While it’s easy to think of Windows 7 as a modern operating system, it actually launched all the way back in 2009. After just over 10 years of support, Microsoft will no longer support Windows 7 after January 14, 2020.
That date will be here sooner than you know it. If you still use Windows 7, here’s what you should know about its end of life and your optionps for upgrading.
Windows End of Life Explained
Every Windows product has two important expiry dates:
- End of mainstream support.
- End of extended support.
When a Windows version leaves mainstream support, Microsoft no longer adds new features for it, and warranty claims end. This typically lasts for five years after a product’s release.
For the next five years, the Windows product is in extended support. During this time, Microsoft continues to provide bug fixes and security patches but doesn’t actively develop the OS with new goodies.
With Windows 7, Microsoft is actually offering a compromise. Businesses who want to stick with Windows 7 Professional or Enterprise can pay Microsoft for extended support until 2023 thanks to the Extended Security Updates program.
But this isn’t cheap: for Windows 7 Pro machines, it will cost up to $350 for all three years of support. This is much more expensive than a Windows 10 license for a home user, and is only for companies who can’t upgrade yet for whatever reason.
If you’re curious, you can find dates for other products on the Microsoft Lifecycle Policy page.
What Will Happen to Windows 7 After 2020?
Windows 7 won’t suddenly break down or stop working after January 2020. The most important change is that Windows 7 systems won’t receive any more security patches. Over time, this will lead to Windows 7 becoming an insecure OS full of known security holes that Microsoft won’t fix.
Another important consequence to keep in mind is that eventually, major software will stop supporting Windows 7. We’ve seen this with Windows XP; mainstream apps like Dropbox, Spotify, and Microsoft Office don’t work on Windows XP anymore. And you can’t install any modern browsers on Windows XP either.
Which Browser Is Most Secure on Your Old Windows XP System? What is the most secure browser for Windows XP? We look at Firefox, Chrome, Opera and more to see if they are the best browser for Windows XP.
After some time, these same apps will decide that Windows 7 is not worth supporting anymore. This also goes for hardware. We’ve already seen some modern CPUs fail to work with Windows 7, and this will only get worse as the platform ages further.
Please give Integritechs a call at (213) 798-4368 or fill out the form up top to get your Windows 7 updated!
