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I agree that there are risks to upgrading, and few benefits. Best to leave a working business machine alone. But I guarantee that there isn't going to be a VISTA fiasco, since Windows 7, 8, and 10, are all essentially Vista.

I don't have any plans to upgrade any current device either. Why mess with a machine that is working perfectly now? The upgrade offer begins on 7/29/15 and will be available for one year until 7/29/16. If a person accepts the free offer, it is free forever on that device. The person would not be required to pay for it after that time. http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-10-faq?ocid=win10_auxapp_context What are the basic facts of the Windows 10 upgrade?Microsoft is making Windows 10 available as free upgrade for qualified Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1 devices. It will be available starting July 29, 2015; people can reserve their free upgrade today. You only have until July 29, 2016 to take advantage of this offer. Once you upgrade, you have Windows 10 for free on that device.

target practice for Catherine?

Just like I said. I agree with all of the above. If your supplier of choice says he/she cannot provide WIN7 Pro as operating system, contact me. I will put you in touch with one that can.

I, personally, would definitely stay with Windows 7 Pro.

I would use Win 7 Pro, Win 8.1 seems to work ok, based on some other comments, but there may some interface differences that you might not like. My new computer has Win 7 Pro and I'm quite happy with it. I recommend you have an SSD installed too. Boot times are fantastic.

Floppy drives I might believe, it's pretty rare to even find a motherboard that supports one these days. But I'm pretty sure that's not true about CD/DVD drives. It might lack software for playing DVD/BluRay movies or something, but CD/DVD/BluRay drives will continue to work. I'm almost certain you can preorder Windows 10 on DVD.

Last night after this post was updated I started looking at the differences in Win 10 compared to earlier versions and noticed that it doesn't include any software or drivers to run any floppy drives or CD/DVD drives, so if you want a machine with anything other than a hard drive, have any software that still updates on CD on DVD, or have anything stored on that type of media, you'll have to purchase add-on software to run a drive. More and more things will be moving to cloud-based software.

There will be no operating system on any of my personal, nor any of the firm's computers except WIN7 Pro for at least 3 more years. WIN7 is going to be supported till at least 2020 per Microsoft. It is solid, reliable, and all the peripheral companies have drivers for it. Not going through the VISTA fiasco ever again. My recommendation is: DO NOT sign up for, install or upgrade to WIN8, WIN8.1 or WIN 10. WIN7 Pro will be available as OS on new computers for several years, if you choose a proper supplier.

I certainly have no intention of updating. I am working with Win 7 Pro and everything is good. From what I have heard; if you accept that free update, it is only for a year and then you have to pay. Anyone??????????

I had a client call just last week who got the call and was on his way to the Western Union office to wire the money when he had second thoughts and called me first. Guess Patel's arrest hasn't stopped the whole organized criminal gang. It's going to be like wacking moles--get one and another pops up. (Ronnie Deutsch all over again. They shut her and others down, but I still hear a half dozen commercials a day from "pennies on the dollar" places.) I saw a newscast in Maryland yesterday about the same exact scam targeting Dominion Electric Company customers--pay right now or we'll turn off the juice, send the cops, whatever. What's scary about this one is that people won't think to call their tax person to question it. At least we could warn them not to send money. In our practice we have had over 100 clients who contacted us about the IRS call. What scares me is the statement, "Patel and his co-conspirators also used several layers of wire transactions in order to conceal the destination and nature of the extorted payments...." These guys are too good at what they do.

Just name it 2nd qtr and go forward. Try it and ignore the red warning. If you are not e-filing them, there is no issue.