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Say Goodbye to Windows 7

jcs@jesterscomputers.com malware, security hole, security risk, security updates, software security, viruses, windows 7, windows 7 end-of-life January 1, 2020

By Aysë Stenabaugh

On January 14th, 2020 Microsoft ended extended support for the popular Windows 7 operating system. Those who’ve already upgraded their Windows 7 machines won’t be affected by the end of support, those who haven’t should highly consider either upgrading or replacing their device. While you cling to your good reasons not to switch, we are going to give you reasons why it’s time take the dive.

Security, security, security, it can’t be said enough. Just because you CAN continue to use your device, doesn’t mean that you’re able to do so safely. Of course, this doesn’t mean that when January 15th rolled around, that every Windows 7 machine still on the internet was accessible by hackers BUT, it does mean its potentially much easier to gain access to your device. You see, when a company releases a product they typically intend on supporting that product, whether it be the physical hardware or the software on that device for a limited amount of time, and for good reasons. With new products coming out every day, resolving issues between old hardware and software and new hardware and software get increasingly difficult as time moves on. To ensure that the best quality of support is provided, there has to be a cut off date.

Updates that were once received by Windows 7 devices which provided bug-fixes and critical security patches are no longer going to occur. This also means that there will be no performance improvements or features added to the OS. If they haven’t already, software companies will discontinue support for Windows 7 as well. Ending support for older products and software helps to ensure that new innovations will get the majority focus.

Support for products that you use with Windows 7 will cease to exist and you may have limited resources available if you run into issues. This change won’t happen overnight but it will happen and users who rely on software for business will either be unable to get support for issues or if offered, pay a hefty premium for limited support. In the long run, bringing your hardware and software up to date will oftentimes be more cost–effective than prolonging the inevitable.

Learning about new hardware or software is frequently what prevents people from switching to Windows 10. Keeping your hardware and software up to date can seem costly but you have to consider a few important things. First, when old hardware or software is broken or not functioning right, productivity is decreased. Second, updates software can include features that can alleviate issues currently faced that can’t be resolved with unsupported software. Lastly, the learning curve may not be as bad as you think, when you upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10 the majority of the programs that you currently use will continue to work and function the same way. The most obvious changes to Windows 10 are cosmetic and don’t affect normal use.

Now that we covered the shortcomings of continuing to use Windows 7, it’s important to consider if you should upgrade your current computer or replace it altogether. We get this question a lot, to facilitate understanding let’s consider this analogy; when your car gets a flat tire, do you replace the car or fix/replace your flat tire? Most of the time a flat tire isn’t a reason to junk a vehicle unless of course there is an underlying issue. Similarly, if there’s not a significant reason to ditch your device and it meets the requirements for Windows 10, weighing out your options is a good idea. One major consideration should be your existing software. If you upgrade your device compatible software will continue to work if you purchase a new device your software will need to be re-installed which may require the original disc or license.

Technology can be scary but it doesn’t have to be! At Jester’s Computer Services we pride ourselves on gauging our customer’s experience and needs to provide the best recommendations. In addition to offering upgrades from Windows 7 to Windows 10, all customers unfamiliar with Windows 10 receive a mini one-on-one tutorial to help answer questions you may have when using Windows 10 for the first time. Visit www.jesterscomputers.com to access our free tutorials, tips and tricks! We can be reached at (717) 642-6611, on our Facebook page or visit us at the shop located at 5135 Fairfield Road Fairfield, PA 17320.