Move On From Windows 7

The time has come to upgrade that old operating system.

- Alex Cox

Although the world might like to argue— statistics show that Windows 10 has only just, in the last few months, beaten Windows 7 in worldwide usage rankings—Microsoft has made its decision. The hammer will come down on Windows 7 in early 2020, and unless you’re part of a business willing to pony up a whole load of cash, all support for it will be dropped. That means no updates, no security patches, nothing. It’ll be put out to pasture, to live out the rest of its days on a beautiful farm, increasingly infested by worms and open wounds.

In truth, you might not be overly worried about this. No more Windows Updates sounds like bliss to some people. Indeed, Microsoft ceased all major updates for Windows 7 way back in 2015; a reduced tendency to shut down at a moment’s notice in order to grind away at your hard drive is, realistically, one of Windows 7’s big selling points in this day and age. But you should be worried. While you might prefer Windows 7’s more simple, streamlined interface over the ever-changing landscape of Windows 10, it’s almost a decade old. Soon it won’t only be Microsoft abandoning support— it’ll be everyone. Valve, for example, recently ditched Windows XP and Vista support for Steam, and while Windows 7 represents a big chunk of its market, it won’t forever.