With Windows 7 reaching it’s end of support on January 14th, 2020 there is a question of “how should I deal with this”? Let me guide you through a few of your options, so you can better understand why you should take one option over another.

Can’t I just upgrade my current computer?

Yes, you can likely upgrade your computer to Windows 10. More than likely there was a free license made available to you… key word being “was”. Back when Windows 10 launched, Microsoft aggressively promoted it with a program known as GWX (Get Windows 10). This entitled people to upgrade their computer to Windows 10 for free, and it was hugely successful at increasing Windows 10's marketshare. The free upgrade period ended on July 29th 2016, so you're required to purchase a license if you upgrade after that date. It's possible that your computer will upgrade to Windows 10, and activate successfully with Microsoft without purchasing a license. There are 2 possible reasons why you might see this behavior.

#1 Your computer came with a Windows 10 license, but with Windows 7 preinstalled from the factory. This is found typically on corporate/business oriented pc's, so if you have Windows 7 Pro, on a computer purchased between 2015-2016 (rough timeframe, old stock might allow even later purchases to fall into this category) then you computer might be legitimately licensed for Windows 10. Check your build-sheet/original order email to see if it came with a Windows 10 license.

#2 The Windows 10 application installs the upgrade on your system, and activates itself, however it's unlicensed. If you're running a computer purchased before July 2015, and didn't upgrade to Windows 10 during the free period ending on July 29th 2016, then your computer may activate itself, but it's not licensed. The software will likely continue to run fine, however you will fail any software license audits conducted by Microsoft or other auditing individuals.

OK, I really don't want to buy a new computer, I'll pay $130-200 for a legitimate non-OEM license of Windows 10.

Not so fast, let's consider why you're upgrading to Windows 10. Likely it's due to concerns about security, or regulatory compliance of some sort. Even if you upgrade your computer to Windows 10, your system may not be secure unless everything else in your system is still being updated. A common example on older systems is 2018's Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities which require processor MicroCode updates. No problem, Intel provided updates for CPU's going back to 2008, so my 10 year old computer can be protected right? Wrong. Intel's MicroCode updates are delivered via BIOS/Firmware updates, which are provided by your computer manufacturer. Chances are, your home computer stops receiving updates after around 5 years or less, with business-class systems receiving updates for a little longer. So your 6 year old box-store pc might not be secure even after spending $200 on a new license of Windows 10 Professional.

Ok, I'll spend just $40 on a copy of Windows 10 off eBay and just hold off a while longer.

Why buy an illegitimate or incorrect licenses in the first place? Spending $200 on a Harley Davidson jacket doesn't all the sudden make them look the other way when you steal a bike off the lot...

Windows 10 upgrades can be a confusing challenge if you're not experienced with Windows upgrade's from the past. With experience dating back to Atari and Windows 3.1 systems, our technicians have been through similar upgrade cycles multiple times. Let us help you plan for a smooth transition, and assist you in planning on the next upgrade cycle: Windows 8/Windows 2012's end of support in 2023.

January 14th 2020 is nearly upon us, which means that Windows 7 is about to get it’s last batch of security updates. After that, you’re on your own, no more security updates, no support from Microsoft (without expensive support contracts traditionally used by larger companies with industrial equipment), and the end of the universe as we know it… (ok, maybe not this last one)

What does this really mean to you? This has multiple answers, as well as some generalities that apply to everyone.

Everyone: With no more security updates, the next major bug/vulnerability found in Windows 7 (or even exploits that target multiple versions of Windows) will no longer be resolved on Windows 7. As such, even with updated antivirus, a high-quality firewall, and even safe computing habits, your network accessible Windows 7 computer will be subject to hacking attempts. You can also expect support for general applications that receive frequent updates to stop releasing updates to Windows 7 computers soon. Firefox ended support for Windows XP a while after it went into End Of Support, meaning that avoiding an insecure Internet Explorer became difficult as well.

Medical/Financial Markets: Without proper updates, your systems will start to impact compliance with various regulations from HIPAA, PCI DSS, and more. Considering the cost of fines associated with non-compliance or privacy loss incidents, upgrading your systems is the only sensible course of action (with the exception of specific equipment running Windows 7 Embedded, with valid support contacts in place, and security mitigations considered).

General Business: With Microsoft no longer supporting Windows 7, software/hardware makers will be free to stop supporting it as well. Want to run Quickbooks 2021 next year? Most likely it won’t even install on Windows 7. Dependent on some other evolving application that updates itself periodically? Expect updates to stop running on Windows 7, slowly preventing essential apps and services from running on Windows 7. Even general support surrounding issues unrelated to Windows will become difficult, as it’s far more cost effective for your software developer to say “sorry, your system isn’t supported” than to spend a half hour or more fixing your issue.

So what can you do? There are multiple options you can pursue, ranging from upgrading your existing computer, to purchasing a new computer, to switching platforms to something like ChromeOS. Check in to my next post on determining the right course of action for you.

Email can be a complicated necessity for many businesses. Whether you're challenged with keeping or migrating old emails, synchronizing messages, contacts, and calendar events between multiple employees and all their devices, or providing significant reductions in Spam and malicious Phishing messages, let Aces IT Support help you find your perfect solution.

We deal with salesmen every day. Buy my computer product, and you’ll be happier, your network will be more secure, and you’ll have fuller hair to boot. The problem with network security is that you need more than Hardware and Software to make your network secure, you also need staff training, regular updates, and proper configuration. Your top of the line security purchase only works if it’s kept up to date, and maintained properly. Contact us at Aces IT Support to ensure your current network security solution is working properly and protecting both you and your clients assets properly.