Windows 7
July 30th, 2019 Posted by Damian Security, Upgrades 0 thoughts on “Windows 7”
Windows 7 will roll over and die in January 2020!
I talked about this last time and earlier in the year.
We are getting closer to the time that Windows 7 will no longer be supported. So, I thought it worthwhile to go over what’s going to happen, what the likely issues will be and how to make sure you are prepared and know what to do.
What is happening to Windows 7 in January 2020?
As I said previously, January 2020 is the month when Windows 7 will reach its end of support from Microsoft.
This means that Microsoft will no longer release security updates for it. When a bug or vulnerability is found it will no longer be patched or fixed. This will mean those machines will become less secure than they were.
Newer versions of Windows will get patched, Windows 7 will not. Therefore, cyber criminals and hackers will likely try to take advantage of this fact and target the more vulnerable Windows 7 machines.
How will this affect me?
It is likely, as it happened when Windows XP and Vista reached their end of support, the most noticeable effect is that websites you regularly use will no longer allow access from computers running Windows 7.
Sites such as banking, shopping, travel and all those using secure logins and connections will prevent users from logging in from unsecure browsers.
Internet Explorer is one such browser and is integral to Windows 7. Support for it is also ending in January 2020. Even users of Internet Explorer on Windows 8 & 10 will find they are affected.
There is an easy solution for those users. They can easily switch to using another newer, more secure browser such as Edge, Firefox or Chrome.
Windows 7 users will not have such a quick and easy option as the newer version of those browsers will not be available on to them.
What do I do?
The answer for Windows 7 users is simple. Upgrade your computer to Windows 10 or replace the computer with one running Windows 10.
I’m sure most will opt for a new machine as many computers running Windows 7 are now at least seven or more years old and are nearing the end of their life anyway.
As ever, I can help with the transition, whether you choose to upgrade or replace. If you are unsure, I can provide the necessary information and advice to help make your decision.
My main advice would be to do it sooner rather than later. Prices of new machines are likely to increase as the time draws nearer.
More information can be found here.
If you have any questions on any of these topics please get in touch.
