How do you keep using an old windows version?
kaltland
Posts: 52
Hi!
Im currently using a WINDOWS 10, (after many years using Mac, Im feeling lost now I'm back to Windows), and I see many happy ppl avoiding Windows updates at all cost. How is that possible? How can we keep using an old Windows?
Honestly I'm terrified of losing my daz3d and some perpetual licenced softwares like Zbrush and Marvelous Designer! I'd like to stay in W10 forever and skip all free upgrades but what happens if a hardware fail? How do you change it? Any advice? Btw does a legacy software run in a future windows?
Daz 3D is part of 
Connect
DAZ Productions, Inc.
7533 S Center View Ct #4664
West Jordan, UT 84084
Licensing Agreement | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | EULA
© 2024 Daz Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Comments
the latest beta works fine on my Windows 7 machine but I don't have a graphics card in it so not really sure,
think the 980Ti I cannot mount in it without blackscreening my computer due to hardware issues would still work, just not well
my Win 10 is at the shop because my C drive failed, it can happen to anyone
it wouldn't even let me do the last update before it did
Disconnect your system from the internet. That's the only sure way to avoid any updates.
You can disable Windows updating itself. Run services.msc scroll down to Windows Update entry right, click go to properties, click disable. You can also uninstall an update.
Thank you guys
but how do you find compatible hardware? If your gpu or motherboard fails, how do you find it? eBay? Can I use a modern hardware?
I know nothing about windows. I have an old perpetual license zbrush and marvelous designer and I'm afraid of compatibility. Is that possible for Windows to run old software?
...as to running W7, I have a beefy firewall and AV, along with the best anti malware and system cleaning utilities . Also, I never click on links in suspicious emails or those from unknown or questionable sources and look at the sender's address, particularly if it looks "legit" like from recognised site. The clue here is an extra character or two in the address that normally should not appear. I frequently get emails from what appear to be actual businesses sites that use their logos & such which I never do commerce with, concerning an order "I placed" with them or a billing charge as that's the easiest way to spot a scam before being taken in by it.
I also review my finances periodically checking my your bank account online.
I also use cryptic 16 character (or more if its allowed) passwords. as well as change them periodically and don't use the same password for multiple sites, particularly those where sensitive personal and financial information are on.
As Sgt. Phillip Esterhaus from the television series Hill Street Blues used to say after every briefing, "Let's be careful out there"
That said, this does come with a serious downside. For one, I'm at the end of the line with the Daz General Release 4.21.0.5 as that is the final version for which Iray supports a driver for W7. I also am unable to update past Blender 2.92, and as well as use other software like Exposure X6+ and Marvelous Designer. (the latter which dumped W7 after Version 8). So there is a trade-off.
Blender still works for Windows 7, if you use this version. Latest is v3.6.0:
https://github.com/nalexandru/BlenderCompat/releases
If you can, keep it disconnected from the net and it will continue to run your older software without issue. You can even turn off virus protection if it is not connected, freeing up computer resources.
ebay is a good source for hardware. image your "c" drive. I've upgraded my video card 3 times, just bought 2 brand new, in the box, processors which were over $1000.00 each when introduced, added 4 or 5 drives and a separate SAS group for windows 10 all on a windows 7 machine with no problem. I do have a SAS controller so just unplug the windows 7 group, plug in the windows 10 group an go. Don't be afraid you'll be fine :) And yes, it's older technology but works just fine.
You have your windows 7 OS disk don't you? Investigate your motherboard and determine what it will handle.
I have an older computer, comparable to i3 or i5, with a 650 nvidia graphics card and run windows 10 without updates turned on, only thing that updates is windows defender and have been running this for the past year, Daz works just fine, as does all my other software. Only issue I have is I do need a newish graphics card simply to improve render times.
This is just MHO - you probably have a pcie slot on your motherboard - you can plug in any pcie (1, 2, 3 etc) and they'll run ok just slower. Check your mobo.I'm presently lusting after one of those nice QUADRO 24 GIG cards (I know GEFORCE and GPU rendering are pushed). Just watch the vendors ratings and don't buy from these yoyo's that want over the top prices for "lightly used" cards and this is their first sale *g* Figure what card you want, search it and bookmark on ebay and check prices and vendors daily. You'll develop a feel for it.
...the "Windows - 7.zip" does not mean 3.60 supports W7, it refers to a compression utility called 7.zip which is used to "package" the Glender 3.60 installer for downloading. 7.zip is similar other such utilities like Winzip and .rar .
According to the system requirements as specified on the Blender Site:
Most importantly you need the name/model of your motherboard so you can search its specs. Your motherboard is the key. Windows Device Manager will NOT give you that info. You need to find it in the paperwork you got with your computer or from the seller.
Find the name of the hardware you're interested in - then search the name of the piece of hardware (example: nVIDIA Ti1080 6GIG and model of your motherboard and "compatability") that's where you start :) Like [ "nVIDIA Ti1080" "Super Micro H8DG6" "compatability"]. You have to get the specs of your motherboard (manufacturer and model) so you can search it and find out what pcie slot you have, how much ram and processor it'll take and what kind of ram it needs. Most people skimp on the research end and then have problems when they put it together. I truly believe if you can plug in a lamp and do your research anybody can build a computer
It's scary at first because it's like learning a new language - you see all these terms and specs and you don't know what the hell they're talking about. Don't rush, just read, your brain will sort it all out and one day you'll find yourself looking at a piece of hardware and thinking "that's too wimpy for me" :) Buy a grounding strap (they're cheap) put it on and when you take your parts out and put new in you won't cause any static electricity damage (just to be safe)
A really good source of info regarding building/upgrading your computer is the USENET NEWSGROUP "alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt" you can read messages, learn a lot, and decide if you want to give it a shot. The turning point for me was when I read a post saying "I got my stuff for my new build, I have to go take an English test and I'll be back and put it together (15 years old).
Actually "BlenderCompat" is a port of Blender to support Windows 7, nothing to do with 7-Zip.
ETA: I haven't actually tried it, but that at least is it's theory.
...again I have to update to W11 anyway (which again means a major hardware update as well as my MB and its BIOS is 12 years old and doesn't, nor is able to support TPM version 2.0) to even use the latest version of Daz as well as a few other programmes.
Yeah I could reconfigure my boot drive and install a Linux partition for Blender, but that is more trouble than its worth as my C: drive is small (just to hold software) and it may be problematic for transferring files between Blender and Daz as the latter does not have native support for Linux and not about to mess around with emulators like Wine..
Linus can, via Samba (which I think is built-in these days) read and write the same drives as Windows, and of course there is no need for the OS and applications to be on the C: drive - just the (tiny) boot manager.
..well normally C: is where any OS is usually installed.
Stll sounds like more steps to go trhough than just updating the system for W11, particularly as I am unable to use any version of Daz after 4.21.0.5. May as well keep it simple
Search "Install Windows 11 on old systems" there are a few websites that show you how to burn your disc so you can install on non-UEFI systems which is probably what I'll do
and set up my 3rd set of drives (somewhere in the far far distant future)
...not sure my CPU (Xeon 5660) is compliant. The BIOS is 11 years old and that's the last revision which was available. As is it refuses to support the 3060 I bought only giving me a basic VGA signal so I need to upgrade.
The board also only supports DDR2 memory (limited to a maximum of 24 GB) and PCIe 2.0. It would be lke trying to put a modern day high bypass turbofan on a DC-6.
Even if it goes on the same physical drive it will need its own partition, which Windows will not be able to read (or at least, that was the case last time I had a dual boot system set up)..