Microsoft has rolled out an update to Windows 7 that will notify users about the end of support for the highly loved operating system. The software giant is stopping support of Windows 7 on January 14th, 2020, and they are now starting to warn about this cutoff date. Microsoft is using a notification to warn Windows 7 users of the upcoming event.
Microsoft’s end of support date means that Windows 7 users will no longer receive security updates, and the company wants consumers to upgrade to Windows 10 instead. While the notification doesn’t mention Windows 10, Microsoft links to a new site that encourages consumers to upgrade their PCs.
Microsoft revealed earlier this month that these notifications would arrive on Windows 7, but the company says it will only be displayed a “handful” of times during 2019. The notifications will stop once Windows 7 support ends in January, or if you select “do not remind again” on the notification. Microsoft’s previous Windows 10 upgrade notifications irritated a number of Windows users, and the company has clearly learned to respect that people want to hide them.
Windows 10 is still edging closer to Microsoft’s goal of having it installed on 1 billion devices. The Windows 7 upgrade cycle will help push Windows 10 further, and it recently passed Windows 7 in market share earlier this year. Windows 10 is now running on more than 800 million devices.
If you are still holding on to the operating system and refuse to give up, Microsoft has issued an extended support system for Windows 7 but it isn’t free. Microsoft has put a payment schedule in place for those individuals that just won’t let go. $50 will get you started for the first year of extended support for each machine, that price doubles however to $100 for the 2021-2022 year extension and doubles yet again to $200 for the 2022-2023 year. After this period however Windows 7 will not receive any more updates.
