Such terrible news..
Not that I didn't see what modern MS was trying to do, but it's sad to know that it finally reached that point.
What worries me most is that companies will still use Win as the default OS, whatever horrible monster it will have become -_-

Btw I bet that MS at some point will make upgrades to Win11\12 mandatory on the computers (with Win10) that can support them.

Maybe another idea stolen from open source operating systems.

Not sure who initially came up with the idea but Fedora has a version of it:

https://silverblue.fedoraproject.org/about

Of course it only works if you trust the OS image to begin with.

How they expect people to trust an immutable version of Windows I have no idea.

Think of them as Service Packs (like XP and 7 used to call them).

The different versions are what many people never understood about Windows 10. While keeping the same name for quite a while, the original Windows 10 version is very different from the last one. So "Runs on Windows 10" does not mean much unless you add which version it refers to.

Enterprise is in use by companies, which tend not to upgrade their systems all too often (until a couple of years ago, many ATMs still used Windows XP), it's too much effort. Also their professional software (which they earn money with) needs to be tested with new releases. Just updating and hoping for the best can cause major losses if after the update the software won't run anymore. Often it's much better to just stick to the old version.
So older versions have to be supported as well. After all, Enterprise customers are what keeps Microsoft running.

you want this option = pay for it

I can only guess that they are for different corporational needs.

https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=93434

So I've been reading:
https://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap12.html#1201
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-10-28/pdf/2021-23311.pdf

It looks like circumvention of the DRM is allowed due to the Exemptions and it It looks like since these online stores by not allowing the clients on these operating systems to connect to the server that they cannot "effectively" control or protect so the trafficking rules do not apply to tools used to circumvent the DRM.....

I have two questions:

1) What about steamcmd, is it affected by this?

If I am following correctly the discussion, Syn-Vapor is dropping support
for Win7&8 due using CEF & a chain effect:
Syn-Gugle drops support because Syn-M$ did

I want to think CEF is used for GUI purposes only, and steamcmd does not have GUI...

2) And what workarounds/experience do exist for the years existant Win XP&Vista drop?
-Some old client version (modded maybe) that still runs?
I mean, I started using Steam until 3 years ago...
I missed living the whole XP&Vista drop story...
I want to believe some talented enthusiasts found a way...
Of the many, many XP&Vista persistant users yet today (one weak here :))


Thanks in advance

No idea how you think anyone can understand your post with all the pseudonyms and acronyms you use. Might I suggest rewriting your post using the proper names of the companies and technologies?

I understood as I just saw the exact same thing elsewhere and came looking to see if anyone had referenced it - and I don't know, but probably for a while?

It's hard to say, but I wouldn't expect it to be affected. It's a simple command-line application. Over time, they might inadvertently add some Windows 10/11 dependency (e.g. some DLL), but I don't expect this to happen early on.

Hi lupineshadow. Suggestion received, unfortunately I cant
due some CoC & the arbitrary way its enforced its censorship
(If you dont know what I am talking about,
you wasnt on this forum enough in 2022)
Thats my personal way to circunvent that
undisputable & not up for discussion lack of freedom
(Yes, that is my personal opinion)

Strictly speaking about the words in trouble of my post,
there are no pseudonyms, but synonyms & homophones
not complex enough to never be understood
and the acronyms are known in the computing world,
perhaps you are not the target audience to reply to my post

Thank you mrkgnao. There is hope then,
I'll clean the dust of my legendary Centrino x32 only CPU
with limited RAM support (1.5gb) that goes fine up to XP
& Vista not so well to test the waters:
As multiple people here, I also have stakes with Win7
therefore I need to know if this is a kernel panic situation or not :)

Yes.
Still using Win7 and it will be the last OS I will ever use from GATES(of vax).
So Gabe is literally going to steal my whole Steam library then, huh.
Not that I'm surprised.

All these woke devs are lazy as hell and I'm glad the last time I threw my money into the Steam toilet was 3 years ago.

I guess that is one more computer I can't play Steam games on any more. I hated that when it happened on my Vista/XP machine.
I wonder what will be for the games that use the older Windows libraries.

I have no experience with SteamCMD. Is that able to stand-in for the client itself, when the client goes unsupported?

I wish these DRM-laden services would have a legacy client for just installing/uninstalling/playing the games, so I don't have to jump through hoops.

No wonder I restricted buying on Steam to barely anything. No client and GOG is the way for me. I must have patience.

I joined Steam when it was on Windows 7, but I can relate to the same sentiment now.
Older Windows libraries will be okay since Steam is still operating on a 32-bit architecture and able to deliver both 32 and 64 bit binaries regardless of version of Windows.

SteamCMD never was meant to be used by customers. It's a bare-bone command prompt console that can help you to fix something that Steam developers are lazy to fix by themselves. Like downloading an older version of the game, for example. Without it you can only rely on developer who decide to put older version to the beta branches.

I would vote for Steam downloader, but it will never happen since games on Steam can have multiple layers of DRM.

Regarding GOG offline installers: this might become obsolete for Windows 11 (maybe even Win10) if Microsoft will decide to force another update that will prevent user from launching offline installers on these versions of OS. There were such occasions in the past.

Thank you!! Sorry I am a bit late seeing this.
Thank you as well for this addition. I don't know about others, but I tend to not use all the bells and whistles others seem to, so I am fine leaving stuff like that out regardless of decrease/improvement in performance.

I've been doing some resarch and looks like for the DMCA that cracking "your" games and "trafficking" tools to do so is allowed as per the DMCA if they aren't "effectively controlling" or "effectively protecting" or "ordinary course of its operation" the games. They can't do any of that since they have prevented their DRM from working or will be. So for those operating systems where the DRM doesn't work then as par the DMCA they can legally be cracked and the tools (Cracking tools, emulators, etc) trafficked. For those operating systems that haven't been cut off yet then you'd have to wait. Note that any game files cannot be shared since that is still copyright infringement but it appears that an xdelta diff between a cracked and non-cracked copy is legal as per the DMCA.

Read here under Law and Precedent links: https://github.com/vogonsorg/OfflineGames