Why it is Time to Say Goodbye to Windows 7 and 8

Jacob Collins

Posted by: Jacob Collins

Why it is Time to Say Goodbye to Windows 7 and 8

As of January 14, 2023, Microsoft is officially ending support for Windows 7 and 8.1. This may come as a surprise to some, considering Windows 7 was released back in 2009 and still has a significant market share of 11.2% according to Statcounter. But the truth is, it's time to say goodbye to these older operating systems and upgrade to something newer and safer.

Three years ago, on January 14, 2020, Microsoft ended security updates for Windows 7. But today marks the end of the Extended Security Update program for Windows 7 Professional and Enterprise editions. This means that companies can no longer pay Microsoft to receive security updates for their PCs running Windows 7. And, support for Windows 8.1 is also discontinued, which means users won’t get any security updates or technical support starting today.

So, what does this mean for you? If you're still running Windows 7 or 8.1, it's time to upgrade. Microsoft recommends either buying a new PC that supports Windows 11 or upgrading your current PC to Windows 10 or 11. However, keep in mind that Windows 11 has strict minimum requirements and all PCs released during the Windows 8.1 era won’t be eligible.

You may have heard that Microsoft doesn't offer free upgrades from Windows 7 or 8.1 to Windows 10, but that's not entirely true. With a valid Windows 7 or 8.1 license, you can still install Windows 10, which will be supported until October 2025.

And, it's not just Microsoft ending support for these older operating systems. This week, Microsoft Edge 109 and Google Chrome 109 will be also released and they will be the last versions to support Windows 7 and 8.1. So, using these unsupported operating systems going forward puts you at risk of security vulnerabilities and other issues.

In short, it's time to move on from Windows 7 and 8.1. Upgrade to something newer and safer to ensure your computer's security and performance.


Jacob Collins

About: Jacob Collins

Coding expert Jacob is one of the specialist software development team here at J&L. With both front-end and back-end stack experience, he has the coding skills to bring wireframes to life in crystal clear HTML, creating websites and digital products that deliver a super-smooth user experience.


Related posts

Cold callers offering IT support
The world of IT can be very confusing place! It's no wonder so many people come to professionals like us to keep everything running smoothly.  Unfortunately some people l...
Read more about this story >
Google to retire the iGoogle homepage
 Google recently announced that as part of their spring cleaning they will be retiring iGoogle. The service will no longer be available as of the 1st November 201...
Read more about this story >
what good does it do to turn my PC off and on again
If computers play a even a small role in your job you will no doubt have experienced the frustration caused when a PC refuses to do what it is supposed to. This is often the t...
Read more about this story >
J&L Digital
+44 (0) 1293 127 128