If you haven’t upgraded your Windows 7 devices, now would be a good time. On Jan. 14, Microsoft is ending support for the operating system more than 10 years after it was first released.
For those continuing to use Windows 7 after that, they will be hit with a full-screen notification beginning Jan. 15. It describes the security risk of continuing to use the old platform and will remain on the screen until you interact with it, Microsoft said.
That date will mark the end of security patches and updates for the system, leaving end users vulnerable to attacks and viruses although they can still continue to use the decade-old operating system.
The notification, which is part of an update released Tuesday, will appear on Windows 7 Service Pack 1 on these editions:
- Starter.
- Home Basic.
- Home Premium.
- Professional. Businesses can purchase the Extended Security Update, which will provide them with security for up to three additional years.
- Ultimate.
The notification will not appear on domain-joined machines or machines in kiosk mode, Microsoft said.
Users will have the option of ignoring the prompt and not being notified again, but run the risk of not receiving security updates and support from Microsoft.
In a March 2019 blog post, Microsoft Windows Corporate Vice President Matt Barlow said the company was starting to remind Windows 7 devices users of the product’s sunsetting and urged customers to transition to Windows 10 and Office 365.
“By starting the reminders now, our hope is that you have time to plan and prepare for this transition,” he said.
Related: These Two Militaries are Replacing Windows OS to Evade US Hacking
Despite Windows 7’s popularity, Windows 10 has become even more popular, beating out the old operating system’s market share, according to The Verge.
That came in January, about a year before the company would signal the end of Windows 7.
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