Stable Operating System

Terry

Terry

Line Up and Wait
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Terry
Hi everyone,

What makes the Windows 8 operating system a "Stable System?"

It seems to me that any computer programer would write an operating system that would be stable.

Are there "specific" items in the code that make Windows 8 MORE stable than Windows 7.

Can you give me some examples or is this way to technical to handle here?

Do you have a possible link where I could read about this?

Just curious, as always.

Thanks,
Terry
 
This is a good article on the subject.

A huge stablity and security improvement that came with Vista was address space layout randomization which has been improved in Windows 8.

If the Windows user is an administrator then the User Access Control will just ask for an 'OK' to allow the untrusted executable to run.

In practice the one thing I'd like to see Windows do that Linux and OS-X do is to always require a password when running untrusted executables.

Of course, if you use Windows by now you ought to be able to run as a standard user, thereby making your machine extremely secure.
 
Actually, windows is even weaker than you think. The windows "untrusted executable" isn't even close to the way OS/X works.

As shown Windows 8 (or even 8.1) is a whole lot better than Vista or Win 7. The last stable one before 8 was XP.
 
LOL. "Stable" is marketing gobbledegook.

I can make any computer stable.

Build it into a nice steel case and power it off. It'll hold up anything you place on top of it.
 
denverpilot said:
LOL. "Stable" is marketing gobbledegook.

I can make any computer stable.

Build it into a nice steel case and power it off. It'll hold up anything you place on top of it.
Click to expand...

Someone has forgotten how fun the BSOD was in the Win 9X days....
 
Terry said:
Hi everyone,

What makes the Windows 8 operating system a "Stable System?"

It seems to me that any computer programer would write an operating system that would be stable.

Are there "specific" items in the code that make Windows 8 MORE stable than Windows 7.

Can you give me some examples or is this way to technical to handle here?

Do you have a possible link where I could read about this?

Just curious, as always.

Thanks,
Terry
Click to expand...

Define what you think "stable os" means. Then we can talk.

And Windows is not written by a single programmer. It's many millions of lines of code, unlikely any single person at MS even understands all aspects of the system.
 
I have not had any stability issues with windows 7 or 8.1. The greater issue is whether your windows 7 applications will run on windows 8 platforms. I have two laptops with windows 8.1 and one virtual machine running that software as well. My two desktops are running windows 7 Pro. Regarding windows O/S stability I have not had any issues with HyperV on windows 2012 Server with VMs running Windows 2008 R2. Any of those platforms have been stable whether at my home or commercial systems at the many government agencies computer systems I have reviewed. A far larger issue government wide is the high number of Windows XP systems that are past end of life support and not being patched.
 
murphey said:
Define what you think "stable os" means. Then we can talk.

And Windows is not written by a single programmer. It's many millions of lines of code, unlikely any single person at MS even understands all aspects of the system.
Click to expand...

I don't like Windows 8. Have been using it for a year and still don't like it. It won't run my older programs, like Front Page, Outlook, and some of my old programs I wrote in VB.

When I complain, I am told that, "Well, we all know Windows 8 is more stable."

I am a 67 year old retiree and I like to write web pages and splash pages. I can do this with Front Page and have no problems. I don't want to learn HTML even though I can adjust the code and bumble my way through it.

I had to get another email address for Windows 8. Now, I have at least 3 email address, never know which one to use for sure. I have a so called Microsoft account and email, which I never use.

My older email, which is ATT.Net doesn't like Windows 8 or Windows 8 doesn't like it, or whatever. 90% of my PayPal, credit cards, and personal business have the ATT.Net account, that Windows 8 doesn't like, which makes me have to remember more passwords and emails.

So,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,there won't be a next computer for me. More than likely when 2014 ends, I am unplugging from the internet.

I am glad Windows 8 is stable because, any more, I am not. ARGGGGGGHHHHHH!

I have a Dell desktop with Windows XP.
I have an Acer Desktop with Windows 7.
I have an IPAD.
I have an Android Smart Phone.
I have a Toshiba Laptop with Windows 8 and is a touch screen.

I understand that Windows was written by many programmers but was wondering what was specifically done to make Windows 8, "Stable."

I know in my VB programming, I would let others run my program to see if I had keyboard conflicts or bugs in the programming. In other words, what would happen if I pressed "Cntrl., Alt., F3? Hopefully nothing but occasionally it might lock up the program.

It just sort of "boggles the mind" that an operating system with millions of lines of code, can be made more stable by introducing a newer operating system.

I tend to think it is being driven by Marketing and Profit and not so much to make the operating system better. At least they didn't seem to ask any customers for their input.

Thanks,
Terry
 
Unfortunately Frontpage has not been supported by Microsoft for several years. As you, I did webpages via front page but I had to switch to Dreamweaver thanks to Microsoft's lack of support for Frontpage. There are versions of application software that do not work under 8.0, and the new version that worked with 8.0 did not work with 8.1. When I upgraded to 8.1 it took me a half a day just getting revised versions of my software from many vendors to work under 8.1.
There is no reason to upgrade from 7 if you are happy with it; however, its end-of-life is down the road and the issue with XP's end-of-life will replicate to Windows 7. From a functional perspective, I see no reason currently to upgrade to 8 (.X). If you are not using a tablet or desire the metro interface stay with Windows 7. My laptops came with windows 8 so it was easier to upgrade to 8.1 than to downgrade to windows 7. However, I am digressing from the question of which is a stable O/S. I think it might be more stable and I am sure it is more secure.
 
I just got a new laptop at work on Tuesday. Running Windows 8. How many ways can I say I don't like it? Now, part of the problem has nothing to do with the OS and everything to do with Lenovo's latest iteration of a touch pad. Sorry, Lenovo, but this thing sucks. I just want the swizzle stick and two buttons. This thing should have been aborted before it ever saw the light of day. And, I don't like Windows 8, either. I've got a machine at home running 8.1 and as soon as the company says I can upgrade the laptop I will. Been running Windows 7 too long and I can find my around that thing. Windows 8 was designed for a tablet environment. Sorry, but my laptop isn't a tablet. And one size does not fit all. Idiots in Redmond.
 
Ghery said:
I just got a new laptop at work on Tuesday. Running Windows 8. How many ways can I say I don't like it? Now, part of the problem has nothing to do with the OS and everything to do with Lenovo's latest iteration of a touch pad. Sorry, Lenovo, but this thing sucks. I just want the swizzle stick and two buttons. This thing should have been aborted before it ever saw the light of day. And, I don't like Windows 8, either. I've got a machine at home running 8.1 and as soon as the company says I can upgrade the laptop I will. Been running Windows 7 too long and I can find my around that thing. Windows 8 was designed for a tablet environment. Sorry, but my laptop isn't a tablet. And one size does not fit all. Idiots in Redmond.
Click to expand...

Have you tried / can you try Classic Shell?

-Rich
 
No Windows version is truly "stable". I've got a small IBM RS6000 box running AIX Unix at work that's been up and running an Informix 7.3 database engine for more than 750 days, 24x7 nonstop without a restart of either the OS or the database engine. Now that's stable. It hosts the municipal court accounting and records system for a city of 100k population. I've also got a couple of Linux systems (OEL 5.x running as VMs under Oracle Virtual Server on a Proliant DL370G6) that have been up continuously for more than 900 days. They run our city finance, payroll and HR system. Unfortunately we're getting ready to replace it all with Windows & SQL Server based applications. The new app vendor advises weekly reboots of all the servers hosting their apps to keep them stable.
 
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Neal Howard said:
No Windows version is truly "stable". I've got a small IBM RS6000 box running AIX Unix at work that's been up and running an Informix 7.3 database engine for more than 750 days, 24x7 nonstop without a restart of either the OS or the database engine. Now that's stable. It hosts the municipal court accounting and records system for a city of 100k population. I've also got a couple of Linux systems (OEL 5.x running as VMs under Oracle Virtual Server on a Proliant DL370G6) that have been up continuously for more than 900 days. They run our city finance, payroll and HR system. Unfortunately we're getting ready to replace it all with Windows & SQL Server based applications. The new app vendor advises weekly reboots of all the servers hosting their apps to keep them stable.
Click to expand...

I've never cared much for Windows for servers, especially when constant availability is desired. Even if the system is running perfectly, because of the way the services are integrated with the system, most of the routine updates require rebooting the system. That makes it practically impossible to have uptime of more than a month. By contrast, I measure uptime on my Linux servers in months and years.

For workstations, however, I consider Windows 7 and 8 stable if maintained with a modicum of common sense. With the exception of updates, I regularly get uninterrupted uptime on both my Windows 7 and 8 machines, with no apparent loss of performance. That's fine for a workstation. Taking a coffee break once a month while my workstation updates (or better yet, letting it update itself at night) isn't a big deal.

I even have an XP machine (an old Acer netbook, to be exact) with a very, very limited role (a video server for a webcam aimed at a turtle tank) that has actual uptime of about 22 months. The only reason it isn't longer is that I moved 22 months ago. The machine doesn't do updates anymore, most of its services are disabled, and the only port that's open is the one feeding the video to the reverse proxy on the Linux server.

But yeah, I agree that for servers in general, you can't beat a 'nix server.

-Rich
 
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