7010 SFF, compatible operating systems

thanks.  I tried to give you kudo but for some reason that button is not working.

These systems work with XP or VISTA or 7 or 8 or 10.

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@speedstep wrote:

These systems work with XP or VISTA or 7 or 8 or 10.

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An Oldie, but a goodie . :Cool: (for casual use) 

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@speedstep wrote:

These systems work with XP or VISTA or 7 or 8 or 10.

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XP and Vista are retired, and are security risks.

People with retired systems need to run their own security, like McAfee being one example.  Norton slows down XP.  Some people keep a machine with XP on it just for certain games only XP will run.  Though some people might still have it, I haven't seen a draw to keep Vista.  Win7 has long been a much better version of it.

I have clients with ELEVATOR and LIGHT control systems that use MSDOS or CPM. DOS is used mostly to run three things: legacy bus software, classic DOS games, and embedded systems.   MSDOS Started in 1981  FreeDOS started in 2006 and is still alive and well today.  I'm older than DOS and older than Linux but I'm not being tossed aside.  There were many OS like CPM or even Apple Dos from 1977 that are still also being used.  Before IBM and the PC there were actually companies that made computers but not everyone could afford one.

Not supported does not mean not working after support ends.

systems that have good physical security,  generators, guard dogs, mine fields,  razor wire,  machine gun turrets,  laser trip wires etc are not a security risk.

There are many buildings and ships and other things that use DOS or XP or whatever because there are not going to be any updates to these systems ever.

These older systems use RS232 serial and IEE 488 parallell ports not CAT5 Ethernet with TCP/IP.

Some Also use CAT3 Ethernet with IPX/SPX and or NETBEUI or EVEN XNS Protocol on MSDOS AND XENIX etc.

They were designed and installed more than 20 years before the internet was all the rage.

My 7010 SFF purchased from Dell Leasing is a good desktop but I am stomped when I set it up for wifi since I moved and cannot use ethernet as previously. I wasted hours with a usb adapter working for a moment and needing to be reset for Gateway unavailable. I returned it to Fry's and got a new pci express card. There are no slots for the card. Just the longer ones and only two longer slots. How is that possible. I hope you can answer since support blew me off since out of warranty. I told them that I live near corporate and own 3 Dell computer. They could have cared less. Help me solve my mystery and help me quit wasting time on issue. Thanks in adevance!

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@austexjam1 wrote:

My 7010 SFF

1. for wifi since I moved and cannot use ethernet as previously.

2. I wasted hours with a usb adapter working for a moment and needing to be reset for Gateway unavailable.

3. I returned it to Fry's and got a new pci express card. There are no slots for the card. Just the longer ones and only two longer slots. How is that possible.

1. At this point, it would probably be better to go ahead and run a proper wire.

2. You can try a better one. Netgear is good. Driver support will be better on Windows-10/64bit.

3. As long as it is PCIe, you can install a short (x1) PCIe card in a longer (x4, x8, x16) PCIe slot if you want to.

It seems as though some models have wireless networking built into the motherboard.  I am saying this based on noticing here 

https://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/optix/en/optiplex_7010_technical_guidebook.pdf

(see page 9) that there is connector for a wireless antenna.  

If you do end up installing the card into the pci-e x16 slot, it seems there is a chance that the bios will turn the other pci-e x16 slot into an pci-e x8 slot.  At least that's what I read here:

https://www.tenforums.com/pc-custom-builds-overclocking/21559-using-pcie-x1-card-pcie-x16-slot.html

But, that probably wont be a problem for most graphics cards.

When you say that they are using the operating systems because there are "not going to be any updates to the operating systems," what do you mean exactly?  I would think that they are using those old operating systems because there is not a strong enough reason to change.  For example, (1) they are offline from the internet; and/or (2) they have software that wouldn't work on the newer operating systems; and/or (3) doesn't make financial sense to upgrade hardware/software.

No dell models have wireless built into the motherboard.

There are many models that have mini pci-e cards and or an X1 pci-e wireless card.

Interesting, good to know.

I was thinking that wireless network cards for desktop computers would have the antennae coming out of the back of the network card.  But, some of the Optiplex 7010's have a "hole" for a standalone antenna.  I guess some network cards let you have an antennae that's not directly attached to the network card.

The OptiPlex 7010 works with:

• Windows XP Pro - End of Life (OEM Downgrade Rights from Windows 7 Pro)
• Windows Vista Business - End of Life (OEM Downgrade Rights from Windows 7 Pro)
• Windows 7 Pro End of Life in January 2020 (Windows 7 Pro OEM License Affixed)
• Windows 8.1 (Requires a Retail License - Not Worth Paying for)
• Windows 10 Pro (Free Upgrade from Windows 7 Pro OEM License Affixed)

You are best to clean install Windows 10 Version 1903 when it comes out (should be in a week or two) with the Windows 7 Pro OEM Product Key (Windows 7 keys work with Windows 10 Installation Media). You'll get better performance if you replace the Hard Drive in it with a Solid State Drive. Ensure the UEFI BIOS is up to date and a UEFI Boot with Secure Boot is enabled. Installation instructions are here:

https://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/windows-oem-faqs-and-downloads/

End of Life Operating Systems are a security risk due to no longer being patched and should not be connected to the internet. e.g. using online banking with a Windows XP system for instance is asking for trouble.