No More Security UpdatesWhen Microsoft stops supporting a version of Windows, Microsoft stops issuing security updates for that operating system. For example, Windows Vista and Windows XP no longer receive security updates, even if substantial security holes are found in them.On January 14, 2020, the same will be true for Windows 7.
Even if people discover huge security holes that affect Windows 7, Microsoft won’t issue you security updates. You’re on your own.Sure, you can run antivirus tools and other security software to try protecting yourself, but antivirus is never perfect. Running software with the latest security updates is important, too. And even security programs will gradually drop support for older versions of Windows.Microsoft will keep making security updates for Windows 7, even though you can’t get them. Large organizations can sign “custom support” contracts to keep getting security updates for a period while they transition to a new operating system.
Microsoft ratchets up the price going forward to encourage those organizations actually to move to a new version of Windows.RELATED: Software Companies Stop Supporting It, TooWhen Microsoft ends support for an operating system, that’s also a signal to other software and hardware companies. They’ll stop supporting that older version of Windows with their own software and hardware, too.This doesn’t always happen immediately, but it does eventually. For example,.
But Chrome didn’t stop supporting Windows XP until April 2016, two years later. Mozilla Firefox stopped supporting Windows XP in June 2018. Steam will officially drop support for Windows XP and Windows Vista on January 1, 2019.It may take a few years—as it did with Windows XP—but third-party software will gradually drop support for Windows 7 after the end of support date.Software companies dropped support for Windows Vista more quickly, as it was much less popular than Windows XP.RELATED: New Hardware May Not WorkNew hardware components and peripherals will stop working on your system, too. These need hardware drivers, and manufacturers might not create those hardware drivers for your old, out-of-date operating system.The right now, although those operating systems are technically still in “extended support” today. It’s already beginning, and Microsoft is still supporting Windows 7!Sure, you can keep using your old operating system with your current software and hardware, but you have no guarantees of future updates or compatibility.RELATED: When Will Microsoft End Support?Microsoft defines end-of-support dates well ahead of time, so they’re never a surprise. You can see all the dates on Microsoft’s, so you know.Give Microsoft some credit, here.
At least Microsoft has an official policy. When it feels like it, without a clear policy.RELATED: What Does “Support” Even Mean?Technically speaking, there are multiple types of “support.”Normal consumer versions of Windows 10—that is, Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro—receive feature updates every six months. Those updates are then “serviced” for 18 months. That means they’ll receive security updates for eighteen months, but you can always get more security updates by updating to the next release.
Windows 10 automatically installs these new releases, anyway.But, if you’re still using for some reason, Microsoft stopped supporting it on October 9, 2018, because it was released on April 5, 2017.Businesses using Enterprise and Education editions have the option of using some of these updates for longer. In Windows 10 parlance, they’re “serviced” for longer. Organizations using have even longer support periods.Things are a bit different with older versions of Windows. Windows 7 left “mainstream support” on January 13, 2015. This means that Microsoft stopped non-security updates. In extended support, Windows 7 is just receiving security updates.
Those will stop on January 14, 2020. (Note that Windows 7 only receives security updates if you’ve installed.)Windows 8.1 left mainstream support on January 9, 2018, and will leave extended support on January 10, 2023.
You Should Upgrade Rather Than Using an Unsupported WindowsWe don’t recommend using a release of Windows that’s no longer supported by Microsoft. It’s just not secure.We recommend upgrading to a newer version of Windows.
Don’t like Windows 10? Well, then consider, or buying a Mac.By the way, while Windows 7 only has until January 14, 2020, you can still.RELATED.
Microsoft is retiring Windows Vista on April 11, which means that if you're using a computer with the decade-old version of the OS, the time has come to upgrade. However, this is not to say that Windows Vista will stop working after its life support cycle ends. After April 11, 2017, your device will no longer receive any more maintenance, including security and performance updates, and Microsoft won't provide any kind of support.If you want to avoid your computer quickly becoming vulnerable to viruses and other security risks, you should start planning to upgrade. Unfortunately, Microsoft doesn't provide a direct path to upgrade to, but you can still make the jump and leave behind Windows Vista for good. However, it's a process that requires that you do a full backup of your data and perform a clean installation of Windows 10. We've got you covered with all the steps.
In this, we walk you through the steps to upgrade Windows Vista to Windows 10 using a clean installation.Before you beginIf you're still using Windows Vista, it's likely that your computer has low hardware specifications, considering today's standards. Before going through the upgrade process, you have to make sure your device meets the minimum hardware requirements to install Windows 10.These are the official minimum system requirements to run Windows 10:. Processor: 1GHz or faster processor or SoC.
Memory: 1GB for 32-bit OS or 2GB for 64-bit OS. Storage: 16GB for 32-bit OS 20GB for 64-bit OS. Graphics card: DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver. Display: 800 x 600.Once you know that your device can handle the new OS, you'll need to purchase a genuine copy of Windows 10. You can get a copy of Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro at the.Additionally, you'll need a USB flash drive with 8GB of storage to create a bootable media.How to create a full backup on Windows VistaUpgrading Windows Vista to Windows 10 requires a clean installation, which means that everything on your computer will be erased.
As such, it's a good idea to make a full backup of your data and the entire computer.To make a backup of your personal files, you can simply connect a removable storage and copy the files over. Once you complete backing up your files, make sure you have the installation files and product keys to reinstall any applications you're currently using.You can also connect an external hard drive with enough free space and use the Windows Vista backup utility to create and restore a system image, which is a form of backup that includes a copy of everything on your computer. If you want to use this tool, do the following:. Open Control Panel.Under 'System and Maintenance,' click the Back up your computer link.Click the Back up computer button.
If prompted for permission, click the Continue button.Select the hard drive you want to use to make the backup, and click Next.Click the Start backup button to begin the process.Click Close.Once the full backup is complete, disconnect the removable storage, and you can proceed with the upgrade process. In case you need to restore the previous version, remember that you'll need a bootable media with the Windows Vista files to use the recovery option.How to upgrade Windows Vista to Windows 10While there is not a direct path to upgrade a decade-old OS, it's possible to upgrade Windows Vista to Windows 7, and then to Windows 10. But that's not an ideal approach, as you'll be wasting time and additional licenses.The best way to upgrade Windows Vista to Windows 10 is to start fresh with a clean installation, which you can do with the following steps:. Note that if you're using an older version of Internet Explorer, you'll probably need to use Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox to load the download page.Under 'Select edition,' choose Windows 10 and click Confirm. Select your product language from the drop-down menu and click Confirm.Click the 64-bit Download or 32-bit Download button depending on your hardware. Quick Tip: Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command, type the msinfo32 command and press Enter. If your system type is x64-based PC and the amount of RAM is higher than 4GB, you can install the 64-bit version of Windows 10.