IS Windows 7 No Longer Available for Refurbishers?

[River Valley Computer]

Did we blink or something? In all the chaos with the Windows 10 rollouts did we miss M$ not supporting Windows 7 Refurbisher licenses? We went to setup a couple nice Dell notebooks with Win 7 but no go.

 

[phaZed]

Ya, you missed the memo

http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-sets-end-of-sales-date-for-windows-7-pcs/

 

[Sky-Knight]

Why would you want to put out an OS that's done in Jan of 2020? Win7 is the new XP, get them off your network.

 

[PcTek9]

I despise windows 8, 8.1, and 10. After a year of use on 10, I deleted it from my personal desktop and restored windows 7. Selah!

 

[alluseridsrejected]

Why would you want to put out an OS that's done in Jan of 2020? Win7 is the new XP, get them off your network.

I still run windows 7. MS created this sorry situation by coming out with a system that decides for you when to update and what data of yours it wants to snoop on. I am still not exactly clear on putting Win 10 in environments requiring HIPAA compliance. Maybe Enterprize might be ok if configured correctly? But forget pro or other versions. Why would anyone want a system that the TOS says MS can collect your data?

 

[phaZed]

I still run windows 7. MS created this sorry situation by coming out with a system that decides for you when to update and what data of yours it wants to snoop on.

Oh, so you have forgone Windows 7 Telemetry updates just like Win10, then? (KB2952664, KB2976978 - released 3 times, need to block each time a release happens)

I am still not exactly clear on putting Win 10 in environments requiring HIPAA compliance. Maybe Enterprize might be ok if configured correctly? But forget pro or other versions.

Seems pretty straight forward:

HIPAA regulations require that covered entities and their business associates—in this case, Microsoft when it provides services, including cloud services, to covered entities—enter into contracts to ensure that those business associates will adequately protect PHI. These contracts, or BAAs, clarify and limit how the business associate can handle PHI, and set forth each party’s adherence to the security and privacy provisions set forth in HIPAA and the HITECH Act. Once a BAA is in place, Microsoft customers—covered entities—can use its services to process and store PHI.

Currently there is no official certification for HIPAA or HITECH Act compliance. However, those Microsoft services covered under the BAA have undergone audits conducted by accredited independent auditors for the Microsoft ISO/IEC 27001 certification.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/TrustCenter/Compliance/HIPAA

Why would anyone want a system that the TOS says MS can collect your data?

Ya, who the hell would use Apple, Android, Blackberry or pretty much the entire web and it's services with any ISP since they all collect your data, too?

You're blaming the wrong people. MS is simply following the law. Don't like the Patriot Act law? Vote to change it.

 

[alluseridsrejected]

You're blaming the wrong people. MS is simply following the law. Don't like the Patriot Act law? Vote to change it.

Yea, I am all alone here in thinking MS made some sorry decisions concerning Win 10. That is why there has never been a negitive thread or comment here on technibble saying any such thing.

And I am not talking about MS obeying the law, You are saying they are not collecting data for their OWN purposes? And seriously you do not see a difference between what YOU POST ON THE WEB and what you save to YOUR computer YOU OWN being monitored? Seriously?

 

[ohio_grad_06]

If you are that worried about how much data Windows 10 and now Windows 7 and 8 since the aforementioned updates are collecting on you, you need to get with the program. How much data do you think your shiny iphone or android sends out on you? I'd guess as much or probably more than your computer.

We are currently working to start purging windows 7 from our network with the latest ransomware attack. Sure there are some things they could have done better with 10, but overall, it's a good OS in my opinion.

 

[phaZed]

Yea, I am all alone here in thinking MS made some sorry decisions concerning Win 10. That is why there has never been a negitive thread or comment here on technibble saying any such thing.

And I am not talking about MS obeying the law, You are saying they are not collecting data for their OWN purposes? And seriously you do not see a difference between what YOU POST ON THE WEB and what you save to YOUR computer YOU OWN being monitored? Seriously?

C'mon man, don't be dense. How is it a sorry decision when everyone else is profiting from it as early as 2009? Why is MS being singled out by you when the outrage is a decade old? It's a rhetorical question. Like I keep popping up in these threads saying, the time to "have privacy" is over and the time to deny their implementation is done.

Do some reading to find out "Why everyone retains everyone's data" and you can clearly see the slippery slope of Gov't and Corporations and their tight-cooperation between eachother without "The People" being involved at all:

When Did It Become Legal to Spy on Americans?
NSA SPYING ON AMERICANS IS ILLEGAL
Bush Signs Law to Widen Reach for Wiretapping
With or Without the Patriot Act, Here’s How the NSA Can Still Spy on Americans
How AT&T Helped the NSA Spy on Millions
NSA Spying Timeline

Then go read about PRISM and you will see why MS, Apple, Google, etc were given the initial abilities they have now:

PRISM collects stored internet communications based on demands made to internet companies such as Google Inc. under Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 to turn over any data that match court-approved search terms.

... of which when they say "court-approved" they mean the FISA court which has, to my knowledge, never denied a request and has no oversight.

Then, when Snowden released his finding with Wikileaks the Gov't starts to go along with "For-profit products" seeing as the Gov't can side step the legal issues they were having and still, in effect, keep the program:
AT&T Is Spying on Americans for Profit

Hemisphere isn’t a “partnership” but rather a product AT&T developed, marketed, and sold at a cost of millions of dollars per year to taxpayers. No warrant is required to make use of the company’s massive trove of data, according to AT&T documents, only a promise from law enforcement to not disclose Hemisphere if an investigation using it becomes public.

These new revelations come as the company seeks to acquire Time Warner in the face of vocal opposition saying the deal would be bad for consumers.

While telecommunications companies are legally obligated to hand over records, AT&T appears to have gone much further to make the enterprise profitable, according to ACLU technology policy analyst Christopher Soghoian.

Congress let Internet providers 'spy on' your underwear purchases, advocacy group says

Voting along party lines, Republicans in Congress recently passed a joint resolution that reverses a landmark Federal Communications Commission rule requiring Internet service providers (ISPs), like Comcast or Verizon, to ask customers for their explicit permission before handing user data over to advertisers and other third parties. President Donald Trump is expected to sign it into law.

"215 members of Congress just voted to let your ISP spy on what type of underwear you buy and sell that data to advertisers,"

The government just admitted it will use smart home devices for spying

To that end, Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass) introduced a bill last year called the Data Broker Accountability and Transparency Act of 2015. The Senator told Newsweek, “What was a business of data keeping has morphed into data reaping, resulting in the covert collection of dossiers on hundreds of millions of Americans. Consumers, not corporations, should be in control of their private data.” The bill would require data brokers to let consumers review their personal data for free, and to provide a means to seek correction. In the case of public records, consumers could also learn the source of misinformation, although this would leave many unknown sources a secret. The bill would also prohibit the use of fraud or misrepresentation to obtain collected records or individual information

You think that passed? Of course not.

Now Those Privacy Rules Are Gone, This Is How ISPs Will Actually Sell Your Personal Data

Ever since Congress voted to repeal the FCC's broadband privacy protections due to come into force later this year - which would have prevented internet service providers like AT&T, Comcast, Time Warner, Sprint and Verizon from selling personal data like web browsing history without prior consent - there's been a lot of bluster and blarney flying about.

You are saying they are not collecting data for their OWN purposes? And seriously you do not see a difference between what YOU POST ON THE WEB and what you save to YOUR computer YOU OWN being monitored? Seriously?

Don't be naive, I'm saying the privacy issues we are having are a direct result of Gov't and that action was warned against before it took effect. Now that it's here.. WTF are 'you' complaining about? As far as the difference between what you post on the web and what's on your computer - the Gov't has ruled that there is no difference, therefor, you get spied on by private businesses.

Trust me, it wasn't this way 'before' and there were consumer protection laws that have been stripped away for decades at the request and whim of Corporate/Gov't interests.

 

[alluseridsrejected]

Well we IT pros running production systems for our customers do need you guy's out there putting their customers on the bleeding edge for us:

Windows 7 still the dominant OS for business, Windows 10 holds only 9% share

https://www.onmsft.com/news/windows...os-for-business-windows-10-holds-only-9-share

 

[phaZed]

Well we IT pros running production systems for our customers do need you guy's out there putting their customers on the bleeding edge for us:

Unless I'm missing it, that article is wrong or at the very least contradicts itself:

Unsurprisingly, Windows 7 still has the highest penetration rate among businesses worldwide at 87%, but in the near future, there might be a new king of the OSes. As we get closer to Windows 10’s two-year anniversary on July 29, 2017, Spiceworks network data shows 54% of organizations across the globe have adopted Windows 10.

So which one is it, Is Windows 7 on 87% of business computers or has Windows 10 gained a 54% adoption rate in business? It can't be both.

So why do I get these types of articles ad-nauseum when searching the subject?
Why enterprises are upgrading to Windows 10 faster than expected
Most businesses will migrate to Windows 10 by the end of 2017

Businesses will move to Windows 10 faster than they have moved to previous operating systems, according to a new report by Gartner. Surveying businesses everywhere, Gartner believes 85 percent of businesses will have migrated to Windows 10 before the year ends.

First of all, Gartner’s research director Ranjit Atwal says the time to evaluate and deploy Windows 10 has come down, from 23 months to 21 months. Large businesses that are yet to start the migration, are delaying because of legacy applications.


"Large businesses are either already engaged in Windows 10 upgrades or have delayed upgrading until 2018," Atwal says. "This likely reflects the transition of legacy applications to Windows 10 or replacing those legacy applications before Windows 10 migration takes place."

Yes, sit on the side lines while we help our customers, it's silly talk, dude.

 

[Archon Prime]

I was sceptical of Windows 10 as well when it first came out. I'm now running it on my home machine. It runs 10x better than when it was on windows 7 and a lot easier to manage. Just wish it still had Aero

 

[Kitten Kong]

Guys keep the thread civil please.

 

[fencepost]

I'm still OK with putting in Windows 7, but ONLY if it's explicitly preinstalled as a downgrade from Windows 10 Pro - I'm sure there's plenty of old stock lingering out there and still gradually making its way out that's Win7Pro/Win8Pro downgrade that you can find if you're looking for equipment for cheap customers.

 

[River Valley Computer]

Since this Thread has went so far of center I am closing it. It was not meant to be a debate of the pros and cons of Windows 10 and Windows 7 - we were trying to find out why they disable the activation for Refurbisher. It's funny you can still reimage a Windows 7 machine and activate it.

 

[coffee]

I still run windows 7. MS created this sorry situation by coming out with a system that decides for you when to update and what data of yours it wants to snoop on. I am still not exactly clear on putting Win 10 in environments requiring HIPAA compliance. Maybe Enterprize might be ok if configured correctly? But forget pro or other versions. Why would anyone want a system that the TOS says MS can collect your data?