Microsoft has officially dropped support for Windows 7 and 8 and is urging customers to upgrade to Windows 11 or 10.
The company technically ended its support for Windows 7 on January 14, 2020 but continued running security updates which ends today, January 10, 2023.
In a separate support post, Microsoft confirms that support for Windows 8.1 will also be ending today. Unlike Windows 7, it will not be getting an Extended Security Update (ESU) program, which is why it’s being axed on the same day as its predecessor.
Windows 7 still holds a market share of over 10 percent- users seem satisfied enough even 13 years after launch.
Windows 8 did not gain as much popularity, with only 2.5 percent of market share, as of November 2022.
After today, anyone using the outdated OS will be susceptible to fresh online threats which is why the company is encouraging legacy Windows users to upgrade to Windows 11 (which entails buying a new PC) or Windows 10.
“PCs have changed substantially since Windows 7 was first released ten years ago,” explains a related Microsoft support page.
“Today’s computers are faster, more powerful, and sleeker—plus they come with Windows 11 already installed.”
For those who can’t or are unwilling to buy a new PC, the company recommends upgrading to Windows 10 which is only a temporary respite since it will also reach its support end date on October 14, 2025.
