Windows 7 Users Now Being Warned of the Impending End of Security Updates

Microsoft has been pushing legacy Windows users to upgrade to Windows 10 through a number of incentives, including free upgrades. But for a number of reasons, there are still many PC users who are not making the jump. The number is big enough for Microsoft to push a patch on Windows 7 warning users of the January 14, 2020 deadline for rolling out software fixes and security patches on the now 10-year-old operating system.

Windows 7 is present on nearly as many desktops as Windows 10, which makes it understandably essential for Microsoft that these users have a smooth path forward. We had earlier reported that the nagging notification to upgrade to Windows 10 would start soon for Windows 7 users, and surely enough, the notifications have commenced with the new patch.

Though the notification presents a deadline of January 14, 2020, enterprise users have the option to pay for security updates till 2023. For others, a lack of security updates could put their essential data and private information at risk. This makes upgrading to Windows 10 essential especially if the PC is being used for business, educational or even record-keeping purposes.

Microsoft had earlier incentivised upgrading to Windows 10 by making it free, which was an option available all the way till December 2017.

There have been complaints of performance drops after certain updates rolling out to Windows 10 which could be a reason for some users not to move on. For users receiving incompatible updates, Microsoft has given the option to roll-back failed updates in case it causes compatibility issues or even a system failure.

Notably, Windows 8 will continue receiving updates until January 10, 2023.