Time to upgrade that Windows 7 machine!

[pierces]

Today is the day. Microsoft has officially discontinued Windows 7. It will continue to work as it is now, but there will be no more support and more importantly, no security updates. For most people, this isn't an urgent do or die issue, but if a system vulnerability is found in the future, there won't be a fix issued for it.

 

To be honest, Windows 10 is just a better operating system. The both mainstream versions (Home and Pro) have Windows Defender antivirus which is now one of the better products available and the Pro version adds data encryption, if that is important to you. If you do switch, do a clean install of the 64-bit version of whichever version you choose. Unless you have a specific need for a 32-bit OS due to critical software (and, no, a free 12 year old version of Photoshop isn't critical 😉) or have an old machine that only supports 4GB of RAM, 64-bit is the only real option to consider. 

 

That's my PSA for the day.

 

Dave

[ski ww]

Just got the notification when I turned on my computer this morning. Something I'll have to get done shortly, I've been putting it off.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I have a friend who still has Windows 7 -- he doesn't want to update -- oh well.

 

All my computers are Windows 10.

[AlanF65]

On 1/14/2020 at 7:19 AM, pierces said:

Today is the day. Microsoft has officially discontinued Windows 7. It will continue to work as it is now, but there will be no more support and more importantly, no security updates. For most people, this isn't an urgent do or die issue, but if a system vulnerability is found in the future, there won't be a fix issued for it.

 

To be honest, Windows 10 is just a better operating system. The both mainstream versions (Home and Pro) have Windows Defender antivirus which is now one of the better products available and the Pro version adds data encryption, if that is important to you. If you do switch, do a clean install of the 64-bit version of whichever version you choose. Unless you have a specific need for a 32-bit OS due to critical software (and, no, a free 12 year old version of Photoshop isn't critical 😉) or have an old machine that only supports 4GB of RAM, 64-bit is the only real option to consider. 

 

That's my PSA for the day.

 

Dave

There is extended security support for Windows 7 and Pro, you just have to pay, if you keep it 3 years the price is the about same as buying W10.

 

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4527878/faq-about-extended-security-updates-for-windows-7

 

For w7 home people need to at least do an in place upgrade, which  is $139 unless they did the upgrade during the free period. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4527878/faq-about-extended-security-updates-for-windows-7