A new reminder for those who are still holding on to the Windows 7 operating system, you have 9 months left until Microsoft ends support for its 9-year-old operating system, i.e. on January 14, 2020.

This was actually supposed to have happened already, but due to many industries with applications that do not support anything above Windows 7, the EOL date was extended. However, as with everything, the end has come.

With the Windows 7 End of Life date now rapidly approaching, Microsoft is keen to make sure people know that support for the operating system is ending, and wants to encourage people to move from the operating system.

So, the company is releasing an update to Windows 7 – KB4493132 – which will display notifications reminding Windows 7 users to upgrade to Windows 10 before the End of Life date.

Microsoft actually ended mainstream support for Windows 7 on January 13, 2015, which meant new features stopped being added, and warranty claims were no longer valid.

However, during the extended support phase, which Windows 7 entered after the end of its mainstream support, the operating system has still been patched and updated to make sure security issues and bugs are fixed.

Windows 7 End of Life: what happens next?

When Windows 7 reaches its End of Life phase on January 14, 2020, Microsoft will stop releasing updates and patches for the operating system. It’s likely that it also won’t offer help and support if you encounter any problems.

However, that doesn’t mean Windows 7 will stop working on January 14, 2020 – you’ll still be able to use Windows 7 for as long as you want. So the good news is that you’re not going to wake up on January 15 to find your Windows 7 PC no longer boots up.

But just because you can continue to use Windows 7 in its End of Life status, it doesn’t mean you should.

The biggest issue with continuing to use Windows 7 is that it won’t be patched for any new viruses or security problems once it enters End of Life, and this leaves you extremely vulnerable to any emerging threats.

What’s more, if a large number of people continue to use Windows 7 after the End of Life date, that could actually be a big incentive for malicious users to target viruses and other nasties at Windows 7.

So, while Windows 7 will continue to work after January 14, 2020, you should start planning to upgrade to Windows 10, or an alternative operating system, as soon as possible.

Windows 7 End of Life: what should you do?

So, if you still use Windows 7, what should you do? There are a number of things I would recommend you do in preparation for Windows 7 End of Life, and the first is to consider upgrading to a newer operating system.

While you have a number of choices when moving operating systems, for many people, the obvious and simplest option is to upgrade to Windows 10.

Windows 7 End of Life: upgrading to Windows 10

Upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 10 has a number of benefits. For a start, because both operating systems are made by Microsoft the upgrade process is relatively easy, and in many cases, you can keep your files on your PC.

Windows 7 End of Life: moving to Linux

The most cost-effective way of preparing for Windows 7 End of Life is to switch operating systems altogether and install Linux on your machine.

Windows 7 End of Life: switch to Mac

Finally, you could use Windows 7’s End of Life as a reason to dip your toe into Apple’s ecosystem. Apple has a well-deserved reputation for building gorgeously-designed hardware that uses its macOS operating system, which is both easy to use and secure against internet threats.

Windows 7 End of Life: back up your documents

No matter which route you take, you should make sure that your documents are safely backed up. If you’re upgrading to Windows 10 from Windows 7 on the same machine the transfer of your files is part of the process, but it’s best to back up just in case something goes wrong.

Source: irissol, the hackernews, techradar