We are forcing you to buy a new computer/ The end of Windows 7 Message

[Kendra]

I just turned on my computer to this message. I have CS 6., and shoot large files with a Nikon D800.  I take it Microsoft is forcing me to buy a new computer. Does Windows 10 work with CS 6? I have NO idea what kind of computer to purchase, I currently have a Dell. This just makes me sick that they can do this.

[Damien Symonds]

I'm facing this too.  It sucks, because my Win7 computer is still running fine.

I can confirm that CS5 works absolutely fine with Win10, so CS6 certainly will too.

[Brian]

Windows 7, in all versions, is currently listed as "End-of-Life." Which means that come January 15th, 2020 all support, security updates and other patches/fixes will cease to exist or no longer be developed. Windows 7 has been around for awhile, I think around 10 years now? So it's time for them to put it out to pasture. They did this with Windows XP, Windows 98, Windows 95, etc. etc. Macintosh does this on a regular basis as well. It helps keep technology moving forward and in business.

First the good news.

Your Windows 7 will work just fine on January 15th.

Now the bad news:

That said, if there are ANY flaws or Security Holes that have a "Zero-Day Deployment," your computer could suffer from an attack from some kind. Of course, it is highly unlikely that you will personally be affected, it's just that your computer will be a "Sitting Duck." Something bad could plausibly happen, but as to when, if ever...is anyone's guess. Basically, if your computer is hooked up to the internet, it is vulnerable starting Jan 15th.

If you are in the market for a new computer, I still like the Dell XPS line and here is a decent configuration that should last you a good 5-7 years:

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-desktop-computers/xps-desktop-special-edition/spd/xps-8930-desktop/xdvsetcr006s?configurationid=412c746e-4f0f-4378-9ec9-8930c2f00eca

In case if the link doesn't work, here are my selections:

The downside is are current import tariffs on products made in China. Practically all computer parts & components come from China, so prices have increased about $300-$500 dollars as compared to similar models from last year.

[Brian]

Now, before you go forking our $2000 on a new computer, how old is your Dell? What are the current specs and how much RAM / HD do you have?

[Brian]

Now, here is a company that I was seriously considering buying from: Digital Storm.

If you want a quick-and-dirty setup that runs really fast and you don't want to think, purchase the Lynx Ultimate Computer:

https://www.digitalstorm.com/configurator.asp?id=2577485

It has better hardware and liquid cooling and comes already factory over-clocked. Bonus points: It's cheaper than the Dell XPS.

[Kendra]

Thanks Brian. Here’s what I have currently...I shoot large files, How important is the amount of storage to have for a new computer? I currently back everything up onto 2 external hard drive’s. I’m also looking into using back blaze...

[Kendra]

[Brian]

One of my cameras is a D850. I know what you mean about large files.

From what I can tell, Windows 10 should be able to install on your existing Dell Computer and work just fine. Most Windows 7 Computers should be Windows 10 compatible. That said, this is a temporary fix and a new computer will be in your future. One of my to-do things is to create a step-by-step set of instructions on how to upgrade your computer from Windows 7 to Windows 10, complete with screenshots. That will be in the coming weeks as I've started a new FAQ project here on the Website.

As for hard drive capacity, you can never have enough. I am concerned about that external drive, it's getting full which isn't a good thing. Time to cull or get a bigger HD. To give you an idea of the HD that I have, 1TB as my main HD and a 12TB drive as my external.

[Kendra]

The message told me that it "wasnt recommended" to install 10 onto my computer. It also would be $200 for like you said a temporary fix. 

Question on backing up- How do I go about backing up edited psds? My setup now is as soon as i download photos to my computer, I have them automatically backed up to 1 hardrive, then manually just copy the large file folders (like March, April, May etc) from one external HD to the other. Is there a program or something that backs up psds automatically too since they are not automatically being backed up to external hardrives? Do people not back up psds? 

Do you have a favorite cloud type backup service? Backblaze? 

[Brian]

If it’s not recommended, time for a new computer. Bummer. 
 

For me, I just manually copy stuff to the EHD or you can use a program called SyncToy from Microsoft. There are other backup programs that will automatically Sync to a folder on a EHD, so you do have options. 
 

Cloud Backup. Personally, I don’t use one. At least not for my photos. I’d rather have a monthly duplicated drive that is kept off-site.  I do use the OneDrive that comes with my Office365 subscription, but that’s it and just has important documents and my wedding photos / video. I tend to keep things simple, but that’s just me. That said, it will be a topic for one of the FAQ Section questions. More to come later on this topic. 

[Kendra]

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/cybertronpc-palladium-liquid-cooled-gaming-desktop-intel-core-i7-8700k-32gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1070-240gb-ssd-3tb-hdd-black-blue/5642122.p?skuId=5642122

 

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/cyberpowerpc-gaming-desktop-intel-core-i7-9700k-32gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-rtx-2070-super-2tb-hard-drive-512gb-ssd-white/6360116.p?skuId=6360116

 

Brian, what are your thoughts on these computers/brands compared to the dell you recommended above? 

[Brian]

Between the two, I like the one that has a 512GB SSD Drive in it and the upgraded video card. I'd buy this one:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/cyberpowerpc-gaming-desktop-intel-core-i7-9700k-32gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-rtx-2070-super-2tb-hard-drive-512gb-ssd-white/6360116.p?skuId=6360116

 

[Brian]

240GB Main Drives...they are just too small by my standards. Most of "My Hard Drive is Full!" or "Why is PS complaining about the Scratch Disk?" stem from full hard drives, especially ones that are 250GB or less. Manufactures put them in computers for one reason: they are cheap. It keeps their COGS low and you can claim that Windows 10 boots in about 15 seconds. Too bad you need to be super ANAL on what gets installed on that drive. You can't just go next-next-next...OK...next-next...Finish blindly on a small main HD. Forget photo sessions or data, that drive is meant for the OS and a program or two at best.

The slightly more expensive model is well worth the month. Double the main HD capacity and a better video card for not that much more. You can always add a third hard drive yourself, for not a lot of money, down the road.

[Kendra]

Brian, 

 Any computer in the $1000 range you would recommend that are sold at Best Buy or in the Dell line that I know you like? The ones I linked above are no longer in stock...

I saw in another link you recommended this one, https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-desktop-computers/xps-tower/spd/xps-8930-desktop/xdvmstcs004s  however  I see it only has 1TB and I think I would prefer 2TB like my current computer (specs above) has because of my large photo files (d800). Again, I am not computer literate. 

 

Second, is this Hard drive decent? https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Desktop-Hard-Drive-WDBWLG0080HBK-NESN/dp/B07D5V2ZXD/ref=sr_1_3?crid=ED17OPB64BLJ&keywords=wd+external+hard+drive&qid=1578598205&sprefix=WD+exter%2Caps%2C192&sr=8-3 having trouble finding a 7200 rpm like I saw you recommend to someone earlier. Is it a deal breaker if its not? I don't care if it takes a bit longer for photos to back up...

 

[Brian]

You can always add a second hard drive for not a lot of money. Yes, you can install it yourself. It will take you about 15 mins to accomplish. Yes, you can do this, even if you aren't technical. Yes, I can help you. The tough part? Getting the friggin' case open. LOL!! THAT'S the hard part. Mounting the HD is usually pretty straightforward. Most HDs clip into today's cases.

Now, with that Dell it meets all of my basic specs except for one thing: I do not like the "Integrated Graphics." You definitely want to spend a little more and get a better video card. Trust me on this.  Please...Spend the extra $250 and get the AMD Radeon RX 570 with 4GB dedicated video memory.

The AMD cards seem to play well with Photoshop these days vs. NVIDIA Cards, at least as far as their drivers are concerned. Granted, NVIDIA usually has a different set of drivers that work better with PS, but there is more leg-work of un-installing and re-installing a new set of drivers. The current versions of Photoshop rely on the Video Card GPU (CPU) and it's dedicated video memory for a performance boost. Video Cards are becoming just as important in choosing the right CPU chip and this trend when it comes to Adobe will continue from now and into the future. You do not want to have "Integrated" or "Shared" anything when it comes to a video card and Photoshop. Now if you were just wasting time on FB and watching Netflix, then it's fine. Photoshop? Notsomuch.

WD Elements External HD. I'm not a fan of those, even though I love Western Digital Drives. I personally buy the WD Caviar Black 7200RPM line. They are great drives, run fast, run cool and are reliable. Those cheaper HDs will fail on you. It's just a question of when. Here is an internal 6TB Caviar Black Drive on Amazon. If you really are determined and want an external HD, I'd pick this WD External HD instead. Yes, even though it's a "Gaming EHD," you can simply re-partition / reformat it for use with a Windows (or even a Mac) computer. It's a high-quality drive and I know this is due to it being a 7200RPM model. The "Green" or "Eco-Friendly" HDs fail all the damn time. I want my HDs sucking up power and being reliable. It doesn't do the planet a damn bit of good if it ends up in a landfill. In reality, there isn't THAT much of a power savings with a "Eco-Friendly" drive. We are only talking about a couple of watts. It's not going to make a dent in the grand-scheme of things.