PSA: I saw a public library in Denver running Windows 7 on their catalog computers

I was at the main branch downtown last Tuesday and noticed all the public catalog stations still had the old Windows 7 desktop. On one hand, I get it, libraries have tight budgets and updating dozens of machines is a big cost. But on the other hand, that OS hasn't had security updates in years, which is a huge risk for public computers handling personal logins. It made me wonder if the risk of a data breach is worth the savings on hardware. Has anyone else seen outdated systems in public places that made you nervous?

2 comments

2 Comments

val_chen161mo ago

Ever think the software itself is just too old to patch?

amy_murphy151mo ago

Totally been there. Sometimes the codebase is just held together with duct tape and prayers. You'll spend weeks trying to fix one thing and break three others. At a certain point, you gotta call it and plan for a full rewrite, even if it's painful. Trying to patch ancient architecture is like trying to fix a rotten foundation with spackle.