Do You Really Want to Keep Using Windows 7?

Microsoft has begun to phase out Windows 7 and 8 by prioritizing hardware compatibility for Windows 10 updates. What does that mean? Well, the short version is that some newer processors, such as 7th gen Intel Cores, AMD Ryzen, and Qualcomm 8996 or later, the newest Windows 7 and 8 security updates will not install. Instead, you will be treated to an error message stating that your PC uses a processor that is not supported. The error code for this is 80240037.

So is it time to sound the alarm? Well, not really. It’s a common move when Microsoft makes a new OS and wants users to migrate away from the old system. Those of you using older hardware, or using the same hardware that came installed with Windows 7 or 8, should be fine for a while longer, but know that security risks will become more and more common over time. This does, however, make downgrading newer hardware to an older, more familiar OS basically non-viable in a professional environment because you would no longer rely on microsoft’s regular security updates.

My personal suggestion, based on research and information from other industry experts, is to upgrade to Windows 10 as soon as is reasonable. History has shown us that things will only become increasingly difficult for users of older operating systems, as we saw with Windows XP and Vista. Vista, coincidentally, no longer recieves security updates at all as of April 11, 2017, so users that still have Windows Vista should upgrade as soon as possible. The best way to keep your systems working smoothly, and safely, is to ensure that they are up-to-date.

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