First, we should wait if MS will still deliver an OOB, after the glory they brought upon us all, this Patchday.
Exactly. Let "the dust settle" before creating one last final masterpiece. I was thinking maybe April to June BUT we bow to your choice & decision as always. Thankfully so. ;>))
I installed KB5073699 as you suggested. I however do not currently have shares on other computers than just Win7. I accessed Win7 share folder from my Android phone normally. I also tested Nintendo Wifi USB connector from XP mode and was able to connect to it successfully from my good old Nintendo DS. I have no idea if KB5073695 would have caused any issues with my Win7 installation and I can't really test now before making shares on other computer first but I decided to go with this security-only update because it makes sense to use those only for Win7, just to be on the safe side, so thank you for suggesting this update. Just one more question though: [Drivers] This update removes the following modem drivers: agrsm64.sys (x64), agrsm.sys (x86), smserl64.sys (x64) and smserial.sys (x86). Modem hardware dependent on these specific drivers will no longer work in Windows. [January 13, 2026—KB5073699 (Security-only update)] I checked my Windows folder and I can still see agrsm64.sys and smserl64.sys under some sub folders. This update did not remove those files. Am I missing something or is this expected behaviour?
The drivers function(s) is what got removed the drivers files are replaced with s stub driver that returns "0xC0000424: STATUS_INCOMPATIBLE_DRIVER_BLOCKED" when loaded
Hi if this last update make trooble just no install it... It doesn't make any difference anyway, so just leave it. Updates for version 7 Kernel end here; you'll have to live with it and use it as it is now. Was a good time thanks to Abbodi1406.
I've been using the BypassESU all along on my W7 PC w/o difficulties so thanks to Abbodi1406 & everyone involved! I have an elderly relative's W7 PC that's only had MSE updates since 2019 (looks like nothing else). Only used for email & light web browsing. Is there an easier/faster way to get it updated to NOW other than starting from the BypassESU AIO on page #1 & updating from there? I'm debating whether it's worth the trouble!
@tyroneshues Simplix Update Pack https://forums.mydigitallife.net/th...win7-distribution.45005/page-262#post-1902651
Thank you @abbodi1406 and @John_3_16 for the explanations and links. I'm unable to technically verify those claims but I can trust you. I don't know how to start a legacy modem driver to try to test the claim. I went into services.msc and found nothing relevant there. Did you @John_3_16 remove those system files (smserl64.sys and agrsm64.sys) yourself or they were already gone before? You wrote "They are all missing from my computer." Or what did you mean by that previous quote? And also yeah it sucks that Microsoft has a bad habbit of removing legacy support rather than maintain it. I really do appreciate people who maintain legacy hardware/software and bridge them to work with new systems.
after the updates finish (hopefully will be more), I strongly recommend getting 0patch installed. its actually quite reasonable pricing. I pay about £60 ish max for 1 main system and 2 laptops all running win 7 x64 pro with ESU etc. I will tolerate 10 but hate win 11 (got to use it in work and hate it) but our systems are running fine. the systems work and do the jobs dad and I want them to do.
I searched my system for them & found none. My computer is more than a decade old but all of my peripherals are "modern" (5 years old or less). Everything is current & up-to-date. My first 2 links were to M$ sites. The devil's mouth himself. You are unable to access them? You don't have web access? No internet? How do you comment here? The peripherals connected to these files & those companies are "LONG" out of business. People hang onto things. I have a computer system ran by CPM with tape drives for storage. It is ancient history & you don't find fixes or parts at Walmart. People do have ancient parts & very old software that they run. Do you? That is a question only you can answer. For 90% of us on here I don't think those files matter any longer. As you described none of YOUR remote access is affected. STOP worrying. Everything is working & your security is up-to-date. As suggested by others above if you can't sleep & worry constantly then roll your machine back to the Dec 2025 updates. Life is way too short to worry about things that might or might not happen. Control what you can & be happy.
Unfortunately, on January 17, 2026 Microsoft released OOB patches for Windows 10 & 11 only. P.S. https://forums.mydigitallife.net/th...dates-eligibility.80606/page-450#post-1902664
Consider that MSFT officially stopped supporting Windows 7 a very long time ago, all updates after officially were not meant to be used on 7 (yes i very well know they were applicable) so what would trigger msft to fix stuff for 7 now?
M$'s only real motivation to do anything is "money". So, the obvious answer to your question is absolutely nothing. BUT, the real answer must be bigger & deeper than that & has to involve "money". So far we have been riding the coat tails of other core 6.1 systems. 01/13/2026, last date for the very last update to the last core 6.1 system still standing. M$ used that to complete the final security sweep of everything that they were aware of. They fixed what they could fix & surgically removed everything else on the way out the door. Their only real worry would be systems still being used in places of critical care like hospitals, VA & Old Folk's homes, retail & security systems, etc. that are long past their EOL/EOS dates. Maybe even some remote financial institutions or even government organizations. Voting machines being used in black & brown communities. Foreign banks, police, military or drug cartels. Terrorist organizations or their kids. One does NOT want to pi$$ off some of these folks. Or the North Koreans or Chinese. M$ cannot make money from these any longer. Is it possible that even after EOL/EOS it might be possible they could lose money on these from some court adjudicated criminal or liability decision? Some heart monitors running XP or Win7 get hacked & kill a few hundred people a few of which were M$ board members, 2 judges & 3 politicians? We are just spit balling here because of the question "Why?". M$ is only concerned about money; making it or losing it. Nothing else. They are global. And, right now, many countries are turning their backs on M$ & Win11. Certainly don't want some old out-of-date systems turning up pi$$ing on your reputation just when you are fighting for survival with your latest brainchild. Sooooo, you harden it the very best you can on its way out the door & pay some old geezer or two to keep an eye on it for another ten years or so, quietly... Lol. Just spit balling here. ;>))
Not a "rant" at all. Just an answer. A "speculative" answer to a "what if" question. A remark would not end with a "?". A "?" tends to invite replies, of varying lengths. I was actually smiling the entire time I was writing it. "Rants" usually emanate from anger or madness. :>)
Better install symantec enpoint protection enable full tls at system and net frameworks , ( tls 1.2 ) and add malwarebytes anti exploit ( comportemental scan no signature like virus update required ) And remove disable obsolete like powershell 2.0 and smb 1 and force lan manager 2 ( to remove obsolete protocols use .. iiscrypto free tools for server but works on computer 0patch are wast of money for me..
That doesn't close vulnerabilties, it only prevent stupid user actions like clicking on every link or exe they see. Yep, it is rhe worst and very fake tool to use. Best advise imHo, use a modern supported windows.