According to Microsoft, the Windows 7 support end date is January 14, 2020. Learn available upgrade options for you and your organization.
Option 1: Upgrade to Windows 10
This is the most obvious option but it may not be feasible for large enterprises.
If you are a home user or manage a medium enterprise, this is the recommended option for you.
For home users, here are the high-level steps to upgrade your Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 to Windows 10:
- Extract your existing Product key (you may still need it). Open PowerShell, type this command and press enter.
(Get-WmiObject -query 'select * from SoftwareLicensingService').OA3xOriginalProductKey
Your product key will be displayed (obscured in the image below for obvious reasons!). Copy the key to a safe place.
- Visit Windows 10 upgrade/installation page.
- Scroll down to Create Windows 10 Installation Media. Then click Download tool now.
- Double-click the downloaded media creation tool and follow the wizard until you get to this screen. Select Upgrade this PC now. Then follow the steps to upgrade your PC.
If you manage a medium enterprise you can setup WDS and use it to partially automate the upgrade to Windows 10.
Option 2: Purchase Windows 7 Extended Support
If you are not yet ready to upgrade to Windows 10 you can “purchase extended security updates through January 2023“.
But there is one condition: You have to be running a valid Windows 7 Professional or Windows 7 Enterprise. To read more about this option read Microsoft end of support FAQ.
For more on Microsoft’s ESU program click Lifecycle FAQ-Extended Security Updates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some of the Frequently asked questions about Windows 7 Support end Date:
Windows 7 can still be installed and activated after Windows 7 support end date: January 2010. However, unless you purchase extended support, you may not be able to receive updates. This may make your PC vulnerable to virus attacks.
Yes. If you purchase Microsoft 365 Business. Microsoft 365 Business includes free upgrade for Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 Professional license users. Before you can upgrade for Free with Microsoft 365 Business your PCs MUST have valid Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 Pro licenses.
No. As far as your existing PC meets Windows 10 installation requirements. Your existing computer MUST also have a valid Windows license.
Conclusion
These are your options to prepare for windows 7 support end date January 14, 2020.
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