Yeah, that's gonna be a day of reckoning for a lot of us.
My personal option is to use only Linux or MacOS for internet stuff, and use the Win7 machines for things where only Windows works, but not internet stuff. Once the updates stop, why connect to the internet with it if there are other safer options?
If you only have the one hardware machine, and it's got Win7 installed "on the metal", you might want to consider getting some virtualization software (VMware, VirtualBox, etc.) for Win7, create a (free) Linux VM, and use only the Linux VM for accessing the internet.
[[My personal option is to use only Linux or MacOS for internet stuff,]]
That’s what i do- i dual boot- and only use windows offline only, for windows only programs and windows gaming- *(which i do at night after all my INTERNET stuff is done on linux for the day- i end the day playing dues ex or f E A R or something lol- helps me wind down- but i also need windows to run photoshop- I have 2 hard drives and just move all the finished work to my secondary drive and boot to linux again and upload to net-)
[[Once the updates stop, why connect to the internet with it if there are other safer options?]]
Exactly- although i don’t even connect my windows boot to net at all (except to update virus protection or windows updates or game update- so although hte risk is low- it’s still a little bit of risk- I imagine htough after windows 7 updates cease- it will still be ok to go to known good sites only briefly?)
[[If you only have the one hardware machine, and it’s got Win7 installed “on the metal”, you might want to consider getting some virtualization software (VMware, VirtualBox, etc.) for Win7, create a (free) Linux VM, and use only the Linux VM for accessing the internet.]]
If you do this with windows as the host- aren’t you still somehow vulnerable on your windows os? I’m not sure how htis works- I nkow that if the host and VM share folders, it can make both vulnerable- but not sure if there is no sharing- does that make the host invulnerable to viruses when VM connects? I thought the VM connects through host Internet connection, no?