Windows Vista SP2 is out of support by the time that Python 3.7 releases (see PEP 0537 and [1]), so we should do the following tasks: * update the definition of Py_WINVER in PC/pyconfig.h to 0x0601 _WIN32_WINNT_WIN7 * remove any dynamic API imports that are not required on Win7 (I don't think there are many, if any) * remove pre-Win7 supportedOS elements from PC/python.manifest * block Windows Vista in the installer We may also be able to take advantage of new flags, particularly related to security (I think LoadLibrary[Ex] got new flags). If there's anything else we need to do, post it here so we don't forget. References: [1]: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/search?alpha=Windows%20Vista%20Service%20Pack%202
How certain are you that Vista support will actually end? Other things: assuming reasonable certainty, could the 3.6 installer say "This is the last version that will run on Vista!"?
Only as certain as anyone else in the general public - I don't have any special information besides what has been published. Since it's been published for the specific intent of helping 3rd parties plan their own deprecation cycles, I think it's okay to assume that it's correct. The chance of there being an XP-like backlash against Vista's end-of-life is very low.
