Would you download from here?

[NickStone]

Did a quick search to see if you can download Windows 7 for free and came across this site.

http://windows-7-home-premium.en.sof...?ex=SWH-1608.1

Would you download from here?

Edit: a wikipedia entry for softonic is here -> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Softonic.com

[DoYouKubuntu]

Short answer: no.

Long answer: no, of course not. 1) I don't want any micro$oft stuff on my machines, 2) I know nothing about Softonic, so even if #1 didn't apply, I'd certainly be hesitant.

[GreyGeek]

From the Wikipedia link you cited:

Since 2009, the site has been severely criticised for its downloads installing adware even if the user opted out of its installation

I doubt that just adware has been installed. Would MalwareBytes Pro find them and clear them out?

As far as downloading it ... sure! Does it really make a difference about which source for Win7 that you use? Microsoft's own intrusions are significantly greater in number. Take Win10, for instance. Some "despying" methods involve stepping through more than a dozen screens to get to the one with the switch. Somebody got peeved at all the intrusions, adware and spyware in Win10 and posted code on pastbin that is supposed to remove it. Would you run that code on your Win10 installation?

                 [LIST=1][*]Below is the list of "updates"  that delivered by Windows Update as "telemetry and customer experience  improvements". If you don't want upgrade to Win10 or send your  "telemetry" to MS - remove them and do not install again.
 
Microsoft claims this is "telemetry" and customer experience blah-blah-blah. Well I call this simple - spyware.
 
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3021917 - "Performance tracker update"
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3035583 - "Get Windows 10 App" (delivers ready to use UAC backdoor as bonus)
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2990214 - "Upgrade to Windows 10"
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3044374 - "Upgrade to Windows 10"
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2952664 - "Compatibility update for upgrading Windows 7"
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3022345 - "Customer experience and diagnostic telemetry"
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3068708 - "Customer experience and diagnostic telemetry"
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3080149 - "Customer experience and diagnostic telemetry"
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3075249 -  "Telemetry points to consent.exe" !!!WARNING!!! this update add spyware  functionality to UAC
 
COPY/PASTE script below the line into you command  shell/command line (cmd.exe). To disable the evil spying services spread  by Microsoft. 
 
================================================================================================================
 
@echo off
echo 
 
echo Step 1: Delete Updates...
echo Delete KB3075249 (telemetry for Win7/8.1)
start /w wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:3075249
echo Delete KB3080149 (telemetry for Win7/8.1)
start /w wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:3080149
echo Delete KB3021917 (telemetry for Win7)
start /w wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:3021917
echo Delete KB3022345 (telemetry)
start /w wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:3022345
echo Delete KB3068708 (telemetry)
start /w wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:3068708
echo Delete KB3044374 (Get Windows 10 for Win8.1)
start /w wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:3044374
echo Delete KB3035583 (Get Windows 10 for Win7sp1/8.1)
start /w wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:3035583
echo Delete KB2990214 (Get Windows 10 for Win7 without sp1)
start /w wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:2990214
echo Delete KB2990214 (Get Windows 10 for Win7)
start /w wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:2990214
echo Delete KB2952664 (Get Windows 10 assistant)
start /w wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:2952664
echo Delete KB3075853 (update for "Windows Update" on Win8.1/Server 2012R2)
start /w wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:3075853
echo Delete KB3065987 (update for "Windows Update" on Win7/Server 2008R2)
start /w wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:3065987
echo Delete KB3050265 (update for "Windows Update" on Win7)
start /w wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:3050265
echo Delete KB971033  (license validation)
start /w wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:971033
echo Delete KB2902907 (description not available)
start /w wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:2902907
echo Delete KB2976987 (description not available)
start /w wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:2976987
 
echo Step 2: Blocking Routes...
route -p add 23.218.212.69 MASK 255.255.255.255 0.0.0.0
route -p add 65.55.108.23 MASK 255.255.255.255 0.0.0.0
route -p add 65.39.117.230 MASK 255.255.255.255 0.0.0.0
route -p add 134.170.30.202 MASK 255.255.255.255 0.0.0.0
route -p add 137.116.81.24 MASK 255.255.255.255 0.0.0.0
route -p add 204.79.197.200 MASK 255.255.255.255 0.0.0.0
route -p add 23.218.212.69 MASK 255.255.255.255 0.0.0.0
 
echo Step 3: Disabling tasks...
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Application Experience\AitAgent" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Application Experience\Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Application Experience\ProgramDataUpdater" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Autochk\Proxy" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program\Consolidator" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program\KernelCeipTask" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program\UsbCeip" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\DiskDiagnostic\Microsoft-Windows-DiskDiagnosticDataCollector" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Maintenance\WinSAT" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Media Center\ActivateWindowsSearch" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Media Center\ConfigureInternetTimeService" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Media Center\DispatchRecoveryTasks" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Media Center\ehDRMInit" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Media Center\InstallPlayReady" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Media Center\mcupdate" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Media Center\MediaCenterRecoveryTask" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Media Center\ObjectStoreRecoveryTask" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Media Center\OCURActivate" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Media Center\OCURDiscovery" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Media Center\PBDADiscovery" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Media Center\PBDADiscoveryW1" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Media Center\PBDADiscoveryW2" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Media Center\PvrRecoveryTask" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Media Center\PvrScheduleTask" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Media Center\RegisterSearch" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Media Center\ReindexSearchRoot" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Media Center\SqlLiteRecoveryTask" /DISABLE
schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Media Center\UpdateRecordPath" /DISABLE
 
echo Step 4: Killing Diagtrack-service (if it still exists)...
sc stop Diagtrack
sc delete Diagtrack
 
echo Final Step: Stop remoteregistry-service (if it still exists)...
sc config remoteregistry start= disabled
sc stop remoteregistry
 
echo All done, go to reboot!
pause [/LIST]

[Rod J]

My understanding of this is that:

Yes, you can download Windows 7 for FREE but you would have to pay to ACTIVATE it.

Another page on that site says that the licence for that download is "30-day Trial" so I'm guessing it would need to be activated with a legit licence.

http://windows-7-home-premium.en.softonic.com/

But maybe you were dubious about the genuineness of the download rather than whether it was truly "free".

[GreyGeek]

What you state is always the case no matter where you get your copy of Win7 from. I already have a valid license key.

[whatthefunk]

Why do you want to download Windows 7? There may be better options, depending on your needs.

[NickStone]

Why do you want to download Windows 7? There may be better options, depending on your needs.

I have a laptop that I might be selling. It originally had Windows Vista on it and I thought that if I put Windows 7 on the laptop it would make it easier to sell.

After about 30 seconds of putting up my original post I went off the idea, I'll keep ArchBang on it.

[vinnywright]

you sead you had your product key ,,,,,,,,,,,,why not from hear then https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/soft...nload/windows7

VINNY

[logan01]

I used them in the past. Being computer illiterate when it comes to things other than (click here / click there), I stopped using them when I had an issue or two of minimum but observable evilness. I think it's a pool of adware, malware, gonna track you ware; all that.

[GreyGeek]

For grins and giggles I downloaded that 3+ GB Win7 Home Premium ISO file and installed it as a guest OS with VirtualBox. I gave it 2 CPUs and 4GB of RAM. It rebooted several times during the install. When it asked for a license key I gave it the key on the Win7 sticker on the bottom of the laptop. It took it and installed without problems. It ran fine until it began downloading and installing a TON of updates and who knows what else. It slowed down considerably while I played Solitaire. After several games I got tired of waiting and used VB's kill switch to stop it. Then I deleted the installation because there is nothing I need Win7 for.

[bweinel]

Then I deleted the installation because there is nothing I need Win7 for.

I wish that were the case here... I have to keep at least one machine at the house with Windoze 7 on it to interface with some applications that we use at the office (...which is a 'mostly' MS environment.)

On the plus side, I have pushed a bunch of systems there over to Linux, so at least we're making progress in becoming a more diverse environment.

cheers,
bill