Edit: This post no longer reflects my current opinion. I have been able to install display drivers on Windows 8.1. Also, 8.0 has very different rendering than 8.1 after further testing.


Windows 7 is working on my XPS 7590 Intel 9th Gen laptop. Only thing is it needs USB Wifi, since the internal adapter has only Windows 10 drivers. Standard VGA driver is running it at 1080p native resolution.

After a lot of testing I found that 8.1 and 10 1507/1511 have almost the same rendering (which is really not that bad compared to modern OS), maybe 10 is a bit cleaner, but it's not that noticeable. As we already know 1607 is when it dramatically changes. The only reason I bring this up is that if 2015 LTSB is not tolerable 8/8.1 are not likely to be tolerable either. But 8.1 specifically has the advantage of running .Net 4.8. 2015 LTSB can only do 4.6.2.

But 7 is its own beast. I find it tolerable on the Standard VGA driver in a way that 8/8.1/1507 is not. With drivers installed it's not as special. That Standard VGA driver seems very limited in a way that is good for me.

Standard VGA Driver > Basic Display Adapter (8/8,1, early 10) > Drivers on either

I still want to do something with XP again. That's my next project. I want to transfer material for offline viewing on to an XP machine. It doesn't have to go online.

Honestly, I find 19042.867 perfectly comfortable on my setup. Noticeably enough so that I actually stopped using 7. I still have the partition waiting there as a fallback, but I don't boot into it anymore.

Part of the reason I am not willing to use the Standard VGA/Basic Display is because I need hardware acceleration for video playback. I don't have a TV so everything is done on my monitor. Without acceleration, there would be too much tearing, etc.

    Sunspark

    The experience on the Standard VGA / Basic Display adapter is really bad, especially since I need a multi-monitor setup. I mean it’s ridiculous to be using a computer this way in 2021.

    As you can tell though, I’m really just grasping at straws here with my experiments until I find a real solution. I really do give every build of Windows a shot including the newer builds of 10 including all the updates, and 11. I try all the outputs on both Intel and Nvidia adapters including trying converter cables. I also fiddle with different driver versions (including different colour spaces) and settings. No luck yet.

    I do have a G-sync laptop on the way to try.

    I would like nothing more than to find 19042 comfortable. Just no luck so far.

    Edit: I’ve also just got an eye patch now since it was recommended to me here recently. Maybe it will help.

      4 days later

      Alyosha2001

      I gave 8.1 another shot and actually it seems I can install my display adapter drivers in 8.1, but not in 7 or 2015 LTSB (differences in WDDM between all three versions). So maybe there is something to 8.1 after all. I am testing it now and especially on my Intel adapter I am very impressed. Also it's probably good you are using Intel driver from 2016 and not 2017 (Intel iGPU Driver Patch Notes - Dithering - LEDStrain Forum).

      I am excited. Which Start Menu replacement are you using?

        degen

        Yes, that's the last intel driver jitter free that I tested. The same one on win10 2004 isn't.

        The start menu I used is OpenShellMenu.

        I would like to mention that I am also very sensitive to screens, and that most of the guilines of this forum apply to me. That's why I think it's vice versa, too.

        Also, there's something fishy with ditherig version greater than 1.7,at least on my setup. Very small detail, but it is. Don't know why

        The few times I tried 8.1, it looked just awful on my hardware. But, I never tried it with the driver I use on W10.. I'm out of HD space, but maybe I can clear out some stuff from the W7 partition to free up about 40 gigs or so, so I can see if 8.1 can work at all for me. W10 is heavier on my dual-core CPU, and I haven't been happy with the bugs MS keeps introducing into W10.

          Sunspark

          Maybe W10 LTSC 2021, when it is released in Nov alongside 21H2, will be perfect for you. Comes pre debloated courtesy of Microsoft, and will get updates for 5 years. I don't recommend 8.1 unless absolutely necessary since software is dropping support for it just like 7 (even though 8.1 technically has MS support until 2023, this hasn't been respected by developers).

            degen I’ve also just got an eye patch now since it was recommended to me here recently. Maybe it will help.

            Have you had time to test the eye patch?

              tfouto

              It should not be any different than W10 21H1 in that regard. For me, it probably won’t be so great.

              mike

              I seem to be able to tolerate otherwise intolerable software while using the eye patch. Also my concentration is better.

                Windows 8.1 is so good to my eyes. Paper like.

                12 days later

                Sunspark I was looking at which files were changed in the latest 1507 LTSB KB (Nov 2021). Interestingly, the last time edits occurred to some display stuff like dwmapi.dll was 8 Jan 2021, the January cumulative update, as you mentioned.

                Unfortunately MS has removed this update the December update from the Catalog.

                  degen Can one use this file dwmapi.dll from Windows 8.1 on latest version of Windows 10? Replace this file?

                  dev