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[xeroian]

A few years ago I got burned when JRiver changed the Windows calls their installer used. This meant I could not load a purchased version of MC on to my otherwise perfectly usable Windows server.

My current dedicated headless server runs Windows 7 with MC25 but does not have the CPU instruction set for Windows 10. Furthermore Win10 isn’t a good OS for this function since it spends half of its life downloading Win10 updates.

So a very simple question. What are the hardware requirements for MC27?

Ian

[JimH]

A few years ago I got burned when JRiver changed the Windows calls their installer used. This meant I could not load a purchased version of MC on to my otherwise perfectly usable Windows server.

]
I don't know what you're talking about.  What OS?

My current dedicated headless server runs Windows 7 with MC25 but does not have the CPU instruction set for Windows 10. Furthermore Win10 isn’t a good OS for this function since it spends half of its life downloading Win10 updates.

So a very simple question. What are the hardware requirements for MC27?

We have no current plan to end support for Win7, but once Microsoft ends support, as they have for Win7, its days are numbered.

[Awesome Donkey]

Personally, I'd support Windows 7 for another year then officially drop support for in MC28, so it gives people time to make decisions on what they're going to do.

If you're still on Windows 7, you really should be considering your next move because Windows 7 is now a dead OS (a dead OS in my book means no more security updates, and thus should be avoided at all costs). Upgrading to Windows 8.1 will only get you a couple more years support but eventually Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 8.1, which is scheduled to happen in January 2023 when the extended support ends and thus it'll become a dead OS too. Ultimately only Windows 10 will remain, then you'll have to make major decisions from there, e.g. upgrade to Windows 10 or jump to a Linux distro. If you plan on sticking it out with Windows 7, be warned if you're connected to the internet with the machine, your security is at risk. Not only that, you shouldn't expect applications to support Windows 7 for much longer, eventually all of them (web browsers, games, etc.) will fully drop support, including Media Center.

P.S. Windows Server also isn't officially supported by JRiver.

[xeroian]

Sorry. The letters XP were omitted. Sounds like a fuller explanation is required.

Up to about JRiver22 my silent Shuttle XPC running Windows XP was under my desk solely being used to run JRiver MC. Much in the same way that your Intel NUC could. Then when I tried to put MC24 on it would not install. I may still have the screenshot somewhere but it was clear that the JRiver installer was trying to use a Windows module that wasn’t in XP. I didn’t want to upgrade to WIN7 for performance reasons. The PC is ancient.

So I downloaded JRiver 23 from your archive. It installed fine so I asked JimH if I could buy a JRiver23 licence. He said “sorry we don’t supply outdated licences”. The conversation is documented somewhere on this forum.

So anyhow I did install a spare WIN7 licence and everything is fine up to JRiver25 where I am now.

This time, before deciding whether to support you with another $20, I wanted to know what platforms would be supported. Not unreasonable. So that’s where I am coming from.

To Awesome Donkey: Thanks for your advice about security but my main PC (a laptop) is running WIN10. That’s how I know about it spending a lot of time downloading and installing updates. Not useful on a headless system.

To JimH: Like Awesome Donkey I would love you to officially announce stuff in advance so people can make informed decisions. Also can licences be made backwards compatible? If a 27 licence works on 26 why not let it work on older versions too?

Just found the old screenshot. InstallLaucher.exe said The procedure entry point GetThreadId could not be located in the dynamic link library KERNEL32.dll

Anyhow this is starting to look like a rant and that was not my intention (honest). I have been using MC since 2012 and recently helped Matt with some beta testing of JRemote so I’m still a fan.

Ian

[Hendrik]

Stopping support for XP was driven by technical reasons primarily. Supporting XP was a drain on resources for years before it was stopped, and it was so extremely old that it was actively hindering development, since much was seriously modernized between XP and 7. And third-party components we use actively stopped supporting XP.

That situation is not currently applicable to Windows 7 - yet. But if that changes, we'll not do such a change in the middle of any version, but straight for a new version, like we did for XP, which was removed from support at the launch of a new version, and not in the middle of its lifetime, to avoid any problems. But as of right now there are no signs for this to be the case anytime soon.

All that said, I can generally not recommend running an out-of-support version of Windows. We won't really be testing on it anymore, and of course there is the entire security aspect due to lack of future updates.

[WalrusJ]

I was also browsing just now to find the same answer to the same question as the OP as I also have an older PC running Win7 dedicated exclusively for MC26.  I have the offer to upgrade to the the new MC27 but was unsure if it would support Win7.  Yes, I know the OS is dead.  This older PC runs MC26 fine right now and is not connected to the internet, but would probably choke on Win10 and I don't need to spend hundreds on a new computer with Win10 installed just to play music (limited funds and I would RATHER purchase music  )

I have already converted over to the Linux OS on my regular PC and I would jump to the Linux side in a heartbeat for MC if the libraries and playlists were compatible.  My previous research led me to believe the libraries are not compatible between the different OSes.  I have spent years (7 or so) rating my large music library to enjoy my music via the smart lists of MC and the reason why I dedicated and chose to go with MC over other fruity programs was it's ability to do exactly that.  So Win7 for me for the foreseeable future.  I have to balance the purchase of newer versions of MC with new features to these limitations.

[RoderickGI]

Be aware that if you run a Windows 7 PC on your LAN, and it has access to the Internet, with no security updates, and it gets compromised, it has privileged access to your Windows 10 PC over the LAN, unless you make very special effort to configure it so that it does not. So your Windows 7 PC could be an easy path to compromise your Windows 10 PC, and that is what hackers look for.

Remember, MC needs access to the Internet to use the JRiver Access Key if Media Network is turned on, and for any updates to components not included in the installation file, which includes several components.

I have already converted over to the Linux OS on my regular PC and I would jump to the Linux side in a heartbeat for MC if the libraries and playlists were compatible.

They are, using either the Portable Library functionality, or by making permanent changes to where the MC Library looks to find media files. If you do either, you can use a Windows Library on Linux, and not lose any tags or Playlists.

I haven't tested though, or have a Linux system to test against. But you can download a trial version of MC for Linux and spend a month testing it to confirm everything works as you wish. Of course, some features aren't available on Linux, such as TV, but if you are only using MC for audio, and don't use VSTs that are Windows only, you should try it.

[JimH]

Remember, MC needs access to the Internet to use the JRiver Access Key if Media Network is turned on, and for any updates to components not included in the installation file, which includes several components.

That's outbound access (reading from the Internet) which is often unrestricted and normal.

A bad actor would need inbound access; a port that's open, usually for a specific purpose like remote desktop.

The only time we need access from the outside world is when someone wants to use JRemote or another remote to play their media while on the road.   https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Network_Access   And a user must configure configure that themselves.

[JimH]

The most recent builds of MC26 should be able to use libraries from another OS.