Fabfilter developer is one of them:
Windows*
64-bit: Windows 10, 8, 7 or Vista
32-bit: Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP ( Oh, my God!)

* - release 03.04.2022 on well-known Russian site

 

Most plugins that are actually worth a dam will run on win7. If you find one that doesn't, there is certainly no lack of alternative plugins that will run on win7. So really, that whole argument is moot on many levels...

 

That seems to be what I've ended up doing, but the reason I use Firefox is because I rely on certain extensions. Eventually, people will stop updating them for older versions of Firefox. At that point, I won't have a choice.

 

RIP Windows 7 family, it's been a good run.

(You can apply Server 2008 R2 security updates to consumer Windows 7)

 

@xorome No time to R.I.P, trust me

 

Sudden comeback of Windows 7 - user numbers in September 2025 (01.10.2025)

The latest Windows user figures are in. Around two weeks before its end of support, Windows 10's market share is declining. Surprisingly, according to the data, it's not Windows 11 that's benefiting, but a significantly older version of the operating system.

Over the past four weeks, the number of Windows 10 users has declined. However, according to data from Statcounter, these users haven't migrated to Windows 11. Instead, another, much older version of Microsoft's operating system is gaining ground: Windows 7.

The OS, first released in 2009, has seen a dramatic user increase of a full six percent. Windows 11, on the other hand, has stagnated. Compared to the figures from August, the latest version of Windows hasn't made any progress.

Windows 11: 48.94 percent (-0.14 percent)
Windows 10: 40.50 percent (-5.03 percent)
Windows 7: 9.61 percent (+6.12 percent)
Windows 8: 0.44 percent (-0.08 percent)
Windows XP: 0.30 percent (-0.08 percent)
Windows 8.1: 0.18 percent (-0.05 percent)

Source: https://winfuture.de/news,153995.html

 

Last edited: Jan 19, 2026

Believe it or not, there are still people using Vista.

I mean they must be masochists to some degree, either way, thoughts and prayers

 

I believe it's true love and eternal friendship!

The real masochists are those using Windows 10, since there are no more updates, so they buy a new PC with Windows 11.

 

I don't know I actually quite like 11, even though my CPU doesn't support it (technically). So I'm using an old version which won't let me separate taskbar folders for some reason, but that's really my only gripe with it (It's more of a gripe with myself for having an older CPU I suppose), seems to run pretty smooth otherwise.

Am I right in thinking older versions of Windows don't update drivers and stuff automatically on a fresh install? That sort of thing would drive me up the wall.

I think Doze went through a phase of releasing one good, one bad version, seemingly comically to the note, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10 all seem to follow this pattern, but for me, 10 and 11 are pretty good, but maybe I haven't got a clue what I'm talking about (that is always a possibility)

 

Win7 is still completely usable in 2025 - even on internet. Problem with using it for audio production is a lot of devs are making planned obsolescence a policy, thus making it more difficult to use many plugins. I believe there's a list on here that someone has compiled of all the stuff that doesn't work on win7 anymore. Haven't used the win updater in decades so "lack of microsoft support" means nothing to me.

 

Last edited: Jan 19, 2026

January 2026, my main completely offline Windows 7 music PC is still going strong, already had every software and plugin I needed, so hasn't needed anything new for years, completely stable secure and reliable. A big "FUCK YOU" to "MicroShite" believe it or not I still see updated Windows 7 every few months on a couple of OS sites but I don't need them, no idea how they even get the updates for them. I'm good for now, I have my Win 10 PC's for everyday and trying out new plugins another PC waiting for a modded Win 12 supposedly sometime before year end. No shortage of older PC's or parts for us Die Hards, better than them going to recycling or melted down.

 

Last edited: Jan 20, 2026

Stick with what you have. If you're happy with it and your operating system is running stably, why would you upgrade to Windows 11? You also have to meet the minimum system requirements for Windows 11.

You will usually receive a CD-ROM with drivers for your motherboard, or you can visit your motherboard manufacturer's website and download all available drivers there.

System Requirements Overview

At first glance, Microsoft's hardware requirements appear moderate: Windows 11 only requires a 64-bit processor with two cores and a clock speed of 1 gigahertz. In addition to 64 gigabytes of hard drive space and 4 gigabytes of RAM, a UEFI BIOS with Secure Boot security features and a TPM 2.0 chip are required (see below). Furthermore, your graphics card must be compatible with DirectX 12. If you want to install Windows 11 on a laptop, it needs at least a 9-inch screen with HD resolution (720p).

 

Yes I upgraded initially just out of curiosity to see if I could run it, turns out I can (the older version).
I then switched back to 10, and decided I liked 11 more, and I thought it might inspire me to upgrade my PC a bit quicker than I might otherwise (so that I can get the latest version of 11 with all the bells and whistles)

 

Last edited: Jan 20, 2026

For older drivers there is DPS (Driver Pack Solution) with the online or huge megapack download of all drivers back to XP. I always backup my drivers for all my devices and the programs for each PC that I use just in case of a problem. IoBit Driver Booster and Driver easy are also very good for old drivers if you don't have backups of them.

 

There are optimized ISO's of newer w11 (if you want to go that route) that you might be able to implement as long as the hardware isn't too old. With optimized ISO's things like TPM and CPU requirements fly right out the window. The only other thing stopping the show would be lack of driver support. You should be running an optimized build anyway since the bloat/spyware/adware in w11 is 2x as worse than in previous win versions. Upgrading MS os's (from online) is not recommended - a new fresh build is always best.

 

Run Win7 in a modern machine without any issues. Make BIOS changes to get perfect performance for Win7 (like old hardware):
E-Cores OFF
HT OFF
Speed Shift OFF
C-States OFF
Boost/Turbo OFF

Good luck!