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SL8, Win 7 - where to now?

Neil

New Member
Been using Signlab 8 Print & Cut on my Windows 7 OS daily for years.
I like Version 8 - I'm comfortable with the UI and the workspace I created - but mostly because I make my own profiles for printing through VPM.

Now my Win 7 computer is telling me it won't be updated anymore, so look like an OS upgrade is imminent for me.
I'm assuming SL8 won't work on Win 10? Is that right?

Does that mean having to upgrade to SL10?

I think SL10 has removed the Profiling Wizard?
I also think the older printmodes/profiles aren't compatible with the newer VPM?

Can anyone verify any of that and offer any suggestions.
I use this computer for everything.
 

jimdtg

Newbie
If your PC is for production and not use much for web that Windows 7 is still useful, I am having Windows 7 here and very happy with it.

Signlab UI doesn't change since version 7 and currently version 10 has same GUI as 8.
 

Neil

New Member
I also use this computer for web browsing, downloading, emails, everything.
I'm thinking if I ramp up my internet security, I can keep using it as is.

I'm not dead against upgrading Signlab. I'm all for supporting them, it's great software and a big part of my every day use.
But I have all my own printmodes and profiles for SL8 which I'm pretty sure don't transition into the SL10 VPM.
 

WildWestDesigns

Active Member
I also use this computer for web browsing, downloading, emails, everything.
I'm thinking if I ramp up my internet security, I can keep using it as is.

You'll only be able to do that for so long though. Do you have an install disc of Win 7? Why not get a current computer, spec'ed out appropriately and then VM Win 7 and your legacy applications?

If you watch yourself with your browsing activity, don't open files from strange sources, put your computer behind a physical firewall, that will help mitigate in the short term. I have zero love for Win 10 as that ended my use of Windows installed on bare metal dating back from DOS 3.2, but in this day and age, running legacy systems while still attached to the biggest vector of malware (and I am using this in a very broad context to include any and all types of code that do things that the user doesn't want and typically without their knowing about it, like I said, very broad use).
 

Neil

New Member
Do you have an install disc of Win 7? Why not get a current computer, spec'ed out appropriately and then VM Win 7 and your legacy applications?
Yes, I do have the original install disk for Win 7. I'll have to go and read up on how to "VM Win 7" etc...

Co-incidentally, I am free trialing AVG Tune up and it recently alerted me to the fact that my Windows update has been turned off for 780 days!
So, now I've updated it, hence the warning message from Microsoft that it will be discontinued.
But it hadn't been updated for over 2 years prior anyway, so there's that.
 

WildWestDesigns

Active Member
Yes, I do have the original install disk for Win 7. I'll have to go and read up on how to "VM Win 7" etc...

It's not that bad really. People make it out to be worse then it is. The trick is to make sure that your new rig is properly spec'ed out, because it's going to be essentially running 2 OSs at one time. Most people that have a problem with performance of the VM are usually trying to it on low spec hardware or they are actually emulating and that is very different then VMing. Some similarities, but some very big differences.

Do you have multiple monitors? While not essential, that does really come in handy to have one OS on one screen and another OS on the other. I'm a huge fan of multi monitor setups, run 3 of them on my main rig, 2 monitors on the other rigs.

Also if VMing is going to be the right solution for you, make sure to deny internet to the VM and just use 'shared folders' to get files in and out (scanning them before they go in to the VM). I use VMs all the time for various work flows or sometimes just wanting to mess with the old legacy games that I have.
 

WildWestDesigns

Active Member
Nah, then I'd have the Y2k bug to worry about all over again!


Don't think your safe because you use don't use Win 98. I can tell you though, I don't worry about Y2k and I still run Win 98.
 

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WildWestDesigns

Active Member
Using Linux to get something done:

Ironically, that's how I feel with my dad's Win 10 install. He has the worst luck with that thing. Going to be even more tear jerking. Upgrading his components coming up. AMD Threadripper 3960 and Asus Zenith II Extreme with Corsair Dominator Platinum DDR4 32GB. Oh I can just see the fun coming.
 

visual800

Active Member
Not having windows updates any longer on windows 7 does NOT make you vulnerable for anything. Ive had Windows 7 i know for over 10 years with no updates at all, no problems. I do run ccleaner and avira. Do not use AVG it is bloated.
 

Neil

New Member
Not having windows updates any longer on windows 7 does NOT make you vulnerable for anything. Ive had Windows 7 i know for over 10 years with no updates at all, no problems. I do run ccleaner and avira. Do not use AVG it is bloated.

Yes I also use CCleaner (the free version). Do you use the upgraded version? I'll look into Avira.
And yeah, I'm sure you're right about Win 7 still being safe for years. As I said mine hasn't updated for the last 2 years or more anyhow.

I bet I can wring a few more years out of this rig yet.
 

WildWestDesigns

Active Member
Not having windows updates any longer on windows 7 does NOT make you vulnerable for anything. Ive had Windows 7 i know for over 10 years with no updates at all, no problems. I do run ccleaner and avira. Do not use AVG it is bloated.

Yes it does. Bare in mind, being more vulnerable doesn't enough of itself mean that you will get something, but that you are just more then likely to get something.

Windows has several, shall we say, issues that make it more vulnerable to problems even when it's under support for where I'm "standing". One of which, would be the very thing that you are against, which is updates and how they are handled, especially from a stability standpoint, but there are others.

1. Permissions and how the system handles them. There are things that Windows does as a convenience for users that are not the best practice for security. Compound that with how root/admin account is setup. How many on here have just one account on their computer? Congrats, you are running in root/admin. How many don't even have a password attached to that account, makes it very easy for anyone to run a script and do some damage.

2. Legacy code. The joys that people have with being able to run that older software comes at a price. That also means that there are older APIs in the system that can be attacked. Hell, a good chunk of Win 10 vulnerabilities relate to code that has existed in Windows since Win 95. There is still legacy code in there that needs to be stripped out. It'll hurt backwards compatibility and that will affect the same people that belly ache about upgrading platforms every 10 yrs. This isn't an unpredictable pattern. This old code won't get updates anymore to patch things.

and then of course,

3. You have the updates, updates affect more stability then anything no matter what, but depending on what those updates are and how they are done, could also make one more vulnerable. This particular issue affects all systems, but the issues above tend to be more Windows centric as both are heavily done within that system.


Now that's just from my perspective, take it for what it's worth, but I firmly believe that not being reasonable up to date is a major factor of why there are issues out there today. Not specifically that Windows is the most used system, but those 3 items above (and some minor ancillary things) and how users handle their systems are the biggest reasons why some events end up being way more devastating then they ever should be. Again, just my perspective, opinion on this, so take it for what that's worth.


Bare in mind, some of the stuff that you use now, also won't be supported after so long as well. So there goes your mitigation for the bad stuff as well.
 

d fleming

New Member
I have win7 and sl 8 p/c. Not going to upgrade as I would either have to run vm for software or update software too. Signlab 10 I do believe is a 64 bit as sl8 is 32. Gonna stick with cd12 too. I'll just disconnect from internet on production machine and get a new pc for browsing, email, etc. I have win10 up front on pc and I hate it, but we gotta do what we gotta do. Setting up all I have with distillery and signshop is going to be a pain, so many passwords, user accts names, etc, but I'll figure out how to copy that easy enough I hope.
 
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