Windows 7 No Longer Supported from 14th January 2020

The Bad News

If you still have PCs running Windows 7, now is the time to start thinking about replacing or updating them.

Believe it or not, Windows 7 is over 10 years old and Microsoft are officially dropping support effective 14th January 2020.

Whilst your PC won’t suddenly drop dead and refuse to function, you will receive a warning on-screen and Microsoft will no longer be obliged to plug any security loopholes which are detected. Inevitably, other software manufacturers will begin to stop supporting Windows 7 in their newest releases. This may include business-critical software tools. Equally likely is that certain web-based applications will require the most recent versions of Internet Explorer, Edge or Chrome, which in turn may no longer be built to run on Windows 7. However you look at it, this is the beginning of the end for Windows 7.

The Good News

The good news is that Microsoft’s Windows 10 installer still accepts a Windows 7 licence key to activate it. This is an extension of an offer from back in 2015 where Windows 7 users were eligible for a free upgrade. It was only meant to run 2 years but remains active.

So – take advantage while you still can. The upgrade from 7 to 10 may throw up some minor complications with your installed software and preferences, but the increased security (bearing in mind Windows 10 has its own integral antivirus) is worth the upheaval. If you are a business user, it’s going to be vitally important to ensure you’re using a supported operating system to remain in compliance with your own insurances. Of course, cyber security is of equal importance to just remaining compliant; staying up-to-date will ensure you’re less likely to suffer a time-consuming and costly virus or malware attack.