0Patch promises 2 additional years of security patches for Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2
Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 will get at least an additional 2 years of security updates, courtesy of the micro-patching solution 0Patch.
Microsoft introduced Extended Security Updates for Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2 when the operating systems ran out of support more than 2 years ago. Organizations could subscribe to ESU to receive security updates for these devices, but ways were soon discovered to install these patches on home devices running Windows 7 as well.
The last batch of security updates will arrive in January 2023 for Windows 7. Microsoft announced already that it won't extend support beyond the promised three years. For Server 2008 R2, Microsoft plans to extend support by a year.
Windows 7's usage share has dropped significantly in the years since support ended. It has been replaced by Windows 10 for the most part, but there is still a sizeable number of devices that use the classic operating system.
0Patch announced this week that it will provide its micro-patching service until January 2025, at least, for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 devices. The company produces security patches for "the most-likely-to-be-exploited critical vulnerabilities".
We have decided to keep providing security patches for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 for critical vulnerabilities that are likely to get exploited, and will be happy to keep you secured for a fraction of what you had paid for ESU so far. And you won't have to restart your computer even once, because our patches are applied directly in the memory of running processes instead of changing your executable files!
The service comes at a cost, but it is cheaper than what Microsoft charged for its ESU updates. Pro and Enterprise plans are available for 24.95€ or 34.95€ per year and agent (about the same in US Dollar). Both plans include patches for Microsoft Office 2010 as well.
Devices with Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 that have not been updated since 2020 may also subscribe to 0Patch to receive all micro patches the company released since 2020 and all future updates. A total of 52 critical security issues were patched by the company since 2020. 0Patch focuses on critical security issues that are the most likely to be exploited.
Closing Words
Windows 7 users who plan to continue running the system may sign-up for 0Patch's Pro plan to get another two years of security updates out of the system. One has to remember that 0Patch focuses on critical patches only, but considering that there is no other option available, it may be a good investment.
Now You: which operating systems do you devices run? (via Born)
I have a Dell Precision T3600, in mint condition. I have Windows 7 installed on it.
I have been a tech for years, and I have used just about every OS system there to be used.
Don’t like 8.1 /10 / 11 And if 12 is going to be full of bloatware, I’m not going to be using it as well.
I don’t know why is 7forEver’s Firefox spoofing User-Agent to Win10 but my is reporting it correctly in “about:support” as “Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; Win64; x64; rv:105.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/105.0”.
Proud and Happy Windows 7 user here. Been using it since Microsoft released Service Pack 1 for it. I’ll *probably* Never upgrade. And if/when I do, I’ll probably go Linux. I prefer to Simplewall, Peerblock(whitelist), Sandboxie and Tor Browser my way into being reasonably secure. With the exception of the operating system and some games, I mostly only install FOSS software.
IMO, Windows 7 was the LAST REAL Operating System that Microsoft released. EXTREMELY Customizable UI. All that Microsoft need have done was release DirectX and Security Updates to that Operating System in perpetuity. I would have paid them a yearly subscription if they had done just that. Almost nothing else needs to have changed.
Instead they went with Windows 8(for Tablet users), and Windows 10(Spyware). Yeah, no thanks.
Also want to mention that while my Operating System is Windows 7, my web browsers of choice, Firefox and Tor Browser, both default to spoofing the User-Agent to Windows 10. Is it possible that that’s contributing to, as the article mentions, “Windows 7’s usage share dropping significantly in the years since support ended”? Are there others like me using Windows 7 but showing up online as using Win10, potentially (even if only slightly) artificially inflating Win10 usage numbers?
There was a rumor earlier that ESU would continue for another 2 years. There are quite a few corporate computers still on Windows 7 so it’s not too far-fetched to guess that Microsoft will annouce the continuation of ESU by the end of this year. They can charge the crap out of it now, since they have been telling companies to upgrade since forever and many companies haven’t complied, so pay up or shut up. 0patch knows this, that’s why they are in a hurry to announce their business and hope that many people will grab the deal before Microsoft comes along to spoil their party. Would hate to see Windows 7 go, it’s still the crown jewel in Microsofts portfolio.
I still use 7 , WINDOWS 10 and 11 is trash!!
I 100% agree.
Especially 11. MS just took an already terrible OS and then added a crap-ton of artificial requirements and other crap.
7 was and will always be the best version Microsoft had to give.
My father is still surprised about the good work that MS did with W7, in the way that he is still using it without problems since the very first he bought his computer. And obviously he is happy with these news about more extended patches. Furthermore I am surprised too. Thanks for the article! :]
I run WIN 7 on the two computers that are my workhorses. I own a WIN10 laptop that sits on a bench in the dining room. No plans to feed it anything. WIN 11? Not welcome here.
This is excellent news. I don’t believe Microsoft will make Windows 11 as functional and efficient as Windows 7. I’ll continue using Windows 7 for the foreseeable future.
Of course this has little value when such things as firefox and chrome will no longer be updated for Win 7 after Jan 1, and the webex client is no longer supported.
^^Essentially, this. I liked Win 7 in many, many ways – firstly because it wasn’t total crapware like Win 8, then because it wasn’t bloated buggy spyware like Win 10 – and kept using it as long as as I could, but there’s no point being silly about it. That battle’s over.
I have little faith in MS making a decent (reliable, privacy-respecting) product in future, so I’ve accepted that my next move will be from Win 10 to Linux, and am already trying some flavours of that in a virtual machine on Win 10.
Google are too greedy to let this go. They will continue supporting Windows 7.
Fantastic news!
This 0Patch subscriber cannot give high enough praise to Mitja Kolsek and his team; their customer support and dedication have been (and continue to be) SUPERB.
Nice, but wait..
As far as i know ESU on pos systems should be valid till october 2024.
I have to find out the nitty gritty on getting these ESU updates. I want to get the ones for Server 2012, to use on Windows 8
Sure, I’ll let a third party patch my OS. That sounds safe and sound to me, 100%