Microsoft's next patch is a must if you want future Windows 7 security updates

Shawn Knight

Posts: 15,240   +192
Staff member
The big picture: Keep in mind that extended support for Windows 7 ends on January 14, 2020. Even if you do opt for the upcoming SHA-2 update, you've got less than a year of guaranteed security updates coming. Tick tock.

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 users will want to circle March 12, 2019, on their calendars as that date will be crucial should you want to continue receiving security updates from Microsoft.

In a recent update to its support article on the matter, Microsoft outlined an important change coming to the aforementioned legacy operating systems.

Microsoft has used SHA-1 and SHA-2 hash algorithms to sign operating system updates as a way to verify their authenticity and ensure they weren’t tampered with during delivery. Over the years, however, as weaknesses have surfaced, processor performance has increased and cloud computing has taken off, SHA-1 has become less secure.

As such, Microsoft will be migrating from SHA-1 to SHA-2 support later this year. The standalone update to enable SHA-2 support on Windows 7 and Windows Server goes live on March 12, 2019.

You’ll still have a few months – until July 16, 2019 – to install the update. After that date, if you don’t have the requisite SHA-2 update installed, you’ll no longer be able to receive Windows security updates.

The full timeline for migrating to SHA-2 can be found in Microsoft’s support article.

Lead image courtesy Olivier Le Moal via Shutterstock

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I've released my disdain for Windows 10, Microsoft has always been pushy and invasive, what did I expect? I'm excited to jump from Windows 7 DX11 to Windows 10 DX12 with some new components.
 
One presumes that they will provide said update as a standalone download via their website for those that fail to do so through Windows Update in good time?
 
I've released my disdain for Windows 10, Microsoft has always been pushy and invasive, what did I expect? I'm excited to jump from Windows 7 DX11 to Windows 10 DX12 with some new components.
As much as I hated Windows 10's invasive tendencies compared to Windows 7, I took the plunge and opted for Windows 10 LTSC instead. That's the version you want if you like Windows 7.
 
I've released my disdain for Windows 10, Microsoft has always been pushy and invasive, what did I expect? I'm excited to jump from Windows 7 DX11 to Windows 10 DX12 with some new components.
As much as I hated Windows 10's invasive tendencies compared to Windows 7, I took the plunge and opted for Windows 10 LTSC instead. That's the version you want if you like Windows 7.

nope. after being fervent MS loyalist for like 30 years of my life (since MS Dos 2.0), I have had enough of this **** now and swapping to linux, permanently.
 
I've released my disdain for Windows 10, Microsoft has always been pushy and invasive, what did I expect? I'm excited to jump from Windows 7 DX11 to Windows 10 DX12 with some new components.
As much as I hated Windows 10's invasive tendencies compared to Windows 7, I took the plunge and opted for Windows 10 LTSC instead. That's the version you want if you like Windows 7.
Can you get this version outside of running a business?
 
Microsoft no longer has anything to offer consumers that they can't get either from Linux or, if their well-off, from Apple. Most games that are actually worth playing now either have Linux versions or can run on WINE.
 
Microsoft no longer has anything to offer consumers that they can't get either from Linux or, if their well-off, from Apple. Most games that are actually worth playing now either have Linux versions or can run on WINE.
At some point, I'll move to Linux. I intend to install it on older hardware that's out-of-date for Windows, and that often proves to be difficult and time consuming. I finally managed to dual-install Windows 7 and Ubuntu on an old Asus AMD motherboard with a Phenom cpu. Now that Windows 7 will be going the way of the dodo bird, a clean install of Ubuntu LTSB will go on it. Linux doesn't seem very user friendly for the general populace when it comes to updates. I typically use ASUS motherboards and my experience trying to install Linux hasn't been good.
 
Comments will some how make this about forcing users into Windows 10.
Well it is. If it wasn't, Microsoft could have waited till the end of the year. The patch is important, but it is not so important it couldn't wait till the end of Windows 7 support. I only wish I had the option with Windows 10. That would finally shut down these dreaded automatic updates.
 
I guess the end of my Windows 7 Professional PC is about at it's end, I will just retire it and finish the switch to all Mac computers in my house. I got tired of replacing HDs and the constant reinstalling Windows 10 on my former PCs, losing data, and those damn blue screens that seem to pop up all the time.
Since the switch to Mac Book Air, iMac and Mac Mini, I haven't had the first problem.
Good riddance Winblows problems forever.
 
I've released my disdain for Windows 10, Microsoft has always been pushy and invasive, what did I expect? I'm excited to jump from Windows 7 DX11 to Windows 10 DX12 with some new components.
As much as I hated Windows 10's invasive tendencies compared to Windows 7, I took the plunge and opted for Windows 10 LTSC instead. That's the version you want if you like Windows 7.

nope. after being fervent MS loyalist for like 30 years of my life (since MS Dos 2.0), I have had enough of this **** now and swapping to linux, permanently.

I've already installed it. I don't like it, but its not keylogging / tracking / monitoring emails and so on.

I'm on Win 7 now, but over the weekend I was using *nix.
 
I've released my disdain for Windows 10, Microsoft has always been pushy and invasive, what did I expect? I'm excited to jump from Windows 7 DX11 to Windows 10 DX12 with some new components.
As much as I hated Windows 10's invasive tendencies compared to Windows 7, I took the plunge and opted for Windows 10 LTSC instead. That's the version you want if you like Windows 7.
Well this is why Microsoft are such muppets. Win 10 LTSC is what you want if you want stability like Enterprise. But Visual Studio 2017 and later do NOT support LTSC branches. Headless chooks running the company.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/productinfo/vs2017-system-requirements-vs
 
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