Ready for the end of Windows 7 Support?

Only 6 Months to go!

With 6 months to go until Windows 7 is no longer supported by Microsoft, what steps are you taking to ensure your PCs and laptops are updated or replaced?

In a previous blog, The Benefits of Switching to Windows 10, we outlined the benefits of Windows 10, and with January 14^th looming ever closer, it’s becoming ever more pressing for you to get prepared if you want to meet that deadline.

Let’s face it, everyone liked Windows 7. It ran software easily, was user friendly and was more stable than the first iteration of Windows 10.  It was the most popular operating system until very recently, with Windows 10 just overtaking it in the first half of 2019. But times are changing, and your operating system needs to change too.

Why do I need to upgrade?

Security, Security and Security

Windows 10 has vastly superior security compared to its predecessors. A lot has changed since 2009, when Windows 7 was released and that includes threats online.

Windows 10 offers an abundance of security features like:

• Windows Trusted Boot – Windows will check the integrity of every component of the start-up process before loading it. This helps prevent malware from hiding and taking up residence by making sure that none of the programs during boot have been tampered with.
• Windows Defender is a free Antivirus program provided by Microsoft to help protect Windows PCs from malware.
• Device Guard is designed to prevent malicious code from running on a computer system by blocking any software that has not been pre-approved.
• Device Encryption (Bitlocker) is now available on Windows 10 Professional; it protects your data by only allowing access to people who have authorisation. You would need to fork out for Windows 7 ultimate in order to utilise this feature for your old Windows 7 machine…

…and that’s just to name a few.

Aside from the new security features in Windows 10, your old Windows 7 PCs will stop receiving security updates on 14^th January 2020, meaning that newly discovered vulnerabilities will go unpatched and your machine will be vulnerable to new viruses and hacking tools.  With cybercrime on the rise, can you risk leaving your system increasingly vulnerable with Windows 7?

Compatibility

With Windows 7 on the way out, hardware and software developers will stop developing their products for it – those products that are essential for your business to run.  Of course there is a Catch 22 for some companies, with the odd few software packages that will not run on Windows 10.  These cases do tend to be few and far between and Windows 10 compatibility is better today than it has ever been.  You can run some older programs in compatibility mode, but we understand that it’s not always an option.

Your options

You do have a few different options at your disposal before the deadline of January 14^th 2020:

• Buy a new computer running Windows 10. While this will be the most expensive option up front, it’s probably the most cost effective in the long run. Not only will you get Windows 10 included, the hardware will likely be a lot better than your old Windows 7 machine, so faster and more reliable. New hardware will also allow you to use the more advanced Windows 10 security features.
• Upgrade to Windows 10. Some newer Windows 7 machines were sold with ‘downgrade licences’ which means they are already licenced for Windows 10 and can be upgraded quite easily.   Usually, a quick search of your machines make and model will let you know if you have this.  If you do not have this option, it can be tempting to save on the cost of buying a new machine, however older computers may not run Windows 10 very well, or at all.
• Change your operating system. While there are other operating systems you could use, Windows 10 is similar to Windows 7 in layout, packed full of new security and productivity features, and will run 99% of the software you run currently on Windows 7. It is the natural progression which will cause the least disruption to your users and your business.

Simply put, you need to do something.  Although some people have the mentality, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, leaving Windows 7 running on your computers will probably result in problems in the future.  Those might be viruses, data breaches, speed, reliability, or software compatibility problems.

To keep your business running smoothly, and protected from the latest threats, an upgrade to Windows 10 is the recommended approach.

If you would like more information or advice use our contact form HERE