It is the end of an era in the world of technology, as Windows 7 has now entered its End of Life phase, and this means we will no longer get updates for security fixes!
While a large population had already upgraded to Windows 10 years ago, there are many who continue to use Windows 7. With Microsoft ending its support for Windows 7 on 14th January 2020, those who are still using the old operating system need to either upgrade or replace their systems! Also, even if you stopped using Windows 7 years ago, some of your data could be still with Microsoft. Fret not, your PCs won’t stop working or develop security threats overnight. Of course, you won’t get any new updates in the End of Life phase.
Here are a few pointers to keep in mind:
- No security updates: After January 14 2020, Microsoft will offer no security updates for Windows 7. Even if there are any issues found in Windows 7, you can’t get them fixed, unless they are really crucial. It’s not like this announcement of no support has just come in - over the last few years, the support for Microsoft 7 has drastically reduced. Did you know? Microsoft stopped mainstream support for Windows 7 way back in January 2015.
- Don’t use a dead operating system: Of course, Windows 7 will now be nothing more than a dead operating system. It’s not that your system won’t work, but if there are security threats, they might never get fixed! In addition, it is always better to use a more upgraded operating system - while Windows 10 may not be the best, it still comes equipped with new features.
- Upgrade to Windows 10: If you are stuck with Windows 7, why don’t you just use the opportunity to upgrade to Windows 10? Guess what - Microsoft has done a great job of making sure that the new operating system is compatible with older hardware.
These are the minimum system requirements of Windows 10:
-Software: Windows 7 SP1
-Processor: 1GHz or faster processor
-RAM: 1GB for 32-bit or 2GB for 64-bit
-Hard disk space: 16GB for 32-bit OS or 20GB for 64-bit OS
-Graphics card: DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver
-Display: 800 x 600 resolution
In addition, you will need 4GB of RAM and 128 GB of hard drive space to run Windows 10. If the requirements are not fulfilled, you might just have to buy a new PC!
Insider tip: You can upgrade to Windows 10 for free by using the Windows Media Creation Tool and select to upgrade from there. Enter in your Windows 7 (or Windows 8) licence key, and you can then run your Windows 10 for free. Make sure you choose to upgrade your Windows 7 installation, instead of getting a new version of Windows 10.
- Switch to Linux: If you are not happy with Windows and want to switch to another operating system, you could go for Linux. It is free and comes in a range of versions.
- Back up important files: This is extremely important - make sure you backup all your important files and folders onto an external hard drive or USB. This way you won’t lose your stuff!
While the Windows 7 End of Life phase is big news for many, remember some things won’t change! Microsoft will continue to provide updates for the Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) app, which is the built-in antivirus program included in Windows 7. This will make sure your data is not at risk!
Are you still using Windows 7?
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