Well, folks, it’s the end of an era—Microsoft has announced that come January 14, 2020, they will no longer be offering support for Windows 7. That’s right; they are shutting the window on Windows 7, and like that woman who never called you back after a few dates, Microsoft will be leaving Windows 7 users hanging high and dry—but not without proper warning, though. (Wouldn’t it have been nice if that woman was upfront with you on the first date: “Listen, you seem like you’re fun, but I’m probably going to lose interest in a week or two.” Microsoft knows that sting, and they’re not going to do that to you.)
The first step of grieving is denial, so you may want to visit Microsoft’s own website to hear the news straight from the source: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-windows-7-support
If you’re reading this on Windows 7 and looking around sheepishly like, “Uh, well this is awkward,” then don’t panic, because there’s still time. There’s not a lot of time, but there is time. To do what? Well, to upgrade to Windows 10!
Chances are, if you’re still using Windows 7 in 2019, then you need some convincing to change everything you know and love about the familiar Windows 7 interface to something newfangled and foreign. But upgrading to Windows 10 means more than just shaking up your world and stressing you out over where to find your documents or pictures now; come 2020, it will be a real security threat if you choose to still run Windows 7.
“End of service” for Windows 7 means that Microsoft will no longer offer technical support, software updates, or security updates for this operating system. So, when there’s a glitch in the system, Microsoft won’t care; they will not be fixing that with a patch or an update. And when you start pulling out your hair and yelling at your computer screen, you won’t have anyone to call, because if you call Microsoft and admit you’re still using Windows 7, they’ll be like, “Cool story, thanks for the throwback, but you should update to Windows 10,” and then after that, when you call the Ghostbusters, they’ll be like, “So, I know we said we’re the people to call, but we actually deal primarily with ghosts, which—hey, Windows 7 is so old that it’s actually almost ghost status!” But they won’t really have any constructive IT insight to help you.
This also means that Microsoft won’t be keeping up with any security threats to Windows 7, so when hackers become advanced and find easy ways of infiltrating Windows 7, Microsoft will just keep filing their nails and look the other way, because “end of service” means they won’t be offering security updates to prevent these new and developed hackers. See what I mean?
I spoke to Nick Bell, one of our seasoned IT support specialists, about why it’s so important to upgrade from Windows 7. “It’s going the way of the Dodo, is the best way I can put it,” he commented. (Rest in peace, noble Dodos.)
Nick added, “If you continue to use Windows 7 after 2020, you run the risk of vulnerability. It’s not a matter of ‘if’ you’re hacked at that point, it’s a matter of ‘when.’ You might not even know it’s happening, but you could be compromised through a browser toolbar, an adware, an external device plug-in… Hackers these days don’t want you to notice they’re there.”
Even though Dodos were beautiful and majestic, their time had come, and an end to their reign was inevitable. Similarly, although Windows 7 was all right at best, sadly we will soon be witnessing the end of its lifespan, as well. When that time comes, we will all mourn and probably set our old computers on fire and set them out to sea, while having the melodious tune of dial-up internet playing the sonnet of the good old days.
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