Life After the Windows 7 Decade
Launched on 22 July 2009, Windows 7 has become one of Microsoft’s best-loved computing operating systems. But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.
After 10 years, support for Windows 7 is coming to an end on 14 January 2020. Therefore, anyone who uses Windows 7, and that is still over 35% of users*, will need to start making plans as to what to do next.
Don’t panic, if you have Windows 7, your PC won’t suddenly stop working on 14 January 2020. But Microsoft will stop providing any technical support, any software updates and any new security updates or fixes. As a result, your PC will become far less safe to use.
If you are still using Window 7 now is the time to plan your next steps, especially as by doing nothing you could be sending an open invitation to cybercriminals. With no more automatic security and bug fixes coming from Microsoft, your data and files will be at a much greater risk of hackers gaining unauthorised access or installing malware.
In addition, third party software providers will also begin to stop supporting Windows 7. As a result, you may find that they are reluctant or even refuse to help should you encounter any problems with their services.
What are your options?
For many, the obvious option is to upgrade to Windows 10. If this is your preferred option you will have two choices: buy a new PC with Windows 10 or upgrade your computer to Windows 10. There is a minimum specification for Windows 10 and the older your computer, the more likely you are to encounter compatibility problems.
But, this may not be the right solution for everyone and you also have the choice of considering an alternative operating system, for example MacOS (Apple) or Linux.
Don’t forget to back up.
Whichever route you take, you should ensure that your documents and photos are safely backed up so you can restore everything should anything go wrong when transferring your files. There are offline options, copying files to an external hard drive, or online cloud storage options that allow you to upload your files to the internet, then download and synchronize the files to your new device or operating system.
Change is always difficult and if you are still using Windows 7 and would like to discuss your options please give us a call. We have a team of IT experts who can advise and guide you through the changes and allow you to concentrate on your business and not your systems call 01289 306688 or email itdept@gwayre.co.uk.
