Windows 10: Microsoft ends support for Windows 7 and 8.1. It’s time to upgrade if you haven’t already

It is with heavy hearts that we announce that Microsoft is ending support for its Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 operating systems soon. Windows 8.1 was far from a slam dunk, but, remarkably, it’s still one of the more widely-used operating systems. Windows 7 was an absolute masterstroke, and it’s sad that we officially have to say goodbye.

Related: How to upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11

This won’t be terribly surprising if you’ve been paying attention to tech news for the last few years. In fact, many of you may remember Microsoft ending support for Windows 7 three years ago already. However, Microsoft instituted an arrangement with businesses that still used Windows 7 when support was initially stopped. This arrangement gave businesses the opportunity to pay for anywhere up to three years of service while they transitioned to Windows 10, and likely now, 11. The same support extension isn’t being offered to Windows 8 customers, and the businesses that initially had three years to switch over will now need to do so as soon as possible as the three years are mere days from expiring.

It’s rare to find someone still using largely out-of-date tech like Windows 7 and Windows 8.1; however, such cases do exist. In fact, Statcounter asserts that both of these operating systems account for just less than 14% of all Windows PCs. This statistic was determined on a global scale. In the U.S, that figure is more like 8%. That’s still a staggering amount of people who haven’t been able or willing to upgrade to the newer OSs.

Related: You can now play Android games on Windows 11



In the past, Microsoft has elected to release one-off patches for out-of-date systems, so that user security on those systems doesn’t become a problem. However, we’ve been informed that this will not happen this time around. Once Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 lose support, they will no longer receive any further updates, patches, or fixes.

This, of course, means that people still using either of these operating systems will need to upgrade to either Windows 10 or Windows 11. The issue here is that systems that are able to run Windows 7 aren’t likely to meet the Windows 11 system requirements as the hardware itself would be too old. Some of these users will be able to upgrade to Windows 10.

We remember Windows 7 fondly as the OS that revolutionized and brought Windows Vista into a more modern world. I remember having a blast with all the customization options on Windows 7, and I’ll never forget how many hours I spent exploring every aspect of the OS.

Windows 8 and 8.1 were exciting and revolutionary in their own right, but they were forced upon a society that was not yet prepared for touch-screen devices. It was interesting seeing how polarizing the operating system was. You either loved it, or hated it, there was no middle-ground. Either way, both of these operating systems will be missed. But, in the same breath, we cannot hold onto the past, and we should instead look to the future, and Windows 12.

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Microsoft Edge and Webview2 ending support for Windows 7 and Windows 8

Source: Microsoft Edge and Webview2 ending support for Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 - Microsoft Edge Blog

 

Microsoft Botches Up UEFI Support for Windows 7 on ASUS Motherboards



Microsoft suggests updating to Windows 10 to patch Windows 7

• 
  
  
• Chris Merriman
• 
  @ChrisTheDJ
• 05 May 2016

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9 Comments

MICROSOFT HAS confirmed a potentially lappy-borking problem that it won't be fixing, because Windows 7.

Woody Leonhard, the respected Windows columnist, points to a problem involving Asus motherboards, which also appear rebadged in a variety of other manufacturers' machines, and the activation of UEFI Secure Boot for Windows 7 in a patch KB3133977.

Short version: install update, welcome to Borksville, population you.

Both Asus and Microsoft acknowledged the problem. Microsoft entitled the article "BitLocker can't encrypt drives because of service crashes in svchost.exe process in Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2", but we prefer to just call it "Trevor for brevity."

The firm's advice was that it's an optional update, leave well alone, you'll be fine, or alternatively turn secure boot off.

Then Microsoft did a silly, silly thing.

It moved the update from 'optional' to 'recommended' and anyone who reads this site regularly will know what happens when Microsoft does this. That's right boys and girls - it makes it automatically install, unless you've specifically told your machine not to.

So now, if you have one of the affected motherboard and you keep your security updates automatic like wot Microsoft recommends, then your machine will stop working properly.

We should add it's not permanently bricked, but it will take some mucking about in the BIOS to fix and that's a pain even for an experienced computer user.

Microsoft has, by offering a workaround, suggested heavily that it won't be fixing the problem, though we have asked the question, so expect a response in about a fortnight.

But the real kicker is this piece of advice: "Note The Secure Boot feature is supported in Windows 10. To learn more about the security advantages of this feature and about the upgrade path from Windows 7 to Windows 10, go to the following Windows website"

Holy toledo, this company really knows how to rub people up the wrong way.

After all - if the advice is to manually avoid the update or move to a version of the operating system where there's virtually no control over updates, then Microsoft is dealing in massive contradictions.

A more cynical site would suggest that it's yet another example of Microsoft running Windows 7 into the ground and adding built in obsolescence to encourage quicker updates. But we're not that sort of site.

Its the patching to force secure boot that is the problem win 7 does not support secure boot
hence it borks systems and well microsofts answer is Cactus >your Asshole > insert

from the inquirer

 

Windows 7 and Office 2010 End of Support

Read more:

• Windows 7 End of Support
• Office 2010 end of support roadmap | Microsoft Docs

Tip Windows 10 Specifications & Systems Requirements

How to Upgrade to Windows 10

How to Clean Install Windows 10