Which version of Windows?

I will be reformatting and reinstalling Windows on an old system in a few weeks. Windows 7 is the OS it was designed for, but I don't think there should be any issues with newer versions of Windows.

 

Windows 7 all the way. I'm only running Windows 10 on my current computer because of how new it is

 

If you're looking at Enterprise editions, you might as well use Windows 10 since you can now turn all of its telemetry off.

 

Windows 7 has some features built in though that Windows 10 requires customization for, such as ability to fully configure Windows Update. I'd much rather run the OS that has it pre-built in. Security updates won't end for a good bit of time on Windows 7, there's still too many critical users out there on it (i.e. government)

 

I thought Enterprise was for Business or Institutions that got the license for it. Regular users I doubt can afford to go from their version to Enterprise by themselves. I installed Windows 10 onto a Dell 1525 and it runs without problems and this was made for XP, Vista. I did upgrade the CPU to T8100 and 4gig RAM though.

 

Individuals sometimes have access to enterprise through their workplace. Students that are part of the Microsoft Imagine program (or whatever they call what used to be Dreamspark these days) have access to Windows Education which is in essence the same as Enterprise just under another name.

 

I voted "Windows 8.1" in the poll. It depends on the what the video adapter is -- and you didn't state what it was. Windows 10 only really "officially" supports Intel Integrated video from Ivy Bridge and later. If it is a Sandy Bridge (second generation Core i) or earlier you may be better off on Windows 8.1 or Windows 7. If you have an AMD or an NVidia adapter than you can ignore all of that. If you plan to gift the system away at some point, I find most people (IME) are looking for Windows 7 computers, given a preference. I have a couple pieces of software that run better on Windows 8.1 Pro, so I tend to choose that for myself. But if DVD movie playback is more important, then one might choose Windows 7. It is sort of a toss up.

Reference: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/graphics-drivers/000005526.html

If you do end up choosing Windows 10, please remove some of the junk from the WIMs, first. See @Mr. Fox 's video tutorial. See links below:

Reference: http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...xes-index-post-1.779394/page-30#post-10440822
Reference: http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/clevo-overclockers-lounge.788975/page-1104#post-10493572

 

Unless you have a DX12 capable GPU which most probably you don't have as you said it's an old system. I don't see any point in using W10. My vote goes to 7 but 8.1 isn't a bad second option.

 

Windows 7 is the last viable alternative to Windows unless there are no drivers for it in Windows 10 and that means the system was created with Windows 10 in mind so no going back will help here. Windows 8.1 isn't my second choice-it will have to be Windows 10 if you want to have working updates. I got installed Windows 10x64 pro on a Dell 1525 with vistax64 drivers and have no problem running on it even though it was XP/Vista that came with this laptop. Windows 10 for it's faults is a better Windows then 8.1 by any stretch of the imagination.

 

Windows 7 / 8.1 patch to stop hardware test on new Kabylake / Ryzen systems so you can restore Windows Updates:

All-in-one patch script for KB4012218, KB4012219, KB4015546, KB4015547, KB4015549, KB4015550, KB4015552, KB4015553 (update 3)
zeffy released this a day ago
https://github.com/zeffy/kb4012218-19/releases

List of Windows updates supported by this patch
https://github.com/zeffy/kb4012218-19/blob/master/docs/Supported_Updates.md

Top level, more info:
https://github.com/zeffy/kb4012218-19

 

Not for my needs/from my perspective.

 

What working updates are you referring to? I'm running Windows 8.1 Pro on my gaming rig and i'll be getting security updates and patches from Microsoft till 2023. I'll also be getting video driver updates from Nvidia for the foreseeable future.

What's the saying "one man's treasure is another man's junk"? Look at least Windows 10 is stable so is Windows 8.1 and Windows 7. SO it has that going for it. Microsoft decided to do what most aging rockers do...., go commercial.

And that's Windows 10 problem. Microsoft turned it into a commercialized piece of software with bait click apps and so on. I don't need any of that so I'll stick with Windows 8.1 for the foreseeable future. Maybe Windows 10 will mellow out with age but as a gamer I need total control over my system and Windows 10 is just the opposite. Windows 10 won't leave you alone unless you start turning a whole lot of stuff off and even then the OS will still give you the middle finger.

 

One can keep holding onto that perspective but the writing is already on the wall.

Do as one wants eventually Win8.1 will be going the way of XP do one think they will keep supporting 8.1 and they can change that support date sooner then later as well since it's Microsoft makes the end date support not the user of 7 or 8.1. As for control well you have a smart phone right you already gave up more control then Windows can ever gleam from you. So a little common sense thinking will tell you - you have more more ways to stop control in Windows 10 then you can control on a smart phone.

 

I'm not claiming this will be true in 5-6 years but I'll take stability over Cortana and game mode for now. You act like 8.1 has already gone the way of XP, which is untrue for several years yet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Your comment pretty much is all "FUD". As of right now Windows 8.1 has an EOL of 2023 and based on Microsoft's past track record they tend to honor those dates if not even extend them for more popular versions of Windows. So I have no worries that Windows 8.1 will get support for another 6 years.

I get that you like Windows 10 and I hope you're enjoying it. But to say that you have more control over what Windows 10 does is a little naive. Windows 10 has shown itself to pretty much do whatever the hell Microsoft wants it to do, including downloading nefarious malware in the form of patches to get you to upgrade. Windows 10 seems to have a problem understanding the word NO even if you turn things off.

With Windows 8.1 you can choose what you want by simply checking or unchecking a box for an update or patch. I don't like the telemetry data that's being collected in Windows 10 and Microsoft is so bold to tell you during a fresh install of Build 1703 aka the Creative Update that unchecking a box won't stop Windows 10 from collecting data from your computer.

I'm now in the push back mode and if I need to I have no problems switching to Linux, if I Windows continues down it's current path. But for the next 6 years i'll be rolling with Windows 8.1

 

All can keep dreaming...8.1 killed itself...and Win7 survives because it could do what XP couldn't do. Keep the rosy dream going but eventually reality will set in regardless of what one wants to claim otherwise.

 

8.1 runs just fine, as does 7, and both have many years left for support.

There's no need to suffer with these constant Microsoft induced Windows 10 disasters.

It's silly to suffer with that when there are perfectly good, stable, reliable, user controllable alternatives in Windows 7/8.1

The fantasy is that Windows 10 is worth it, and that it's going to get better. It's not, Windows 10 is DOA, but it just keeps flopping around.

 

Windows 10 is truly as polarizing as I thought it would be

Anyways, I'll be upgrading this system with a DX12 GPU (a 1080 to be precise), which is half the reason why I'm reformatting. That said, with the majority of AAA titles being console ports with PC optimization and DX12 functionality added on almost as an afterthought, it's not like I'll be missing much.

So on the one hand, I'd be losing DX12 in a handful games like AOTS where it actually means something, but on the other hand I'd have to commit myself to keeping up with the karda- I mean, telemetry treadmill since Microsoft loves to reset telemetry settings and reorganize the UI with every major update, and I'm sure the creators update will be no different.

 

If one says it enough it must be true...

Short sightedness is a short coming.

That's a whole lot of BS that can't be much BS.

Just keep saying it and it will become true but sadly the that will not come to fruition.

 

Not a bit of that was worth writing or reading @StormJumper - weak man, weak.

Give it up, you'd have to be blind to not see the mess Microsoft has made from beginning to now with Windows 10, and it just keeps getting worse.

"Don't update to Windows 10 Creators Update!!" - Microsoft

I couldn't have said it better myself

Don't install our buggy Windows 10 Creators Update, begs Microsoft
We'll give it to you when it's ready – and it is not
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/04/26/stop_downloading_win10_creators_update/

"It's another example of Microsoft trying to treat its core product, the bedrock of its business, as nothing more than shifting sands of ones and zeroes. This is a great pity because Windows 10, at its heart, has stronger cybersecurity defenses and other kernel-level improvements – it's just everything around it is constantly changing and so hard to pin down, it's a confusing mess half the time.

Microsoft's enterprise customers won't be getting the update for months, thankfully. Instead, it is consumers and small businesses who are being used as livestock to clear the minefield. Moo. "