Steam to no longer run FSX with Windows 7?

[Swanoir]

It appears that from January 2024, Steam will no longer work with Windows 7. The wording on their website implies that any software already purchased/installed through Steam will no longer work!? Surely I've got this wrong, if this is true then from January I'll not only never be able to use FSX:SE anymore, but lose hundreds of pounds worth of addons I've installed over the years. Has anyone else seen this? Please tell me I've got this wrong!

[DaveG]

I hadn't heard this, so I went and had a look. It appears you are correct, looks like the client won't run on Win7/8 from the end of Jan next year. Unless it's possible to prevent the client from updating (doubt it), the only option is to upgrade your OS to Win 10 or 11.

[TSR2]

Anyone still running a Windows operating system older than Windows 10 is very much at risk from all sorts of hacks. Windows 10 only has 2 years left to go too. Unless your PC is never connected to the internet I’d urge anyone still using such an old OS to upgrade it as soon as possible.

[Nigel H-J]

I think the best option for you would be to contact some computer dealers as they often have registration rights of Windows programmes when they take in old computers and can sell them much cheaper than buying new Windows 11.

Worth thinking about.

Regards
Nigel.

[Dev One]

Is this why some people install a Virtual machine that runs W7 that runs their specialist s/w?
Keith

[TSR2]

To be honest Keith, if the Windows 7 virtual machine connects to the network, the risk is the same.

[DaveG]

Is the free upgrade to Win 10 still a thing? I'm sure I've read somewhere it still works if you have a valid Win 7 licence.

[TSR2]

It certainly used to. I haven’t tried in the last year or so. And from there there was a free upgrade to W11, but only if the hardware supported it.

[Nigel H-J]

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/softwar ... ndows10%20

Nigel.

[thehappyotter]

We've got some radios fitted to our aircraft at work, the software for which runs only on Windows 7 on a laptop with a serial port for the cable. The strict policy for this laptop is that it must never ever be connected to a network under any circumstances and the update data must be copied to it via a usb stick which is used for nothing else and is reformatted after every use. It's use is this extreme and restricted.

Windows 7 is now absolutely obsolete. As others have said, I'm fairly certain free upgrade paths to Windows 10 exist. Maybe now is the time to explore them.