Windows 8.1 End Of Life Upgrade

[Piperion Giles]

LinkedInand 3rd parties use essential and non-essential cookies to provide, secure, analyze and improve our Services, and to show you relevant ads (including professional and job ads) on and off LinkedIn. Learn more in our Cookie Policy.

With no updates and patches, things can get quite tough. First no more bug fixes, security patches or new functionality and Windows 7 is already being targeted by hackers already, with end of life this is going to be rampant. With new malware being created each day. You will likely run into security issues. This means it will be more susceptible to attacks just like Windows XP. Microsoft however has mentioned that those reluctant to upgrade to Windows 10 will be able to receive support but at a cost

To all Windows 7 users, backup your data. Prepare for migration. Remember you can test linux distributions yourself right on Windows 7 by using virtualization technology. Download VirtualBox or VMware and virtualize these OS. If you like them then go to a full hard disk install. I have done a video in virtualization though not the best it can prove useful, will be redoing it. In the mean time go check it out: Stephen Ajulu on The Art of Virtualization.

Microsoft ceased mainstream updates for Windows 7 on January 13, 2015. Since then, Windows 7 has continued to receive extended security updates; however, Microsoft will cease all updates to Windows 7 on January 14, 2020, see End of Support for Windows 7. This is detailed in the Windows Lifecycle Fact Sheet ( -us/help/13853/windows-lifecycle-fact-sheet). At that time, any and all computers running Windows 7 should be considered vulnerable, as any security issues discovered past that date will not be patched.

If you have a computer that is no longer in active use, please consider turning it in to IT. In many cases, these systems can be refurbished and re-issued to researchers at the Lab. For systems that are still in use, you should plan to upgrade the operating system.

Please note that it is not always possible to determine ahead of time whether a given application will operate as expected in Windows 10. Microsoft has provided an application compatibility list, see -us/windows/ready-for-windows#/. It is strongly recommended that users back up their complete system before commencing an upgrade in the event that the system may need to be restored due to upgrade failure.

IT understands that it is not always possible to use the newest version of Windows. Many computers run equipment or software that is not compatible with Windows 10. Upgrading these systems would require purchasing expensive software updates, or in some cases, replacing multi-million dollar equipment. In some cases, the vendor may no longer be in business, and there it is not possible to upgrade.

In such cases, IT User Support has worked with the Cyber Security group to develop Compensating Controls for Windows 7. IT has provided a Windows 7 Compensating Controls Checklist that users can follow to prevent their systems from being blocked. As part of that checklist, users must submit a Windows 7 Exception Request by July 1, 2020 but all compensating controls must be in place by November 1, 2020 to avoid cyber-blocking.

IT User Support is available to help any Lab personnel with their Windows upgrade process. IT charges a flat rate of $250 to upgrade a system, which includes all labor costs involved with doing a workstation assessment, upgrading or re-installing Windows, installation of key applications, and restoring all data. Note that this fee does not cover any costs associated with Windows or application licensing, hardware replacement or upgrades, or 3rd party support. IT does not provide users a long-term backup of the workstation drives. IT recommends users always back up their computers using the Lab's enterprise backup solution, Druva inSync.

Windows products are governed by both a Modern Lifecycle Policy or a Fixed Lifecycle Policy. Search for the product lifecycle for your specific Windows product and its corresponding Lifecycle Policy and end-of-support dates.

Each version of Windows adds new features and functionality. Occasionally, Microsoft may no longer develop (this is known as deprecation) or remove certain Windows features and functionality. See below for links to specific changes by product.

If you have a valid Windows license, you are eligible for support from Microsoft, subject to the Microsoft Lifecycle Policy and the support terms and conditions that were in place at the time of purchase. If you acquired your Windows operating system license on a new device from an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or PC manufacturer, Microsoft offers access to a wealth of online self-help support content in addition to paid technical help offerings. You may also contact your OEM for more information about the support offerings for Windows operating systems from that OEM.

To use prior versions of Windows on devices currently running a newer version, it is possible for customers to obtain a license for downgrade rights. These downgrade rights will vary depending on whether the software was acquired via Volume Licensing, Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), or Full Packaged Product (FPP). To learn more about these rights, review the downgrade rights licensing brief. Prior versions of Windows have limited support when running on new processors and chipsets from manufacturers like Intel, AMD, NVidia, and Qualcomm. For more information, please see Microsoft Lifecycle Policy. A device may not be able to run prior versions of Windows if the device hardware is incompatible, lacks current drivers, or is otherwise outside of the original equipment manufacturers' (OEM) support period.

Once a Microsoft operating system (OS) reaches the end of support, customers will no longer receive technical assistance, software updates, or security fixes. The OS may still work with programs and hardware after the sale or support of the operating system has been discontinued. However, the possibility increases that new programs and hardware will not be performant on an older OS. This frequently occurs because the manufacturers of new hardware and software developers make product-design decisions that take advantage of the increased functionality and features in newer operating systems. These manufacturers may decide to discontinue support of their products on older operating systems as appropriate.

New versions of Windows 11 will be released once per year and will receive monthly quality updates that include security and non-security updates. Customers should always install the latest version before the current version reaches end of servicing to remain supported by Microsoft.

There are the minimum system requirements for installing Windows 11. Devices that don't meet these requirements might not be able to install Windows 11. Go here for Windows 11 requirements. Note that devices must be running Windows 10, version 2004 or later, to upgrade via Windows Update.

For migration help, enterprise customers can utilize App Assure (part of FastTrack) - an application compatibility program that helps to unblock application issues when moving to the latest versions of Microsoft products. Learn more about this program and what products are included at aka.ms/AppAssure.

Customers should always install the latest version before the current version reaches end of servicing to remain supported by Microsoft. You can search the Product and Services Lifecycle Information to confirm the servicing timeline for your specific version and edition of Windows 10. Windows 10, version 22H2 is the last feature update released for Windows 10 and will be serviced with monthly updates through October 14, 2025 after which it is no longer supported.

You may continue to use Windows 10 after support ends; however, it will no longer receive quality updates, new or updated features, security updates, or technical support. We recommend that customers upgrade or transition to a new Windows 11 PC for the best, most secure computing experience.

If you are an individual consumer or an organization who elects to continue using Windows 10 after support ends on October 14, 2025, you will have the option of enrolling your PC in the paid Extended Security Updates (ESU) program. The ESU program enables PCs to continue to receive Critical and Important security updates (as defined by the Microsoft Security Response Center) through an annual subscription service after support ends. More details including pricing will be provided at a later date.

It is highly recommended that customers install the latest feature update to stay up to date with the latest security updates, as well as to continue receiving future feature updates, with less impact on IT processes and infrastructure.

On devices that do not defer the installation of feature updates, the subsequent Semi-Annual Channel or General Availability Channel version of Windows 10 may be automatically offered and installed prior to the end date. Update deferral is not available for all editions of Windows 104. Please see Windows as a Service (WaaS) for information on release channels and the Windows 10 release information page for additional update details.

Not all features in a feature update will be available on all devices. Similarly, a device may not be able to receive updates if the device hardware is incompatible, lacks current drivers, lacks sufficient storage space, or is otherwise outside the original equipment manufacturers (OEM) support period. For more information on compatibility, review the Windows 10 System Requirements as well as the Windows Processor Requirements.

In the Windows as a Service (WaaS) model, the concept of Mainstream Support does not apply to Semi-Annual Channels, as each Semi-Annual Channel will be serviced (receive monthly quality updates) for a limited time. Customers are required to move to a supported version (feature update) to continue to receive monthly quality updates with security and non-security fixes.

3a8082e126