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 25.5.17 (Windows 6.1.7601.27717)
- Added KB5061196-x64 with disabling telemetry and checking processors (replaces KB5058430-x64)

UpdatePack7 25.4.10 (Windows 6.1.7601.27666)
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

- Steam Version: 1726604483 (Tue, Sep 17, 2024)

[Phoenix]

"bUut good to know YOU liek being spied on" - curious on how you came to that conclusion.

Not to mention all the other processes that are probably running on the phone that AREN'T Google Play, whose existence is questionable. If OP has installed all the Win7 updates ... oops, at least one of those has telemetry in it. I think all this effort would be better spent in lobbying Valve to fully support SteamOS for PC, or learning GNU Linux.

[Amaterasu]

Princess Luna lähetti viestin:

bUut good to know YOU liek being spied on

I use Librewolf as my browser. I forcibly turned my camera and microphone off on my phone. I've unplugged my webcam when I'm not talking to my doctor, I've gotten rid of a lot of the spyware on my windows 11 machine, and I tossed my headset's microphone the day I got it. And I only use HTTPS protocol.

I'm a lot harder to spy on than most people clamoring for Windows 7, because I don't buy into sensationalist hype and look into real solutions.

And even the few things that companies do learn about me, they learn that I am an absolutely boring person that's paranoid enough to the point where they couldn't sell me water in the desert if I was dying of dehydration.

[HIVEmind]

Amaterasu lähetti viestin:

I don't get this, "We don't want microsoft to spy on us", except y'all have an android or iPhone... you're running a windows operating system. You're likely not using Librewolf or Brave, very likely not running a VPN, possibly using HTTP protocol wherever you can. Probably have cameras connected to devices that are connected to the internet.

But it's Windows 11 that crosses the line. Not... literally everything else that is currently spying on you as we speak, including your own phones. Which by the way, even if you aren't actively using the camera or microphone. It's on, and it's recording everything you do and say. Everything and sending it straight to Google or Apple who are selling it to the highest bidder. :lilacstare:

most people just use win11/10 for games. linux for office. and microft sometimes for movies and tv.

the darkside shot themselves in the foot

[Ontrix_Kitsune]

Insignia lähetti viestin:

Your ISP knows you're using a VPN and knows your real IP.

You don't seem to understand how VPN's work. I'll try to help: Yes the ISP can see us connect to the VPN server. However that is all that they can see. They can't see the data moving between our computer and the VPN server. Imagine for a moment that there's a pipe between your computer and the VPN server. The ISP can only see the outside of the pipe, not what's inside of it. They can only see that we connected to the VPN, not what we do once connected to it. All data that goes from our computer then out the other side of the VPN server is completely obscured to the ISP. It's also obscured from literally everyone on the internet. No one can see the data we transmit to the VPN servers. That's why people like using them.

[Weird Pumpkin]

Amaterasu lähetti viestin:

Weird Pumpkin lähetti viestin:

I very much doubt you fully understand the situation if you're unwilling to provide the evidence requested of you in image form. If I havn't seen it you can link the evidence as I might have missed it.

Beyond this, I've already explained that your post history is not align with your proclamation of "protecting the populous". You're being intentionally malicious because you dislike an OS and those who choose to use it. Your intent here isn't rooted in solving a perceived problem to do with the thread topic. And if your only method of discussion is repeating yourself then objectively what you are doing is just spam. And because Steam allows the thread, I find it hard to believe the software is as malicious as you say it is. You need to find a more productive means of expressing what you disagree with here. Posting for three months on a thread with no plans of resolution for the reason you posted in the first place isn't healthy.

Steam has allowed other threads to last for a long while despite going off topic, being a non-productive argument. The fact that Steam hasn't shut down this topic isn't an endorsement from Steam.

And it has been proven multiple times that there are no updates to Windows 7. No one is telling anyone to abandon their OS. We're telling people to not trust shady sites promising updates which aren't even updates for the correct OS. Not only that, the sites are giving paid updates for free, which is piracy.

"Steam has allowed other threads to last for a long while despite going off topic"
Steam has also removed threads because they go off topic. Spam is also something they don't always catch. This doesn't mean it's appropriate.

"The fact that Steam hasn't shut down this topic isn't an endorsement from Steam."
They allow it. I never stated they endorsed it. This isn't an excuse to derail it however. In any situation like this the sensible thing is to move on from the discussion if you aren't convincing people of this.

"And it has been proven multiple times that there are no updates to Windows 7."
I'm not arguing who's right. I'm arguing that it's not serving the thread and is spam.

"No one is telling anyone to abandon their OS."
This is in context to the person I was replying to. I've seen their post history in other threads and this is very much what they're doing. For full context please go back my post prior to the one you're quoting. And as I recall you have told people multiple times to switch to Linux and alternatives. Either you're arguing in bad faith here or you genuinely can't remember doing this because you've been at it so long. Either way, it just cements my point that it should stop.

"Not only that, the sites are giving paid updates for free, which is piracy."
You'll need to be more specific. If the updates are for windows 7 then it's a gray area. You can't pay for updates that are no longer officially supported or sold. And it's a de-facto rule that there's no penalization for such a thing. If Steam will face no repercussion for it, they have no reason to do anything about it. I believe I've spoken to you about this exact topic before though and it also went nowhere. This goes back to why these posts are spam as they're unproductive and lead into cyclical arguments. You dislike that Steam so far hasn't done anything about it. And you're still choosing to use their platform. If your problem ultimately is with Steam here, then you need to find a more realistic solution to this problem than posting on a thread for so long that you're on a different account from 6 months ago.

[Ontrix_Kitsune]

Weird Pumpkin lähetti viestin:

This is in context to the person I was replying to. I've seen their post history in other threads and this is very much what they're doing.

I'm still waiting for you to quote my words that I wrote where you said I wrote something "Malicious". Why have you not done this? You claimed I wrote Malicious words into the steam forum. Prove it.

[bidulless]

Ontrix_Kitsune lähetti viestin:

Weird Pumpkin lähetti viestin:

This is in context to the person I was replying to. I've seen their post history in other threads and this is very much what they're doing.

I'm still waiting for you to quote my words that I wrote where you said I wrote something "Malicious". Why have you not done this? You claimed I wrote Malicious words into the steam forum. Prove it.

hello

what a hypocrite , knowing i asked you so many times to prove your ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ....

i am completly agree with @Weird Pumpkin.... and no need to developpe here more , this is not the subject of this thread ( la poele qui se moque du chaudron ) and you're not the central point of interrest of this thread ,despite you're constantly flamming here , trolling , spamming etc ....
so yeah , it's hard to completly ignore you

[Ontrix_Kitsune]

bidulless lähetti viestin:

what a hypocrite , knowing i asked you so many times to prove your ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ....

i am completly agree with @Weird Pumpkin.... and no need to developpe here more , this is not the subject of this thread

I've already answered you many times, each time you ask for it: The answer is right there on the microsoft catalog website.

In However I've never written anything malicious anywhere in the steam forums that I recall so I'm very curious what this "Weird Pumpkin" person is even going on about so I would like to see what they are referring to.

[bidulless]

hello

last test i need to do :
as it does not use key , it's not piracy, at best i would call that hacking or modding (grey area) but despite slmgr does not show any keys for that, i will try to install the next update just by clicking it after i dowloaded it and if there is a key, it should install because this file is for windows nt 6.1 and can be apply to all nt 6.1 sku

that has been made possible because of the pkg.properties files inside the msu ( check my test installing an old windows 7 embedded rollup and windows server 2008r2 on this windows 7 pro vm - [sha-1 is the same for all sku (windows 7/windows server 2008r2/windows 7 embedded) on the same kb meaning files are just absolutely identicals and just catalog name change ]) - it can be check from my post history easily or here by checking KB4530734 or kb4534310 (both files are from 2019/2020) from this thread.
and it won't work because it's not licenced and there is no esu licence for windows 7 from the insurance update for windows server 2008r2 ( esu for windows 7 ended in 2022 anyway )...

and if i am really courageous i will delete the vm, rebuild it from scratch and , while running process monitor in the background, apply updatepack again to this fresh w7 pro in order to save what's been done with registry (key manipulation , install script etc )
because may be it apply key and delete them while using servicing update but honestly i seriously doubt it's been done like that (where is the esu for w7 above 2022 .??? ) because dism does not need any key ....
if you have any other ideas , feel free to ask
ps: try to install a windows 7 embedded or server 2008r2 key on w7 ...

and last
no need to post stupid screenshot of the file name from the mikeysoft catalog because then you need to explain why applying windows 7 embedded and windows 7 server 2008r2 , both from 2019/2020 , are not working on w7 pro and then prove i am lying ...
and good luck trying to prove , despite files are sharing the same sha-1,( they are for different sku rofl) and you never tries or did since the begining when it's so easy to build a vm and try to show i was lying or no (files before 2021) ...

[Ontrix_Kitsune]

bidulless lähetti viestin:

this file is for windows nt 6.1 and can be apply to all nt 6.1 sku

Server 2008 updates should only be applied to Server 2008.

Why are you spreading false misinformation on purpose like this?

[Amaterasu]

Ontrix_Kitsune lähetti viestin:

bidulless lähetti viestin:

this file is for windows nt 6.1 and can be apply to all nt 6.1 sku

Server 2008 updates should only be applied to Server 2008.

Why are you spreading false misinformation on purpose like this?

You know, it's rare that someone manages to say something that leaves me speechless. This is one of those times. He has to be aware that's not how a SKU works. 6.1 is the NT version, not an SKU.

[Ontrix_Kitsune]

Amaterasu lähetti viestin:

Ontrix_Kitsune lähetti viestin:

Server 2008 updates should only be applied to Server 2008.

Why are you spreading false misinformation on purpose like this?

You know, it's rare that someone manages to say something that leaves me speechless. This is one of those times. He has to be aware that's not how a SKU works. 6.1 is the NT version, not an SKU.

Yes: bidulless is well aware that the things they are writing in this thread (including the above message) are completely false. They've been trying to push this "agenda" of false information repeatedly for over a year now.

[bidulless]

Ontrix_Kitsune lähetti viestin:

Amaterasu lähetti viestin:

You know, it's rare that someone manages to say something that leaves me speechless. This is one of those times. He has to be aware that's not how a SKU works. 6.1 is the NT version, not an SKU.

Yes: bidulless is well aware that the things they are writing in this thread (including the above message) are completely false. They've been trying to push this "agenda" of false information repeatedly for over a year now.

hello
hehe so i am lying here ?
https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/0/6725643788915522918/?ctp=84#c592889669725755906
prove it xd
and yes all sku xd
https://i.postimg.cc/VL3fNBFY/Capture.jpg
and not limited to the list you can read here but also windows 7n, edu, pro, enterprise, premium, ultimate xd

[Ontrix_Kitsune]

bidulless lähetti viestin:

hehe so i am lying here ?

I did not say that. I said that the information you are posting is false information. Words are important in the English language as different words mean different things.

[changox jr]

Master.Constructor lähetti viestin:

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 25.3.12 (Windows 6.1.7601.27615)
- KB5053620-x64 with disabling telemetry and checking processors (replaces KB5052016-x64)
- Certificate update for March 2025 (similar to KB931125 and KB2917500)

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)
- UpdatePack7 2024.9.10 (Windows 6.1.7601.27317)
- UpdatePack7 2024.8.15
- Steam Version: 1721173382 (Tue, Jul 16, 2024)