No New Updates for Windows 7 Users After January 14, 2020 (End of Support) Date

Yes, you read it right. After completing 10 years, Windows 7 has reached End of Life (EOL) or End of Support (EOS) today on January 14, 2020 which means Windows 7 is now no longer supported by Microsoft. Microsoft will not release any new update for Windows 7 in future.

If you are still using Windows 7 in your computers, you should definitely read this article! In this guide, we’ll try to cover all frequently asked questions (FAQ) and everything you want or need to know about Windows 7 End of Support.

Microsoft announced in past that beginning January 14, 2020, the company will stop supporting Windows 7 operating system and the date has come. End of Support means no future updates will be provided to Windows 7 users from Microsoft.

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Will my Windows 7 computer stop working after January 14, 2020?

Not at all. Your Windows 7 computer will keep working as it is but Microsoft will stop supporting it and will stop releasing updates for it which you download and install from Windows Updates.

Does that mean no more security or critical updates?

Might be or not. Technically Microsoft will not release any new security update for Windows 7 but if a critical vulnerability is found in Windows 7 in future, Microsoft may release a security patch to fix it as the company has done with Windows XP in past (Read here). Microsoft provided security fixes for Windows XP users in past even after the End of Support for Windows XP. So we can expect the same for Windows 7 but nothing can be confirmed.

Microsoft will also provide paid ESU (Extended Security Updates) for Enterprise and SMB (Small and Medium Businesses) customers only. ESU will be available through cloud solution provider partners and volume licensing. If you subscribe to ESU program, you’ll receive security updates for critical and important issues which are defined by Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC). ESU will be provided to Windows 7 Professional and Enterprise editions only.

What should existing Windows 7 users do?

I’ll advise to upgrade to Windows 10 operating system which is fast, secure and reliable. I’m using Windows 10 in several machines since the day it was released to public and never faced issues or problems (yeah, sometimes issues may occur in all operating systems but it depends upon installed software, configuration and usage pattern).

All 3rd party software support and are compatible with Windows 10. Many software even install only in Windows 10.

Also you can install Insider Preview builds of Windows 10 in your computers which are free to use and are updated regularly. We regularly post updates about these testing builds in our exclusive topic.

Windows 10 Insider Preview Build Available for Download

Insider Preview builds are testing builds (you can consider them as Beta builds) of Windows 10 which contain new features and changes which will become part of future Windows 10 versions which are released as Feature Updates for Windows 10 twice an year.

How to Download and Upgrade to Windows 10 New Feature Update

We also post tips-n-tricks and troubleshooting articles for Windows 10 regularly on this website, so you’ll always stay updated with Windows 10 if you follow us.

Browse Windows 10 Tips-n-Tricks and Troubleshooting Articles

What if a user wants to stay with Windows 7?

No problem! You can keep continue using Windows 7 until your installed 3rd party software are supported to work with Windows 7. But in coming days, many software companies will stop supporting Windows 7.

If you use a reputed antivirus, firewall or security suite software in your Windows 7 computer and you regularly get virus definition updates from them, you can safely use Windows 7 in your machine without worries.

But anytime anything can happen to your Windows 7 device as 3rd party software may stop working due to incompatibility with Windows 7, device drivers may stop working, hackers may find new vulnerability in Windows 7 which might not get immediately fixed by your security software program. In such case, you may have a hard time in using your computer.

So I’ll advise all Windows 7 users to upgrade to Windows 10 and have a tension free life.

Or switch to Linux world which is open source and free…

If you decide to move to Windows 10, following tutorials will help you:

[Tip] Get Direct Download Links of Windows 10 Offline ISO Files from Microsoft

Official Tool to Download Windows 10 Offline ISO File for Clean Install or Upgrade

[Tip] How to Create Bootable USB Drive for Windows 10 ISO

[Tip] Create Bootable USB Drive from Windows 10 ISO Using Official Tool

[Guide] Things to Do After Installing Feature Update in Windows 10

If you decide to stay with Windows 7, you must check out following articles:

[Fix] Windows 7 Keeps Checking for Updates for Hours

Install All Post-SP1 Updates Offline in Windows 7 Using Convenience Rollup Package

Windows 7 End of Support Notification Full Detailed Review and Information