Is Windows7 more convenient than XP?

[Qaiser]

While W7 is very smooth to operate, I have heard people complaining about certain features that cause headaches.

Removing Windows Metafile Format (.wmf ) from its defaults is one example. Others include incompatibility issues with old printers, scanners and other peripheral devices that worked fine with XP. If W7 is to be a multimedia experience like never before, does it have to be an extra burden of buying new gadgets?

And I wonder, despite all the new security features incorporated in W7, why should we continue to spend hefty amount annually on third party 'security' specialists like McAfee, Norton and others?

 

[celldweller1591]

well, in matters of security, MS security essentials and windows firewall and defender are way too behind. W7 is smooth, has got a good hardware support but its difficult to get drivers of old hardware. Thats a real headache. I dont deny the fact that W7 gives you a whole new computing experience as its fast, it has improved directx and hardware and driver support is vast. But its a matter of choice in the end. If i were u, i would take dual boot option to suit my best interests. After getting used to W7 and solving issues, i would remove xp.

 

[davehc]

WMF is in my defaults and (by default) opens with Paint.
Xpå is quite old now. Hardware that worked and had drivers, has probably been succeeded by more up to date hardware. I have had no incompatibility problems with late XP/ Vista drivers, but, naturally, have not tried all.
If progress is the intention then I would have to say, Yes, it would probably be needed to update some hardware peripherals if you wish to move on.
It is up to you if you wish to put in third party security products.
MSE succeeds Defender, so the two programs cannot be dumped into the same comparison. MSE is a free program which offers straightforward anti virus control, collecting definitions on a scheduled basis from the same sources as most other free anti virus programs. If you wish for more features then, I agree, you will have to purchase a mode advanced program. Windows 7 also offers a free anti malware program, running resident.
Firewalls have, imo, little differences. Windows 7 Firewall is reasonably configurable. For my own purposes, I have it off, as I use my router firewall.

 

[TrainableMan]

With every windows upgrade there have been issues with driver support for old hardware and issues with running old software, this is especially true when going from 16 to 32bit and now from 32 to 64bit. Microsoft provided the upgrade advisor to warn of potential problems but I can tell you it is far from complete. I believe the companies encourage the upgrades just to force you to buy again.

I bought a used computer but better than the one I had and it had shipped with Vista which I knew I didn't want so I used my old XP harddrive, but I couldn't get sound drivers to work and that is what pushed me to try 7. Knowing what I know now I should have tried harder to find alternate sound drivers for XP.

My sound works now but, I use a logitech trackball that I have had for over 15 years and if you are not a trackball user it would be harder to relate because their are sooo many choices in mice, but finding a trackball that fits perfectly in your hand with perfect positioning of the rollerball and the keys, well it is hard to replace. Unfortunately, l the old drivers won't work and logitechs new driver software doesn't recognize it any longer. We are talking 3 buttons and a scroll wheel here, not one of these new monsters with 7 buttons and scroll wheels that also tilt. Microsofts basic drivers handle everything except functionality for my center button, yet logitech can't be bothered to fix one button. Personally, had this one little thing come up in the upgrade advisor, I may not be a member here now because I may still be running XP with a PCI sound card! As is, I have their newer version trackball in the mail. I have held it in the store and I do not like the new key layout but I will try it for a week and if I can't get used to it then I am going to have to see if I can kitbash its internals with my old one.

Everything in life has a cycle and like a fly, a computers life span is quite short. You will want new hardware or need to run software that doesn't work in the old OS, so they will catch you sooner or later. I came from XP and there are some changes I really hate so if you want this to be a thread about pet peeves with Win 7 changes let me know and I'll write a book on it (from what I've been able to find while researching them, most were actually issues introduced in Vista so I was able to delay my woes 3 years or so, but alas, here they are today)

 

[Core]

Windows 7 also offers a free anti malware program, running resident.

I haven't heard about that. I am interested in a replacement for Malwarebytes. What is it called?

 

[catilley1092]

He may be speaking of MSE, it's an AV & malware protection, all in one. While I do use the program for my everyday protection, I run Malwarebytes once weekly. I have the free version, so before I do a scan, I do manually update it. It would be hard to find a program of it's kind as good as Malwarebytes is. I highly recommend the program to all, as a backup to whatever AV you run.

 

[Fire cat]

He may be speaking of MSE, it's an AV & malware protection, all in one. While I do use the program for my everyday protection, I run Malwarebytes once weekly. I have the free version, so before I do a scan, I do manually update it. It would be hard to find a program of it's kind as good as Malwarebytes is. I highly recommend the program to all, as a backup to whatever AV you run.

I don't think he was talking about MSE, because he was talking about it just before.

MSE is a free program which offers straigh tforward anti virus control, collecting definitions on a scheduled basis from the same sources as most other free anti virus programs. If you wish for more features then, I agree, you will have to purchase a mode advanced program. Windows 7 also offers a free anti malware program, running resident.

 

[catilley1092]

Well I'd like to see it, but I haven't heard of it. I already have MSE & Avast 5.0 running together, I don't think I want another security program running all the time. If there is a such a product, I would like to evaluate it, on my laptop. I don't place new products on my desktop, without first extensively testing it out on my laptop. So if there is a new program, bring it forth for all to see. I hope it's not that tool we already have, we get a new one during the monthly update, that's the Malicious Software Removal Tool. You can run it manually in Windows 7 by typing "mrt", w/o the quotes, and either do a short or full scan. Hopefully, davehc will come back and tell us. He's always been reliable with his information, and has been a solid contributer here at Windows 7 forums for a long time. The only other possibility that I'm aware of is Windows Defender. It ships with Windows 7, but if you have MSE, it's shut down.

 

[Thrax]

One could easily make the argument that Windows XP is 10 years old. I grow weary of people complaining about how their antique scanner, printer, or some other ancient piece of software/equipment no longer works.

Ten years in the PC industry is like 30 years in the car industry. Do people not realize this? Ten years is an antique.

 

[catilley1092]

Thank you, Thrax! I couldn't have said it better myself. Why do so many computer users live so far in the past, then complains that their older software/hardware no longer works is beyond me. There is a scanner for this, it's been available for a long time now, the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. Make sure ALL of your accessories are plugged in and turned on during the scan. It's that simple. If you're planning to invest in a new OS, be ready to upgrade everything together. That way, you shouldn't have problems. As I've stated elsewhere on the forum, you cannot move forward by embracing the past.

 

[yodap]

I already have MSE & Avast 5.0 running together,

This is frowned upon by most geeks I've talked to. Unless, you are only running one real time scanner.


Edit:Found this from Microsoft Answers

Rob KochMVP, Moderator

1

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I run Avast! Home Edition Free and Microsoft Secruity Essentials together with Vista Home Premium 64-bit Op System on an HP Pavilion running an AMD Quad Core Processor and my computer runs perfectly. I've been using MSE since I found it on SnapFiles and downloaded and installed it. I've neither experienced any conflicts between the programs nor operating system performance degradation. I think your information is inaccurate as well as incomplete.​

Microsoft and most other antivirus product manufacturers recommend that only one real-time antimalware product be installed at a time. This is due to design criteria in their products that are known to conflict with various other products similar in design.

There are exceptions, such as some anti-spyware products or even rare antivirus products which don't use services and can have their real-time protection disabled, but even thesee can result in confusing duplication of warning messages and other conflicts that only serve to confuse most users.

For these and all the reasons already mentioned, the recommendation by Support for Microsoft Security Essentials and those of us helping in these forums will remain that only one antivirus product should be installed on the same PC. If you wish to attempt this on your own that's fine, but please don't confuse those who don't understand the complexities and ramifications as you seem to.

Also, realize that not everyone has a quad-core processor which will obviously reduce the effects of any overhead caused by running mutiple protection software at teh same time, assuming no other conflicts actually occur.

Rob

 

[Digerati]

well, in matters of security, MS security essentials and windows firewall and defender are way too behind.

That is totally incorrect as can be seen by any simple Google search. MSE continues to garner good reviews, and often beats out ALL others in many categories. Furthermore is it certified by the major labs:

• ICSA Labs
• virus Bulletin - AV-Test.org
• AV Comparatives

Additionally, anyone familiar with MSE would know that it disables Windows Defender when installed since it provides anti-spyware support therefore WD is not needed.

Windows Firewall in Win7 is an excellent firewall, and has been since XP SP3.

As far as supporting legacy hardware - that's what got MS in trouble with XP. Everyone yelled and screamed when they had to retool for Win95/98 so MS supported legacy hardware and software in XP, then got slammed for security. So with Win7 they, rightfully so, weighed security (and modern hardware technology) over legacy support. So what happens? They get slammed for not supporting ancient hardware technology.

If you want to blame anyone, blame the hardware makers for not making current drivers.

 

[davehc]

Sorry. It has been overnight here!
No. I was speaking of this, which came in my updates some time ago.
http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.aspx

 

[TrainableMan]

I did run that scanner, and it isn't perfect, as I said it did not make one peep about my trackball or any of my hardware, only about some software which has issues but MS has included most of those in the OS.

And I happen to like antiques. Most antique automobiles were made better to last longer and the steel was a heck of a lot stronger and would tear through the plastic bumpers of today. When something is made right you cherish it and take care of it not throw it out for the latest fad.

There is a difference between progress and greed. If the old equipment did everything I need then it is not progress for me to buy a new item to do the exact same task simply because they choose to no longer put the code in the latest drivers - it's simple greed, they want my money.

 

[Mychael]

I agree, there is at least to some degree a forced obsolescence to computing. Who hasn't been in the position at some stage or another where they could not replace a motherboard or processor alone due to the item becoming incompatible with newer stuff. I've even had to toss an M/S office keyboard as I could not get drivers to update it to my latest O/S.

 

[Qaiser]

Well dual boot isn't a bad idea at all. Thanks for the idea Celldweller
Q

 

[Thrax]

And I happen to like antiques. Most antique automobiles were made better to last longer and the steel was a heck of a lot stronger and would tear through the plastic bumpers of today. When something is made right you cherish it and take care of it not throw it out for the latest fad.

An operating system is not a collectible, and you fail to mention that cars are no longer made with steel bumpers because they don't provide crumple zones.

Do you know what a crumple zone does? It absorbs the force of impact through deliberate disintegration, less that force transfer to you, whereupon your delicate little sack of bones and skin explodes like a baked potato.

They weren't made to last more or less time. That belief is a myth, and millions of people died unnecessarily in high-speed collisions due to the incredible safety failures of classic cars.

READ: Learn more about crumple zones

Don't get me wrong, I want 1970 Mustang BOSS 429 before I die, but I make no amends about their driver safety. They're rolling coffins.

But I digress.

 

[catilley1092]

This is frowned upon by most geeks I've talked to. Unless, you are only running one real time scanner.


Edit:Found this from Microsoft Answers

Rob KochMVP, Moderator

1

Sign In to Vote

I run Avast! Home Edition Free and Microsoft Secruity Essentials together with Vista Home Premium 64-bit Op System on an HP Pavilion running an AMD Quad Core Processor and my computer runs perfectly. I've been using MSE since I found it on SnapFiles and downloaded and installed it. I've neither experienced any conflicts between the programs nor operating system performance degradation. I think your information is inaccurate as well as incomplete.​

Microsoft and most other antivirus product manufacturers recommend that only one real-time antimalware product be installed at a time. This is due to design criteria in their products that are known to conflict with various other products similar in design.

There are exceptions, such as some anti-spyware products or even rare antivirus products which don't use services and can have their real-time protection disabled, but even thesee can result in confusing duplication of warning messages and other conflicts that only serve to confuse most users.

For these and all the reasons already mentioned, the recommendation by Support for Microsoft Security Essentials and those of us helping in these forums will remain that only one antivirus product should be installed on the same PC. If you wish to attempt this on your own that's fine, but please don't confuse those who don't understand the complexities and ramifications as you seem to.

Also, realize that not everyone has a quad-core processor which will obviously reduce the effects of any overhead caused by running mutiple protection software at teh same time, assuming no other conflicts actually occur.

Rob

Although I run these two AV's together, I've never recommended anyone else to do so. I do it on my own. I do have each AV set to avoid scanning the other, and if there is any slowdown, it's unnoticeable to me. I mean, really what's the difference in that and running an AV along with Windows Defender together? Windows Defender slows down my laptop more than any security product that I've ever had.

 

[Digerati]

I mean, really what's the difference in that and running an AV along with Windows Defender together? Windows Defender slows down my laptop more than any security product that I've ever had.

Don't get confused here. There is absolutely no problem running an AV along with Windows Defender. An AV is an AV while WD is an anti-spyware program. Two different beasts and in fact, this would be proper.

Running two AVs (or two anti-malware progrms) is where the problem is and it is not so much that one is watching the other, it is that one is watching a resource the other is watching too. Like two dogs guarding the same bone! And each wondering what the other is up to.

The problem (if you can call it that) today is that most AV programs also check for spyware. This is because scanning to see if a file is infected with a virus and scanning to see if a file is infected with spyware requires the pretty much the same scanning process. This is also why there is a move away from "anti-virus" scanners and towards "anti-malware" scanners. And that's were MSE comes in. MSE scans for all malware and so with MSE, you don't need WD and in fact, as I mentioned above, if you install MSE, it disables WD.

 

[catilley1092]

Yes, Windows 7 is far more convenient than XP ever was. Provided you have a fairly new computer (one that was shipped with Vista, at the minimum). And your printer and other accessories are compatible. I have both, and 7 is far more convenient for me to use than XP was on it's best day. The key here is having a modern computer with recently purchased accessories. Then, you should have no problems with 7. Make sure that any new add ons you buy has a print on the box saying "Windows 7 compatible".