More than 13 years ago, Microsoft released Windows 7, one of the most popular versions of the OS ever. Many people skipped Windows 8 and 8.1 and went straight to Windows 10. Those who stayed behind should know that Microsoft discontinued support for Windows 7 and 8.1 on Jan. 10.
In January 2020, Windows 7 stopped receiving feature updates, and Microsoft offered extended three years of security support for an additional fee. This was crucial for many companies that couldn’t easily upgrade to the newer OS. But now Microsoft is turning off the security updates and leaving users with the choice of upgrading or continuing to use Windows 7 with possible security risks.
According to third-party data, Windows 7 is installed on about 10 percent of computers worldwide, while Windows 8.1 is installed on far fewer computers. This may be why Microsoft is discontinuing support for Windows 8.1 entirely and won’t expand security support as it did with Windows 7.
