Microsoft Windows 7: With today's release, Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 will no longer receive security updates from Microsoft. Three years ago, on January 14, 2020, Microsoft stopped releasing security patches and providing technical support for Windows 7.
However, the Extended Security Update program for Windows 7 Professional and Enterprise editions ends today. Today marks the first day that businesses need to pay Microsoft to keep their Windows 7 computers protected from vulnerabilities.
Users of Windows 8.1 will no longer receive security updates or technical assistance as of today. As of December 2022, Windows 7 was still being used by 11.2% of Windows PCs, while Windows 8.1 only had a 2.6% share, as reported by Statcounter.
Windows 7 has been around since 2009, but that hasn't stopped it from being a popular operating system. But it's time to put the past in the past.
One user in ten will upgrade to Windows 10 or Windows 11 on a previously-owned computer. The latter, however, has stringent minimum requirements, so not all Windows 8.1 PCs will be able to use it.
Even though Microsoft claims that it no longer provides free upgrades from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 to Windows 10, it is still feasible to install Windows 10 with a valid Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 license.
Microsoft has committed to maintaining Windows 10 until October 2025, which isn't too far in the future. Microsoft Edge 109 and Google Chrome 109, the final versions to support Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, will also be published this week. You are taking a huge risk by continuing to use these two unsupported operating systems.
Microsoft ends Windows 7 extended security updates
The extended support for significant and important vulnerabilities in Windows 7 Professional and Enterprise editions will terminate on January 10, 2023.
In October 2009, Microsoft released its original OS. Support for it originally expired in January 2015 and was later extended until January 2020.
Customers who absolutely had to keep using out-of-date Microsoft software on Windows 7 machines after official support ended had one more option in the form of the Extended Security Update (ESU) program.
Nine years after its first release in November 2013, all versions of Windows 8.1 will likewise arrive on EOS on that same day.
Windows 10 may be installed on PCs running Windows 7 by purchasing and installing the full version of the software, but “most Windows 7 systems will not meet the hardware requirements for upgrading to Windows 11,” Microsoft says.
Microsoft is ending forum support for Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 RThttps://t.co/orE4b5pj8e pic.twitter.com/XJRXyLLvlY
— channelpro.co.uk (@channel_pro) July 14, 2018
Take into account that Microsoft will no longer provide security updates for Windows 10 after October 14, 2025, before shelling out money for the upgrade.
To take advantage of the newest hardware features, Microsoft suggests that users upgrade to Windows 11 on a device that meets the system requirements for the most recent Windows release.
According to Statcounter GlobalStats, Windows 7 is still utilized on more than 11% of all Windows systems globally, while Windows 8.1 is used by only 2.59 % of Microsoft customers.