Is Microsoft Trying to Kill Windows 7?

As we are all aware, Microsoft is going to pull support for Windows XP on 4/8/14.

I want to be able to switch my XP machine to Windows 7 (clean install, NOT upgrade). I "spoke" with another forum member through Private Messages and was informed that Microsoft is essentially trying to kill Windows 7. Is this true? :confused

 

Although Microsoft have removed windows 7 download from it's site i doubt very much if they are actively trying to kill it as it is such a popular OS.

They obviously want to promote window 8 but as with XP support will be available for years to come.

 

http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/...nd-of-support-is-right-around-the-corner.aspx

Looks like if you have Service Pack 1 installed you get "support" until 2020. Microsoft is likely not going to sell copies of Windows 7 that much longer if history is an indication.

 

I have grabbed the .iso files i think I may need, perhaps others can use this...

http://www.dxdo.com/digital-river-direct-download-links-for-windows-7-editions-free/

From the site:

 

Microsoft requires all retailers to return their merchandise for a previous OS, when a new one comes out.


It has been like this for at least the last 15 or so years.

So they aren't killing it, they just aren't selling it. That leaves the random retailer that might have some stock they didn't send back, or OEM.

 

Random retailer yes, not corporate.

 

I, too, had downloaded the .iso from Digital River along with the Windows7-USB-DVD-Download-Tool.exe that's FROM Microsoft.

It was after this that I was informed that DRMA was supposed to have sent a request to Digital River for removal of the links. Also, it would be nearly impossible to get a COA/Product Key from Microsoft.

I had read on another forum that Microsoft would send one FedEx Overnight for $119 + tax. Since they stopped the online sales with the release of Windows 8, you'd have to call Microsoft Store Sales and Customer Support at 1-877-696-7786. But, I don't recall when the information was posted on that other forum.

 

That windows7-USB-DVD-Download-Tool.exe is something I use all the time.

 

Links and downloads working fine as of 20 minutes ago...

 

Hence you never saw me saying corporate.

 

It appears that the tool is no longer available there or on Microsoft's site. However the resourceful searcher can still find it on legal sites and here is the hash info for a known good copy:

http://oi50.tinypic.com/172rdi.jpg

 

Well, I've got a good copy of the tool. Both the MD5 and SHA1 checksums on the installer I downloaded from Digital River yesterday morning match the ones shown here.

Is/are there valid hash info for the Windows 7 .iso download(s)? I re-downloaded the Windows 7 Professional SP1 English version again a short time ago from the same Digital River site as yesterday morning.

What I'm failing to understand is since Digital River is SUPPOSED to be a Microsoft partner, why would DRMA request removal of the links?

 

Who the HECK is DRMA?

 

Digital Rights Management Association. Microsoft has used them as have other software vendors,

 

I'm not finding anything legit.


https://www.google.com/#sclient=psy...24,d.b2I&fp=b2408e8183056c30&biw=1920&bih=936

 

I stand corrected, I'm sorry. :-o It's actually the Digital Millenium Copyright Act the definition of which is here.

 

Which would require Microsoft to send them a DMCA notice. Whereas Digital River is used by Microsoft even to this day to handle digital purchases, I doubt it was legit.


Do you have a url where MS sent them a DMCA notice? I tend to doubt it, especially since the links are still up.


Now I believe MS would have sent bloggers and other websites notices...

 

Did MS ever fix the threat problem that caused them to pull desktop widgets for 7? The timing on that couldn't have looked worse imo. What was it like two months before the release of W8 (which might as well have been called widgets)? If MS hasn't fixed the widgets problem, seems like that would be a huge break with tradition with the company, considering all the work that was done on 98, XP, and I suppose on Vista, too, even after succeeding releases...

 

I'm surprised that Digital River doesn't display the hashes prominently, and i looked high and low around the web only to find some certainly outdated ones.

So never having had a bad experience with DR, I'm taking it on faith that the downloads are OK.

Who knows what machinations Microsoft is doing, clearly they want to push Win 8, maybe this is a start of a distancing from 7...

.

 

As far as I know, their fix was to remove the sidebar....

 

Thanks for the information Adrynaline. That sounds like something I read somewhere a while ago.

Is there any other instance of Microsoft removing and then completely bailing on a feature of one of their operating systems. There may be one, but I don't recall it if there is. Didn't they remove the feature for Vista too?

 

I just did a random quick check on a few PC based internet stores and all I looked at still had Win 7 in stock.

 

Internet stores are typically not retailers though. Are you sure you weren't looking at OEM Windows?

Any company that is not getting supplies directly from MS is not bound by the agreement. Small mom/pop shops and online stores are likely not going to be getting direct from MS.

 

I checked "End of Life". Final sales dates for Windows 7 are still to be determined. As far as support, for Windows 7 SP1, mainstream support ends 1/12/2015 and extended support ends 1/14/2020.

So now, I'm wondering about the other info I had received... Geez! :eek