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Microsoft ceases support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 starting today. Users are advised to upgrade to Windows 11 or Windows 10.

Today marks the end of Windows 7. Users will no longer receive security updates and technical support. According to StatCounter, Windows 7 powers 11 percent of all desktop environments worldwide.

Windows 7 officially reached end-of-life status on January 14, 2020. Over the past three years, users had the option to pay for Extended Security Update (ESU) updates and support. These updates have now come to an end.

Microsoft urges Windows 7 users to migrate to Windows 11 if their hardware meets the minimum requirements. Customers unable to upgrade to Windows 11 are advised to move to Windows 10, which will be supported until at least the end of 2025.

Windows 7 and Windows 8.1

Like Windows 7, support for Windows 8.1 ends starting today. Microsoft confirmed that this operating system won’t get ESUs at all.

It’s estimated that less than three percent of all desktops worldwide run on Windows 8.1. Microsoft advises users to migrate to Windows 10 or Windows 11.

The end-of-life status of both Windows versions affects any Microsoft 365 applications running on relevant devices. The tech giant announced that these applications will no longer receive updates for the versions mentioned above.

Furthermore, Microsoft Edge v109 and WebView2 Runtime are the last versions to support Windows 7, 8 and 8.1. The software updates are expected to be released this week.

Tip: Microsoft warns of Windows Server 2012/R2 end-of-life