I would like to state right away, that I am in no way, presenting myself as a computer expert. So please, constructive comments, or corrections, are welcome. This is a post to hopefully answer questions posed friends, family and users, about the end of Windows 7. I am grateful to Pete, after seeing his post this morning on his Blog, It reminded me that I needed to do a post for my forum members that have questions.
Can you still use Windows 7?
January 14, 2020, we will have to say goodbye to an old friend, Windows 7. Considered the best version of the Microsoft OS by many, and still used by people and businesses alike, will no longer be supported. Many of us have resisted the update to Windows 10. If you’re still a hold-out, you will eventually have to make plans to change. Upgrade to Windows 10, or learn something new. Can you still use Windows 7? Yes, but eventually it will become a security risk. It may take months, or it could be only days. Antivirus, and malware detectors, will buy some time. However, as new vulnerabilities in the code itself are discovered, there will be no patches coming. Eventually, there will be many vulnerabilities found, for which there will be no defense.
For those not familiar with the terms, a virus/worm/trojan/ or malware is a program/code written by someone to cause harm or steal information from your computer. Those items can be detected and often times stopped, by software you utilize on your computer. A vulnerability, is a problem found by someone, in the OS code itself. Something that can be used for leverage against a computer. These problems are normally taken care of by Microsoft via patches and updates. Any vulnerabilities, discovered after the end-of-life for Windows 7, will be a serious security risk.
What are our options? Upgrade, or Change. Simplest is upgrade. Windows 10 is loved by many, and disliked by many, just as Windows 7 was. Someone asked me if the free upgrade to Windows 10 was over. Technically, yes. However, as of last year, there were still ways to get upgrades to Windows 10. That’s the simplest. It may require a new computer, as the software needs more horse power, than most Win 7 computers did. Some have enough power, some don’t.
Apple/Mac
You could move to something like, Apple/Mac. While very expensive and proprietary, it is a good brand. Way out of my league, fixed income won’t allow that for me. You’ll have to learn some new terminology and how to do things a little different, but it is well-spoken of. My daughter worked support for Apple for 3 years. She loves using Apple products.
Linux
Linux. It’s totally free. I moved to it five years ago. More secure, and never tries to sell you something. Linux is now as easy to install, as Windows. Except it’s faster, and very secure. Linux is free, I can afford that on a fixed income. It runs on older machines, no need for upgrades when the OS updates versions. It has free Open Office suites that rival and look a lot like MS Office. Maintained by people who love choice and freedom.
Questions/Comments always welcome.