Windows 10 that's EXACTLY like Windows 7

[mpelley92]

Hi people. I've been using Windows 7 since it came out, and have been boycotting Windows 10 ever since it was released.

I recently read an article saying Windows 7/8.1 updates would be blocked on Kaby Lake. So, seems as if Windows 7 hardware support is coming to an end, which in my mind is a power play on Microsoft's part to force people to use their newest operating system.

And here I was thinking I could use Windows 7 right up until the end...

Anyways, I digress... the whole point of making this post is to ask a question and maybe make this a thread for people asking the same line of questions.


I want to use Windows 10, but only if this "settings app" can be disabled. I want it to be like Windows 7, where you have a control panel, and everything is straight forward. I noticed in 10, that most of the options in the settings app simply link back to the control panel, which makes me ask why... why would you make a bunch of options if they simply link back to the exact same control panel as Windows 7.


I also want to be able to completely disable anything to do with telemetry. I mean everything. Not one bit, byte or packet going back to m$.


Is any of this even possible? I'm completely tore that I even have to contemplate leaving an operating system that has been polished so well and works literally perfectly.

 

[deustroop]

I want to use Windows 10, but only if this "settings app" can be disabled. I want it to be like Windows 7, where you have a control panel, and everything is straight forward. I noticed in 10, that most of the options in the settings app simply link back to the control panel, which makes me ask why... why would you make a bunch of options if they simply link back to the exact same control panel as Windows 7.


I also want to be able to completely disable anything to do with telemetry. I mean everything. Not one bit, byte or packet going back to m$.


Is any of this even possible? I'm completely tore that I even have to contemplate leaving an operating system that has been polished so well and works literally perfectly.

Regarding your conditions for the upgrade, well, some be nothing, some be complicated.
Re telemetry, it can be completely disabled, though the process is not simple. See here
http://winaero.com/blog/how-to-disable-telemetry-and-data-collection-in-windows-10/

Second, re Settings, you are mistaken here as Settings is a beautiful thing. Brings many useful switches, way more than 7 ever contemplated, under one roof.They do not link back to Control Panel. And it's a new view but you gotta handle new, right ?

Control Panel still exists so no worries there.

Windows 7 is a beautiful thing too but is beginning to be outdated, like rap, so get ready to own 10.

What you will disable are the blessed Tiles that Windows 10 presents on first boot, and the Aero thingy. I deleted all Tiles and and avoid Aero. I also uninstalled every app I do not use. Finally, note the icon libraries which provide the windows icons you may have for desktop shortcuts.

The result here is a desktop so resembling what I had on 7 that I never notice the superficial difference.
10 however has a major advantage, called File Explorer. It may have been an 8 feature which I did not install but it is helpful. Explorer allows one to move between folders and drives without starting a new process.I have five drives so it is a major convenience.OTOH windows updates are mandatory and someone like you may feel major abuse. But lots downgrade after a while so there's that too.

 

[bbhaag]

The result here is a desktop so resembling what I had on 7 that I never notice the superficial difference.
10 however has a major advantage, called File Explorer. It may have been an 8 feature which I did not install but it is helpful. Explorer allows one to move between folders and drives without starting a new process.I have five drives so it is a major convenience.OTOH windows updates are mandatory and someone like you may feel major abuse. But lots downgrade after a while so there's that too.

Are you trolling the newb here or are you being serious? The file explorer has been around for a long time. It is nothing new to 10, 8, or even 7. I believe it was introduced in 95.

 

[mpelley92]

Excellent link. I will be trying that out.

The whole settings app (to me) is completely useless. I really do want to get rid of it. I have done some searching on Google but have yet to find any relevant information.

I'm not too worried about tiles and all that nonsense, I know how to disable that stuff. It's really just telemetry and the "settings app" that I want to disable before I will even commit to switching over.

 

[mpelley92]

Are you trolling the newb here or are you being serious? The file explorer has been around for a long time. It is nothing new to 10, 8, or even 7. I believe it was introduced in 95.

My guess is this dude is either really old or reaaaaaaaaaally new to this whole "personal computer" thing.

 

[bbhaag]

My guess is this dude is either really old or reaaaaaaaaaally new to this whole "personal computer" thing.

So you've never heard of the file explorer before?

 

[mpelley92]

So you've never heard of the file explorer before?

Nope, I've never heard of the most common feature of every Microsoft operating system ever made.

Couldn't help but be snappy at that one. Of course I have.

 

[bbhaag]

Well then you should already know that there is no way to get 10 to act like 7. Classic shell and the other start menu replacements are the closest you will ever get to make 10 like 7.

No amount of asking around the web is going change that.

 

[mpelley92]

Well then you should already know that there is no way to get 10 to act like 7. Classic shell and the other start menu replacements are the closest you will ever get to make 10 like 7.

No amount of asking around the web is going change that.

If you read my post above, you'll see that's not what I'm looking to change. All I need in order to be happy with Windows 10 is to disable this new "settings app" and telemetry. That's it. Explorer I could care less about.

 

[ReignQuake]

So, how are you planning to update Windows 10, receive packages and new system updates?

 

[mpelley92]

So, how are you planning to update Windows 10, receive packages and new system updates?

That's an easy one, an offline installer.

Here's one of them:
http://download.wsusoffline.net/

 

[rh71]

Are you trolling the newb here or are you being serious? The file explorer has been around for a long time. It is nothing new to 10, 8, or even 7. I believe it was introduced in 95.

That confused me too. I was starting to wonder what I'm missing when he said "move between folders and drives without starting a new process."

 

[ReignQuake]

Yeah, no thanks

 

[escrow4]

That confused me too. I was starting to wonder what I'm missing when he said "move between folders and drives without starting a new process."

There is an option in Explorer to run new windows in a new process for stability although it doesn't really seem to matter.

OP, you cannot disable the Settings app (and it is more useful than the old Control Panel anyway) and even if you gut telemetry MS will probably just switch it silently on again in one of the frequent new Win 10 builds.

As for polish, 1607 has had 15 build updates since early 2016, and 1511 has had 22 new builds. Basically from mid 2015 until now if you moved up constantly though the latest branches you would have gone through a whole stack of updates that have beaten 10 into shape. This isn't counting the upcoming Creators update. Now, how many core system updates has 7 had? Nothing. Just security updates.

 

[Ketchup]

There are fewer links in the Settings menu than in the Control Panel, so I don't know why one thinks they can't adapt. The link to Settings, on mine at least, is the closest thing to the start button. And as you stated, just about everything is still in the control panel. Telemetry is not that big a deal IMO, but as you have seen, easy for fix. No real reason to be attached to an OS. They don't last forever.

 

[nevbie]

It would seem odd if the w7 security updates didn't work on kaby lake.. are you sure your offline installer won't just keep going as before?

 

[Raduque]

Settings is way better than Control Panel. It's more logically laid out and easier to find a relevant setting. If you insist on Control Panel, it's still there, and you can still access many things from there.

If you were to somehow remove Settings, you'd lose access to a lot of things, such as native VPN, Display settings (such as resolution, positioning, etc), Taskbar control (including Start), many WiFi settings, as well as Windows Update and even Account controls.

 

[bruceb]

For windows 10 what I did was install the following items:

Ultimate Windows Tweaker 4.2 from: http://www.thewindowsclub.com/ultimate-windows-tweaker-4-windows-10
Gives you more control over a lot of Windows 10 functions and annoyances

7 Taskbar Tweaker from: http://rammichael.com/7-taskbar-tweaker
Customizes the taskbar a bit .. not really needed

Classic Start Menu 4.3.0 from: http://www.classicshell.net/
Restores the old style start menu and other customizations

With all of that your Windows 10 will look a lot like Win 7 / XP .. I also put shortcuts
to things like Control Panel and Settings on the desktop so they are easy to find.
I also use Webshots for a screensaver and desktop background, with calendar

 

[jsalpha2]

I'm right with bruceb, Classic Start Menu is a must. I use WinaeroTweaker...http://winaero.com/download.php?view.1796

 

[mpelley92]

Settings is way better than Control Panel. It's more logically laid out and easier to find a relevant setting. If you insist on Control Panel, it's still there, and you can still access many things from there.

If you were to somehow remove Settings, you'd lose access to a lot of things, such as native VPN, Display settings (such as resolution, positioning, etc), Taskbar control (including Start), many WiFi settings, as well as Windows Update and even Account controls.

Every thing you wrote down was available in Control Panel in Windows 7. I want that classic experience. I want to be able to change all those things with the classic control panel.

 

[Raduque]

Every thing you wrote down was available in Control Panel in Windows 7. I want that classic experience. I want to be able to change all those things with the classic control panel.

Well, it's not going to happen. Microsoft is moving forward with their redesign whether you like it or not. You can sit on Windows 7 and be left in the past with no support, or you can join the rest of us in 2015.

 

[mpelley92]

There are fewer links in the Settings menu than in the Control Panel, so I don't know why one thinks they can't adapt. The link to Settings, on mine at least, is the closest thing to the start button. And as you stated, just about everything is still in the control panel. Telemetry is not that big a deal IMO, but as you have seen, easy for fix. No real reason to be attached to an OS. They don't last forever.

I completely understand. This thread isn't about adapting, it's about the possibility of disabling the "settings app" and enable the same control panel that was used in Windows 7. I'm entirely sure it's possible.

Maybe this is the wrong forum to ask the question.

 

[Sheep221]

I completely understand. This thread isn't about adapting, it's about the possibility of disabling the "settings app" and enable the same control panel that was used in Windows 7. I'm entirely sure it's possible.

Maybe this is the wrong forum to ask the question.

There is windows 7 control panel in windows 10 you can even set up an icon to your desktop to it, although you can't do it in the start menu.
Other than that, telemetry/data mining stuff was in Windows 7 too and with subsequent releases of windows 8 and 10, telemetry has been updated to this level on win 7 too, so in any case they are spying on you for quite some time.
Windows 10 is worthy OS in enterprise version, it's stripped of all the stuff like ads, edge, Cortana, tiles and so on. Pity it's only available through volume licensing to selected companies.

 

[Ketchup]

I completely understand. This thread isn't about adapting, it's about the possibility of disabling the "settings app" and enable the same control panel that was used in Windows 7. I'm entirely sure it's possible.



Maybe this is the wrong forum to ask the question.

It's not that It's the wrong forum, It's that this is not possible unless you know how to rewrite an OS to work the way you want it to.

 

[mpelley92]

It's not that It's the wrong forum, It's that this is not possible unless you know how to rewrite an OS to work the way you want it to.

That's my whole point. I'm looking for a forum with developers and coders to give me factual reasons why it isn't possible.

Here's another point why I believe it may be possible. Throughout Microsoft's history of making operating systems, they've chosen to retain nearly all of the previous operating system's applications and files associated. I read an article where an ex-employee of Microsoft came out to say that Windows 8.1 and 10 are basically re-hashed versions of Windows 7. Apparently, they have kept most of the code and have only introduced new "Apps" in order to make the operating system look new.

The evidence of this is in the "Settings App". When you click on a link to change something like advanced network options, it links you to the exact same window that you would see in 7. If this "Settings App" was completely new, they wouldn't feel the need to link back to legacy dialog windows to change options.

That's the exact reasoning why I believe my idea isn't impossible. I'm very confident there are remnants of Windows 7 dialog and control windows. It only makes sense considering Microsoft's past.