Windows 7 was launched in October 2009. Although Microsoft "officially" ended support on January 14, 2020, the legendary operating system is now truly past its history.
As reported by Bleeping Computer, Microsoft is ending software support for its Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for Windows 7 on Tuesday, January 10, 2023. Even the Professional and Enterprise editions of Windows 7 will no longer receive extended security updates to address vulnerabilities.
ESU itself is the last resort for customers who still need to run older Microsoft products after support ends on Windows 7 systems.
Not only Windows 7, Microsoft has also officially discontinued extended support for Windows 8.1 which was released in November 2013. In addition, many third-party developers have also discontinued support for older versions of Windows.
Google ended Chrome support for Windows 7 and 8.1 on Tuesday, and Microsoft Edge 109 will also be the last Edge update of these Windows versions.
What happens if the operating system is no longer supported?
When developers like Microsoft stop supporting their own software, it doesn't mean that the software stops working. After January 10th, you can still use a PC running Windows 7 or 8.1, and will most likely run the same as before. The same goes for Chrome and Edge.
However, the real problem isn't that Microsoft stopped adding new features to Windows 7, which it discontinued a long time ago. Instead, the problem is that the company will no longer be releasing new security patches, making running Windows 7 and 8.1 very dangerous in 2023.
Security patches are an important part of digital life. Software inherently has loopholes that developers, researchers or bad people might be able to find. If criminals find a way to exploit those vulnerabilities in users, they can take control and steal your data or use it for ransom.
This risk exists with any OS, but usually developers will patch vulnerabilities as they are found. But without security updates as was the case with Windows 7 and 8.1, it opens the door wide for the bad guys.
Technologically, Windows 7 still works very well. But it's almost 13 years old, officially unsafe for everyone to use. Therefore if you are still using Windows 7 or 8.1, it's time to upgrade.
"Most Windows 7 devices will not meet the hardware requirements for upgrading to Windows 11, alternatively, a compatible Windows 7 PC can be upgraded to Windows 10 by purchasing and installing the full version of the software," Microsoft explained.
"Before investing in a Windows 10 upgrade, please consider that Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025."
Microsoft recommends customers with devices that don't meet the technical requirements for newer releases of Windows to replace them with devices that support Windows 11 to take advantage of the latest hardware capabilities.
Currently, Windows 7 runs on over 11% of all Windows systems worldwide, while Windows 8.1 is used by 2.59% of Microsoft customers, according to Statcounter GlobalStats.