Windows 7 end of life

by | May 28, 2019 | Business, Cybersecurity

While some may lament giving up Windows 7, the time has come. With extended support ending in January 2020, now is the time to plan for the replacement of all remaining Windows 7 systems.

Windows 7 was released in July of 2009 with mainstream support continuing through 2015, meaning new features and security updates were being applied, along with technical support. As of January 2015, Windows 7 has been receiving only security updates. This is known as the extended support phase.

As of January 14th 2020, Microsoft will no longer be making security updates. As time goes on and more security threats emerge, Windows 7 will become increasingly less secure.

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What are my Options?

The most practical solution is the replacement of Windows 7 workstations. Computers purchased with Windows 8 and downgraded to Windows 7 are past their expected business lifecycle and should be replaced immediately.

There may be some rare cases where a Windows 7 to Windows 10 upgrade makes sense but generally only when the hardware is less than two years old. In most cases, this upgrade does not make financial sense given the Windows 10 licensing fee combined with the labour costs of that upgrade. And, while “in-place” operating system upgrades have improved in recent years, the most reliable route is to start with a fresh Windows install.

Is your Love of the Windows 7 Start Menu Delaying your Upgrade?

The good news is that the Windows 10 Start Menu is now quite similar to that of Windows 7. The Windows 8 “Metro” tiled menu is no more. Moving from Windows 7 to Windows 10 is intuitive and even the biggest Windows 7 fans should find that they will adapt quickly.

We hope that if you are using computers with Windows 7 that the end of life is on your radar. Please start planning and budgeting for your upgrade.