Community Forums > Voobly General > Announcements > End of support for Windows 7 in February, 2023

End of support for Windows 7 in February, 2023

 +chris@voobly

Voobly Team


Edited 13 August 2022 - 6:42 pm by +pablo@voobly
After January 10, 2023, Microsoft will no longer provide security updates or technical support for Windows 8.1. Support for Windows 7 has already ended on January 14, 2020 and Microsoft has discontinued the operating system. Microsoft strongly recommends that you move to Windows 11 to avoid a situation where you need service or support that is no longer available.

Please visit [You must login to view link] for more information

What does this mean for Voobly?


We are using the Qt 4.x software development framework on Voobly. In Spring 2021, the company behind Qt has announced end of support for Qt 5.15, unless you get a Qt 5.15 LTS subscription, which we cannot afford unfortunately. This means, that we are forced to upgrade our client to Qt 6.2 and in 2023 to Qt 6.5 to guarantee a stable client without any security flaws and most important, a client that works with newer operating systems such as Windows 10 and Windows 11 which is the majority of our community.

You must login into Voobly to view image

The current Voobly client 2.2 keeps crashing for players using the operating systems Windows 10 and Windows 11. Our Beta release Voobly client 2.3 already supports Windows 10 and Windows 11, and we were able to fix most crashing and UI blocking issues. There however exists one major problem with the new Qt 6.2 Voobly client, players using an End of Life (EOL) operating system such as Windows 7 or older won't be able to play anymore on Voobly.

This is also the reason, why development is on hold for some time and we are also unable to release important changes to our Anti Cheat to prevent cheating. If we continue using our outdated client, Voobly will be be losing most of their Windows 10 and Windows 11 players, on the other hand, if we switch to Qt 6, we will lose players using Windows 7 and older.

Switching to Qt 5.15 is not an option, because it would bring us back to where we stand today, being unable to continue development and providing new client releases since support for Qt 5 ends in Spring 2023.

We know that change can be difficult and that all users of Windows 7 would be forced to get a new PC or at least upgrade their hardware and switch to Windows 10 or Windows 11. It is clear, that there has to be a compromise that is acceptable for everyone on Voobly.
  • Players with newer operating systems e. g. Windows 10 and Windows 11 will have to deal with UI blocking issues and occasional crashes for the next six months.
  • Players with older operating systems, e. g. Windows 7 and older now have six months to upgrade their operating system to Windows 10 or Windows 11.
  • We will be releasing a new Voobly client in February, 2023 once Qt 6.5 has been released, which requires Windows 8.1 and higher.
Link | Reply | Quote
 Sickle


Posted 13 August 2022 - 7:55 pm
But sounds like 5.15 will still have all the security fixes because they will have to support the people that get this LTS license, so why you cannot just keep using it without their 'support'? It's only helpdesk you are missing then no? and then good until 2025
Link | Reply | Quote
 +chris@voobly

Voobly Team


Posted 13 August 2022 - 7:59 pm
Sickle wrote:
But sounds like 5.15 will still have all the security fixes because they will have to support the people that get this LTS license, so why you cannot just keep using it without their 'support'? It's only helpdesk you are missing then no? and then good until 2025
No.

[You must login to view link]
Quote:

LTS and offline installer to become commercial-only


Starting with Qt 5.15, long term support (LTS) will only be available to commercial customers.
Link | Reply | Quote
 +miko@voobly

VGaming Lead


Posted 13 August 2022 - 8:39 pm
Hi all,

Just for the few legacy OS users out there. Understand that this end of support will also affect those that are still running Voobly on Windows 2000, XP and Vista. Users of these operating systems will need to upgrade to Windows 10 or 11 within 6 months as well to continue using Voobly.

All the best,

Bombus
Link | Reply | Quote
 gamesTonight


Posted 13 August 2022 - 10:17 pm
Is poverty in some countries, I don't have to name them. People play a 22 years old game because can't afford better pc for newer games.

I can't believe the administration of voobly would let those players leave and play on gameranger and other asian clients. Can't be there 2 separate clients ? they don't even have to connect the players from one with the others
Link | Reply | Quote
 +chris@voobly

Voobly Team


Posted 17 August 2022 - 2:36 pm
Is poverty in some countries, I don't have to name them. People play a 22 years old game because can't afford better pc for newer games.

I can't believe the administration of voobly would let those players leave and play on gameranger and other asian clients. Can't be there 2 separate clients ? they don't even have to connect the players from one with the others

If it was possible, we would be doing that. As explained in my first post, it's due to license changes of the Qt development framework and Microsoft's interest to get rid of their discontinued products.
Link | Reply | Quote
 CSA_A_Gracie


Posted 18 August 2022 - 5:33 pm
What's the ballpark cost of the license? I know many of the CSA members would upgrade to premium accounts to help pay for it. I'm sure we arent the only clan that would either. If it's a matter of keeping the doors open, just say the word.
Link | Reply | Quote
 +chris@voobly

Voobly Team


Posted 20 August 2022 - 6:18 pm
What's the ballpark cost of the license? I know many of the CSA members would upgrade to premium accounts to help pay for it. I'm sure we arent the only clan that would either. If it's a matter of keeping the doors open, just say the word.

The problem are the annual costs since it's a subscription and not a license with one time costs. We are not able to cover those costs, even if we now get 50+ premium subscriptions. In general the project cannot be run cost-covering without the help of the community, since we are a community project and not a company.
Link | Reply | Quote
 Furkanthegreat


Edited 21 August 2022 - 10:45 pm by Furkanthegreat
İt just to sad I have win 10 pro and my old computer has win7 it was myback up if smth happend my win10 computer to playing aom :/I wish I was rich and make new plartfom and make aom alive for many years
looks like it will end soon
Link | Reply | Quote
 +miko@voobly

VGaming Lead


Posted 22 August 2022 - 12:41 am
Hi Furkan,

You can upgrade that Windows 7 computer to Windows 10 for free using your Windows 7 license.

All the best,

Bombus
Link | Reply | Quote
 +El_Curs_


Edited 24 August 2022 - 8:46 pm by +El_Curs_
I remember when I had my windows xp a few years ago, there will be Voobly in a very normal way, good times heheh ;byecry
Link | Reply | Quote
 +miko@voobly

VGaming Lead


Posted 25 August 2022 - 12:08 pm
Good times indeed my friend. ;byecry I'm still running Voobly on one of my Windows 2000 computers. I guess it will soon see it's last online activity. ;sleeping
Link | Reply | Quote
 [WAOM]starkzzz


Posted 29 August 2022 - 5:01 am
what a pity, for voobly since most of the players do not have such a heavy windows
Link | Reply | Quote
 +kwin


Edited 29 August 2022 - 5:57 am by +kwin
what a pity, for voobly since most of the players do not have such a heavy windows

Windows 7 & 8 can be upgraded to windows 10 for free and windows 10 is not more heavy then W7/8...

Windows xp is from ..... 19xx, another century...

I really don't see the problem...
Link | Reply | Quote
 +miko@voobly

VGaming Lead


Posted 29 August 2022 - 3:13 pm
+kwin wrote:
Windows 7 & 8 can be upgraded to windows 10 for free and windows 10 is not more heavy then W7/8...

It's true that you can upgrade from Windows 7 and 8 to Windows 10 for free and that it isn't that much more resource intensive, but what you're missing is driver compatibility. Players from not so rich countries may still be using hardware from about 2008. There may not be Windows 10 drivers available for the graphics adapter for example. Sure you can still upgrade to Windows 10 then, but you will be left with a PC that can't play games and is locked at an 800x600 resolution.

I do agree with st4rco that dropping support for Windows 7 is a big deal. It is a decision we all wish we didn't have to make, but sadly we have no other option.


Link | Reply | Quote
[1]2
Displaying 1 - 15 out of 19 posts
Forum Jump:
1 User(s) are reading this topic (in the past 30 minutes)
0 members, 1 guests