Recently, Microsoft announced that it will be discontinuing support for Windows 7 in January 2020. This last March, an update was rolled out to Windows 7 in which some users started receiving pop-up messages informing them that Windows 7 was nearing the end, and to consider upgrading to Windows 10. There is no need to panic! You will still be receiving security updates throughout the end of 2019, but Hybridge recommends thinking about upgrading and weighing your options, especially if you have a large number of computers that are out of date.
What does “End of Life” mean and what will happen to Windows 7?
End of life is the date that the company, in this case Microsoft, stops supporting that specific product, being Windows 7. After January 2020, Microsoft will stop releasing updates and will no longer offer technical support for Windows 7. The OS will still work, and a casual user won’t notice any differences right away. As time goes on, new viruses and malware are continuously being developed by cyber criminals, and without regular security updates from Microsoft, your system will be vulnerable. Additionally, 3rd party software vendors will stop making their software compatible with older/unsupported operating systems, for example Google Chrome won’t run on Windows XP now, at some point it won’t run on Windows 7 either. Hybridge strongly recommends either upgrading or replacing all Windows 7 and 8 systems by the end of January 2020 at the latest.
Should you upgrade an existing computer to Windows 10, or replace it?
If you are a Hybridge client, we are already in the process of reaching out to decision makers with the appropriate next steps for your Windows 7 (and Windows 8 and Server 2008/2011, which are also end of support) systems. When deciding to upgrade, there are quite a few key points to keep in mind. You have to ask if it is worth upgrading your computer. How old is your computer or how recently did you purchase your computer? Is it still under warranty? Does your computer already have a Windows 10 upgrade license, or would you have to purchase a new license? These are all questions you have to answer to weigh the cost and time of upgrading your computer(s) to Windows 10. We have included a small flow chart on the right to help you get an idea as to whether or not you should be upgrading or replacing your computer (click the image to enlarge). This is a long process that involves a lot of planning and each case is a little different. If you are not already a Hybridge client please contact us at info @ hybridge.com and we will be happy to help.
