Windows 7 lovers it’s time to make a move. Very soon Windows 7 will no longer be available. Here’s what you need to know.
Well, get ready for this. While Microsoft will continue to provide security updates for Windows 7 until 2020, you may not be able to purchase a new Windows 7 computer after Oct. 31 2014. This is what Microsoft calls the end-of-sales date for PCs running Windows 7.
Post October, Microsoft will stop sending copies of Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium or Ultimate to PC makers, which will be able to sell off remaining stock. A cut-off date for Windows 7 Pro is yet to be announced.
The move is a not-so-subtle nudging of users toward Windows 8, which has struggled to find its footing since launching in 2012. According to figures from NetMarketShare, 13.4% of PC users are using Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, compared with 51.2% on Windows 7 and 23.89% running the 12-year-old OS Windows XP.
Microsoft revealed earlier this year that it is ending mainstream (free) support for Windows 7, which turns five on October 22, on January 21 2015. That date will see it transition to Extended Support (which will end in 2020) and will include security updates and paid hotfix support.
