1 Kernel and would only do things on the OS level which would look for and say it with me now, Windows Server 2008 R2.

So I would like to congratulate you on completely destroying this entire topic by confirming something I said.

he didnt confirm a thing you said, you sure like twisting things into a "i win scenario", despite being wrong continuously

have a nice day

[Amaterasu]

Publicado originalmente por MonkehMaster:

Publicado originalmente por Amaterasu:

Alright then, start providing evidence to every one of your claims. If you don't provide evidence to a claim, then that is a false claim and nothing more than assertion. I will give you a generous 24 hours to prove your claims with legitimate evidence.

And no, it is not my job to prove you wrong even though I have before. So hop to it and start providing evidence or what you assert without evidence will be dismissed without evidence.

Edit: I didn't even finish this post before you started to assert things without evidence. I'm actually impressed. But will still be generous and give the full 24 hours. And in fact, because I'm a lazy ♥♥♥♥ when it comes to mathematics, you'll technically have 24:27 as of this edit as I will wait til noon tomorrow for this evidence.

yes, you have to prove yourself, sorry.

This is not how the burden of proof works. You made the claim that it works and is good. Prove it. If you don't, then it can reasonably assumed that it doesn't work. By the way, 24:07.

[bidulless]

hello

now let apply the last windows server 2008r2 just by downloading it and double click on it because if there is a key hidden somewhere , it should apply no ?
https://catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=kb5055561
aye sadly it's for windows server 2008r2 ... but let's try this way no ? just double click on it

https://i.postimg.cc/L5MgDDnz/5Capture.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/qMw6c803/6Capture.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/T3SwQ0sp/7Capture.jpg
damn it does not install ... ♥♥♥♥ ...
https://i.postimg.cc/Z59Y93qZ/9Capture.jpg

ok may be i need to install something first like the servicing
https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB5056456
https://i.postimg.cc/k4C7hpvX/10-Capture.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/SsmpGzmn/11-Capture.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/tJMQySW6/12-Capture.jpg
ok servicing installed from windows server 2008r2 and i will reboot just in case and redoo the whole process of installing kb5055561 ( note that i installed a windows 2008r2 servicing update on windows 7pro without any issue here )

https://i.postimg.cc/DzFDVkHD/13-Capture.jpg
ok so it's time to try it again , but damn it fail again as you can see here

[MonkehMaster]

Publicado originalmente por Amaterasu:

Publicado originalmente por MonkehMaster:

yes, you have to prove yourself, sorry.

This is not how the burden of proof works. You made the claim that it works and is good. Prove it. If you don't, then it can reasonably assumed that it doesn't work. By the way, 24:07.

i made the claim, it (the program?) works and is good? show me where i said that? you wont find it.

only thing i have said, is how you dont understand how NT kernel and windows work.

Publicado originalmente por Amaterasu:

Publicado originalmente por bidulless:

hello
here is the situation before the test i've done

Personal anecdotes are not evidence. Try again.

those arent "personal anecdotes", thats call first hand experience and testing, with valid evidence, nice try, but try again.

Publicado originalmente por Amaterasu:

Publicado originalmente por bidulless:

hello

now let apply the last windows server 2008r2 just by downloading it and double ckicked on it because if there is a key hidden somewhere , it should apply no ?
https://catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=kb5055561
aye sadly it's for windows server 2008r2 ... but let's try this way no ? just double click on it

https://i.postimg.cc/L5MgDDnz/5Capture.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/qMw6c803/6Capture.jpg

I took a look over that site you just linked and guess what it says.

What is Microsoft Update Catalog?
It's a service from Microsoft that provides a listing of updates that can be distributed over a corporate network. You can use it as a one-stop location for finding Microsoft software updates, drivers, and hotfixes.

Here, I'll even isolate the important part.

a corporate network

You're not a corporation, you're a home user. So... you're using ESU updates free, which is piracy.

back to the fake claims of piracy again, when everything you have argued is proven wrong?

again, stop spreading misinformation

have a nice day