While this has been known for a long time now, the day that Windows 7 will not be receiving any additional support or updates is fast approaching. The date slated for the final security update for Windows 7 is January 14, 2020. This gives users a little more than 14 months in order to make the transition to either Windows 8.1 or 10. In the past Microsoft has offered discounts on its latest products to help ease consumers away from the discontinued product. When support for XP was about to expire these package discounts were offered to small-medium businesses.

     Here is a rough time table of what to expect in the next year. On April 9, 2019 all Windows 7 computers will stop receiving updates unless they have been configured to accept SHA-2 digitally signed updates. For businesses using Windows Server Update Services this date is extended for an additional 3 months. A few months before the final update it is expected that on screen notifications will start appearing alerting users of the end of support for the OS. Then on Jan. 14, 2020 the final major security update will be pushed out for all Windows 7 systems. 

     It is expected that after the retirement date Microsoft will still continue to produce small patches that will not be available to the public at large and will rather be deployed to Pro or Enterprise versions that were sold as part of large volume licensing deals with large scale businesses. Microsoft is planning on charging for these.

"Landshark IT is planning on providing support for these dates and beyond, until further notice. Many machine software is designed only for Windows 7, and in some cases we support operating systems in MS-DOS and Windows XP. Machines like this are generally not exposed to direct internet access, but require an operating system for tasks. We have the abilities to maintain proper security on older operating systems."