The time is finally upon us, Microsoft has officially ended official support for Windows 7. Windows 7 was released over 10 years ago back in October of 2009.  Over the past decade the operating system received praise for its significantly improved performance and functionality over its predecessor Windows Vista.

     Almost 28% of personal computers that run Windows are still running 7. The end of official support means that all updates to the operating system will cease and any vulnerabilities that are discovered will not be patched. However, extended security updates are being offered for select businesses that have either professional or enterprise volume licensed editions of Windows 7 for a yearly fee per computer.  

     Microsoft made a public support page that addressed the end of life. “Microsoft made a commitment to provide 10 years of product support for Windows 7 when it was released on October 22, 2009.”. “This 10-year period has now ended, and Microsoft has discontinued Windows 7 support so that we can focus our investment on supporting newer technologies and great new experiences.”

     For most users the transition to Windows 10 is relatively pain free. In some rare cases the normal upgrade process can fail which would require backing up of user data and preforming a clean installation. Some of our clients are unable to upgrade due to compatibility issues with programs they use that do not work on Windows 10. In these cases, we can provide additional layers of security to keep their Windows 7 workstations secure. If you need to upgrade to 10 or enhance your systems security feel free to contact one of technicians for assistance.