Microsoft warns Windows 7 users about end-of-life

Microsoft has rolled out a patch that will warn Windows 7 users that operating system updates are coming to an end quickly. The patch released last Wednesday warns users of the end of an era.

As of 14 January 2020, Microsoft will no longer roll out fixes for security flaws and vulnerabilities. That moment comes ten years after Windows 7 was launched in 2009. And it’s half a decade after Microsoft introduced its latest operating system, Windows 10.

Fast changeover

Microsoft is trying in a number of ways to persuade its users to switch to its latest software. An important stick to beat is to stop software updates. This way, it will stop rolling out new fixes for vulnerabilities discovered in Windows 7. For businesses and consumers, it is time to make the switch.

As of April 18th, Windows 7 users will see a message advising them to switch over quickly. That’s a lot of people, because according to Net Applications, Windows 7 still has 40 percent of the market. With 300 days to go until the deadline, the clock is ticking for many devices. Companies have the opportunity to get longer security updates; they can buy updates until 2023.

End of updates

For years, Microsoft enabled users of Windows 7 to update to Windows 10 for free. But the company stopped doing that some time ago. Now the lack of new security updates is the last way for Microsoft to persuade people to make the switch. In any case, this will be a good reason for companies to switch over; after all, their systems must remain secure.

If Microsoft really stops releasing patches for Windows 7, this is a relatively rare decision. In 2017, the company released a security update for Windows XP, for which it had not released an update for three years. In this way, Microsoft wanted to prevent the spread of the WannaCry-ransomware.

By the way, Windows 8 will not get any updates from January 10, 2023.