Major public clearly stated they are ok with data mining as soon as they start using Android as the first OS of choice, giving access to more about you personal life than imediate relatives. This opened the doors to pretty much anyone do the same.

Someone in this forum (sorry, can't remember who) recently stated Windows 10 being a OS is not the primary function. Totally agree and feel the same about Android.

Being a user of both W10 and Android I try the best to never, under any situation have personal data in them.
The Cyberman could intercept my search and be able to get my localization in space-time!

* Are you OK(-ish) with the telemetry gathering?
* Is your system drive an SSD?
* Do you have 8GB or more RAM?

If you can answer yes to all three, then Windows 10 is fine.

And this is coming from an oooold developer/nerd/bit-twiddler, whose preferred OS has been Linux for well over 20 years (and still is).

If you're a tinkerer with time on your hands, Linux is absolutely the best.
But HW drivers and games are undeniably primarily targeted at Windows, so that really is the path of least resistance for 99% of users.

But if you don't have an SSD, forget all about Windows 10. Seriously, Buddha wasn't that patient.

My last Windows update was Service Pack 1 which released in 2011, so if you updated recently from my experience you are safe for next 9 years... but I wouldn't recommend it.

And a quick note, just because you are using Windows 7 (or 8!) does not mean you have an 'anti spyware' OS. MS have been adding all the telemetry WIndows 10 comes with (baked in) as part of the Windows Updates going back a few years now. I know as i was one of the people trying to avoid all the junk getting on my Windows 7 machines, and there were a few threads on various forums detailing all that.

Still the ONLY way to be sure your MS OS is not just a spyware/data-gathering tool is to either have made sure you avoided the 'bad' updates over the last few years (iirc there were about 20 odd you needed to not get) or use the Intergrate7 script tool on the sevenforums here:

https://www.sevenforums.com/installation-setup/417827-integrate7-script-automatically-download-slipstream-all-updates.html

It's a pretty 'easy' process to follow, but not 100% fool proof and the creator of the tool is not around that often to 'help' a new person through it, but the whole thread has useful points to help you get a fully updated and spyware free version of Windows 7 (for now and the future). Just use your official Windows Key to activate it and you are good (Tip: i would not use a tool to 'fake' that step as most of those are virus!).

I've used the Integrate7 tool and thread to ensure my newest system (Ryzen based) was Windows 7 and it all works great.

I really appreciate AB2012 and Thorchild posts. It's exactly what i think about win10 since the forced update. And now all the "psychological terrorism" like it will be the end of the world if you doesn't change your old system (and mine is quite old with cpu q9300 and 4gb ram) only to get the wonderful and safe and blablabla win10. The sad thing is that find a serious site explaining clearly and technically what could happen if a person keep win7 is really hard to find. They say that (ironic mode detected) IT IS dangerous keeping win7 as os, that outside there are a lot of hackers ready to steal your accounts, your passwords, your money in less than an hour from the end of win7 support, but nobody explains HOW. Everyone says that the only way to stay safe is win10. And i don't want to mention all the problems that this so perfect os has had from the beginnning.
So thanks again to users like AB2012 (above all in the other topic) and Thorchild for their precious posts.
For now i'll stay on win7. In the near future i'll give a chance to linux. There's no other other way.

The simplest explanation:
No software/OS is a 100% safe online, not even Windows 10. If a vulnerability is found in Windows 10, Microsoft will fix it with a security update. If one is found in an unsupported OS, like W7, they won't fix it.
That's it - nobody can give you a magical number that tells you the chance that something bad will happen to your personal computer.

I can promise you one thing: technical knowledge (reading up on the various risks, scams, malware, phishing, firewalls, etc...) will do a lot more to keep your PC safe than just upgrading to Windows 10.
Treat the internet like the physical world! If a dude rang your doorbell claiming to be a Nigerian prince that's going to make you rich, you'd give him a bundle of money, right?!

I've already known about this. All my concerns were about potential problems with no explanation about how they could happen.

That's my point too. That's why i consider AB2012 post on the other thread so important.
In these times to me it's more difficult find technical knowledge, as you say, on the internet for example. Years ago, it was easier to find clear explanations or guides which could help you to understand even if you weren't an expert in the field: in my case i was signed to a specific italian forum where basically i learned all i know now about PCs . Now there are a lot of tech sites pointing you always in the same direction, in this case "update to win10" with superficial and useless explanations about "risks", but to me it seems that even they don't know why this change has to be made.

Yes, maybe for a princess... ;)

Now this is a entirely different topic; "online media in this part of the 21st century". Any self-respecting tech website should present you with the cold hard technical facts. But many/most of them aren't passionate hobby projects anymore; they're companies making money by catering to the lowest common denominator. They want Joe and Jane Schmoe to click on their ad-smothered articles; people really interested in in-depth journalism don't generate the big bucks.
I'm not saying that the whole internet is one big tabloid - but you'll have to put some effort and critical thinking into your research.

Keep your current Win7 installation, and then get a SSD and install Win 10 and/or a Linux distro on it.

You can also get a Hot Swap drive caddy for 2 or more drives and have multiple OS easily accessible.

Old video from PhilsComputerLab showing what i mean
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xX--TpPsEBk

Your welcome. And really, give Linux a go. I will suggest Mint just because it was the one i decided to try, and as an ex-windows guy, it just made sense; from the GUI and feel of it. I did not look back, and neither will you (or anyone).

Windows 7 is just going to get less secure all the time now. I remember the laptop i moved over to Linux Mint 5 years ago was running Vista originally! I dual-booted at first 'just in case' the Linux experiment went bad. Still at the same time i did need to change OS as Vista was still being used online and i was having more issue with malware all the time, even as a 'safe' internet user, stuff was getting through firewalls and AV scanners and creating problems. Windows 7 online will become like that at some point.

Linux Mint has been a breath of fresh air in terms of the usual battle one can have with a Windows system and security. In 5 years i have had zero security concerns (well there was the Linux Mint website attack a few years back!) and administrating my Linux Mint systems vs Windows is like night and day. Mint is very fire-and-forget, super easy to use and very comfortable as a windows user.

Having said that it is not always plain sailing for everyone and the newer your hardware the more problematic it can be. That vista era laptop was perfect for a 17 then 18.3 version of Mint XFCE (the light weight version of Linux Mint) but it might not be so happy with the latest versions. With a couple years left of support in 18.3 i will see later on.

The best thing MS ever did for me was release the nightmare OS Windows 10. Windows 8 had already shown me what was likely coming (and i never did get on 8) and Windows 10 just confirmed all my concerns and fears as to what kind of company MS now was. I had already shifted to Linux Mint when Windows 10 came out, i had just correctly predicted what the OS now meant to MS and it was not the same definition as mine!

So Windows 10 has cemented my move to Linux as a platform and i could not be happier. I have secure OS that i control and make work for me, not the other way around (as is Windows 10 way).

R.I.P Windows in this household more or less.

But yeah check the Linux threads around here and start reading up on the Linux Mint forums here:

https://forums.linuxmint.com/

Do your homework and follow the advice and guides there and you too can start your liberation from MS creepy spyware OS :)

I'm just thinking to dual boot my system (7 and mint) and install xubuntu on my parents' pc.

I really hope that it will be like this because i don't have much time anymore to solve configuration problems or what else.

That's not my case. Both computers have old hardware (cpu quadcore and dualcore, ram 4gb and 2gb,gpu gtx460 and 9800gt).

For me too. And I ask myself how many people will make the same choice i'll do...

thanks!