Risks of continuing using Windows 7

Most of the sites of been reading this evening, are saying get off 7 asap if you can. if you cant make sure you have both Anti Virus & Malware and keep updated, make sure MS Office is still downloading patched ie office 365, use either Firefox or Chrome and keep updated, and do not use internet Explorer at all (although I don't think anyone uses IE anyway). Also remove the admin rights from day to day user accounts. So I can do all this, but still need to tell my Dad this should be temporary and needs to find replacement software asap. They do have a windows 10 PC each as well just this one piece of software wont work on anything but win 7 32 bit. I could try making a VM and say if youmust use it work in the VM Bubble
 
Kurgen said:
Most of the sites of been reading this evening, are saying get off 7 asap if you can. if you cant make sure you have both Anti Virus & Malware and keep updated, make sure MS Office is still downloading patched ie office 365, use either Firefox or Chrome and keep updated, and do not use internet Explorer at all (although I don't think anyone uses IE anyway). Also remove the admin rights from day to day user accounts. So I can do all this, but still need to tell my Dad this should be temporary and needs to find replacement software asap. They do have a windows 10 PC each as well just this one piece of software wont work on anything but win 7 32 bit. I could try making a VM and say if youmust use it work in the VM Bubble
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Sorry lot of info in this thread must have missed it
What's the one problem software?

sideways14a said:
We do indeed use system centre to deploy images across the network however... we do have to spend some time with the workstation being done as most of our users splatter documents, data and god knows all over the place and a lot of it ends up on the C drive.
Now you could argue that they shouldnt be allowed but we are in academia and individuals work flow is usually determined to be more important than IT spending a few more mins cleaning up the mess a user makes of a pc. So we go and ensure they have moved all there documents to the home drives, we copy shortcuts ect...
No i dont like that we have to do it but it keeps people happy, we are moving to onedrive along with other things so this will be less of a time consumer in the future.

We do not manually install from usb keys or DVD of course so while i say its a lot of work i mean its more a lot of hassle.
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Thanks for clarification
Yes get exactly what you mean about users putting stuff where they shouldnt
And basically saying so what IT are paid to sort it anyway
 
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Mcnumpty2323 said:
Sorry lot of info in this thread must have missed it
What's the one problem software?
Click to expand...

Its a Bolt on Architectural Package, Called Architect 2000 then will only work with upto AutoCAD 2009 and Windows 7 32 bit, it was specifically deisgned for the UK Architect Market and nothing as good has been made since that I can find. It draw all the walls door windows, cavity walls, breaks the walls automatically etc. has lots of small detail drawing librarys built in. Everything available is geared at the American Market or simply doesn't do it.. AutoCAD architecture isn't as good and costs 10 times more
 
Kurgen said:
Its a Bolt on Architectural Package, Called Architect 2000 then will only work with upto AutoCAD 2009 and Windows 7 32 bit, it was specifically deisgned for the UK Architect Market and nothing as good has been made since that I can find. It draw all the walls door windows, cavity walls, breaks the walls automatically etc. has lots of small detail drawing librarys built in. Everything available is geared at the American Market or simply doesn't do it.. AutoCAD architecture isn't as good and costs 10 times more
Click to expand...
If it's a really good classic piece of software that's still useful today
Is it possible there could be an enthusiast group for it?
Like some of the old games perhaps, some clever people have modded some of those to work on later operating systems
 
Mcnumpty2323 said:
Thanks for clarification
Yes get exactly what you mean about users putting stuff where they shouldnt
And basically saying so what IT are paid to sort it anyway
Click to expand...

It keeps the customers happy, right up until they get a visit from the heavies for breaches of security.. replying to scam / phishing emails ect.. Then its proper trouble
I just heard we had around 4 recorded breaches of security per day last year, ok most were minor but some were rather worrying.
 
Kurgen said:
Most of the sites of been reading this evening, are saying get off 7 asap if you can. if you cant make sure you have both Anti Virus & Malware and keep updated, make sure MS Office is still downloading patched ie office 365, use either Firefox or Chrome and keep updated, and do not use internet Explorer at all (although I don't think anyone uses IE anyway). Also remove the admin rights from day to day user accounts. So I can do all this, but still need to tell my Dad this should be temporary and needs to find replacement software asap. They do have a windows 10 PC each as well just this one piece of software wont work on anything but win 7 32 bit. I could try making a VM and say if youmust use it work in the VM Bubble
Click to expand...

The main thing is not having the system directly exposed to the internet - Windows firewall and router NAT layer at the very minimum and a robust web browser (not Internet Explorer). Beyond that it will largely come down to the end user's level of security consciousness and discipline.
 
Mcnumpty2323 said:
If it's a really good classic piece of software that's still useful today
Is it possible there could be an enthusiast group for it?
Like some of the old games perhaps, some clever people have modded some of those to work on later operating systems
Click to expand...

I actually spoke to the developers, they still exist but have made a new software package and standalone, we tried and didn't want to be rude, but I was basically crap. They wanted it to work with new AutoCAD but ran into problems with Autodesk and licensing. They tried to help to get it to work on windows 10, but it was problems with the coding of the Activation software. So I did try...
 
Kurgen said:
I actually spoke to the developers, they still exist but have made a new software package and standalone, we tried and didn't want to be rude, but I was basically crap. They wanted it to work with new AutoCAD but ran into problems with Autodesk and licensing. They tried to help to get it to work on windows 10, but it was problems with the coding of the Activation software. So I did try...
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Is this of any help?
If I am on wrong track don't be scared to call me an idiot lol
I am not very good on my phone need to be on my pc
If I got right idea but not quite right details they have a whole blog full of solutions

https://blog.longbowsoftware.com/in...it-on-windows-7-windows-8-and-windows-10/amp/
 
Mcnumpty2323 said:
Is this of any help?
If I am on wrong track don't be scared to call me an idiot lol
I am not very good on my phone need to be on my pc
If I got right idea but not quite right details they have a whole blog full of solutions

https://blog.longbowsoftware.com/in...it-on-windows-7-windows-8-and-windows-10/amp/
Click to expand...

Nice try.... but its the 3rd party bolt on that's the Issue, AutoCAD is easy to replace with a newer version even if it was AutoCAD LT, I had tried longbow and it worked for AutoCAD but im still stuck with the 3rd party. ive spent man hours trying to get it to work even on windows 8.. I can only donate so much time as I have my own job to do , which takes up 12 hours of my day
 
Kurgen said:
Nice try.... but its the 3rd party bolt on that's the Issue, AutoCAD is easy to replace with a newer version even if it was AutoCAD LT, I had tried longbow
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No problem
Was only my 1st attempt
Will have a better look when on pc
Might get lucky
Is there a specific company name for who made the bolt on?
 
No worries mate, appreciate the assistance. will still be upgrading the Malwarebytes to the business version this weekend anyway
 
sideways14a said:
I have nearly 100 pc's still to update to 10 from 7 and its a lot of work.
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Oh please is that it? I worked in an environment where there was 6000 pcs to update from 7 too 10 back in 2015. I know what it's like to go through upgrades and changes but why people wait right to the last day and then ask questions about if it's safe. They tell you two years in advance whats going to happen.
 
if you're having this much problem w/ a piece of ancient software, I find it hard to understand why you're not taking the hint, especially for a business. The situation isn't going to get any better for you. you'd be far better off biting the bullet and looking for something new. I know little about architecture but I can't imagine in an area that wide that there's only one way-out-of-date indy app that does something no one else can. Why not look at something like Blender, that's 100% free and there's a huge archviz community out there, w/ tons of apps and plugins.
and as a further incentive to protect yourself, if you have a legit Win7, the free upgrade to Win10 still works, so it won't even cost you that.
 
sideways14a said:
I have nearly 100 pc's still to update to 10 from 7 and its a lot of work.
A lot of folk dont appreciate doing it (some actively want it) but they dont get a choice, we upgrade or i will take them off the network.
Here ...unless there is a very good reason for staying with an out of date OS then you will be getting moved on.
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100 machines isn't a lot, should have that done inside a week (and that includes lots of coffee breaks and watching youtube videos)

If users are saving to the c: drive and not the network, then sorry, but your system has not been setup correctly from the outset.
 
wolfie138 said:
if you're having this much problem w/ a piece of ancient software, I find it hard to understand why you're not taking the hint, especially for a business. The situation isn't going to get any better for you. you'd be far better off biting the bullet and looking for something new. I know little about architecture but I can't imagine in an area that wide that there's only one way-out-of-date indy app that does something no one else can. Why not look at something like Blender, that's 100% free and there's a huge archviz community out there, w/ tons of apps and plugins.
and as a further incentive to protect yourself, if you have a legit Win7, the free upgrade to Win10 still works, so it won't even cost you that.
Click to expand...

I dont think blender would be suitable, they arent making the next Smurfs Movie, and the cost of windows 10 isnt relevant
 
Didn't get very far looking for a solution
Software is so old I couldn't find a copy of it to try stuff with lol
Could get a free trial of the latest version but that's not what's needed

Though on a side note
As it's a business not being free isn't so bad as for a home user
Have you looked at Microsoft virtual desktop?
Can get virtual Windows 7 enterprise
They are saying 99% of older stuff works fine~though how old I don't know
Says dedicated software engineers if problems
And big plus
They are offering security updates until 2023
Even though no security updates for regular Windows 7 any more
No idea of the cost
 
Thanks for looking. The way forward is for my Dad to get off his bum and look for alternative software ( I have tried, but I don't have to use it, I use standard AutoCAD everyday so I can use any OS). I will upgrade the antivirus suite at weekend and check the backups are working. I may even add another USB Backup disk once a week that he keeps offline. I know it appears from the thread that this is last minute, its not, ive been on at him for the last year that time is running out and he remained blinkered to it. Im almost hoping the PCs will die, so I can say that's it mate times up. but the bloody things run for ever. one is a triple core AM3 CPU and the other is first gen i5... which I think is still dual core. My Mums work PC is only a core2duo but its got an SSD and windows 10 Pro with 8gb RAM and it flies..
 
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