Windows 7 Support Has Ended – What’s Next?

As has been widely reported, Microsoft’s support for Windows 7 ended on January 14th. If you are still running Windows 7, you should either upgrade to Windows 10 if viable and practical to do so or take the opportunity to purchase a new computer. 

So, in the consumer and small business environment, which major products will have their support ended next? Here is the list:

• Windows 10 v1809 May 12, 2020
  
• Microsoft Office 2010 Oct 13, 2020
  
• Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac Oct 13, 2020
  
• MacOS High Sierra (10.13) Nov, 2020
  
• Windows 10 v1903 Dec 8, 2020
  
• Windows 10 v1909 May 11, 2021
  
• MacOS Mojave (10.14) Nov, 2021
  
• Windows 8.1 Jan 10, 2023
  
• Windows Server 2012 Oct 10, 2023
  

Notes:

• To determine what version of Windows 10 you are running, hold down the Windows logo key in the lower left of your keyboard and type the letter R, then type “winver” in the open box and then select OK.
  
• Any earlier versions from the above list are already not supported.
  
• Microsoft Office includes the apps Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
  

Why does any of this matter? It matters because as of the end of support date, no more security updates or bug fixes will be issued. Hackers are continuously finding flaws which are then exploited by them and the software vendors continuously fix the flaws. Flaws discovered after the end of support date will most likely not be fixed, so the risk of virus attack increases significantly. Furthermore, vendors of third party applications will typically also end support of their products running on unsupported software, increasing your risk even further.

Bottom line: it is risky and unwise to use software that is not supported.​