Get Ready to Say Goodbye to Windows 7, End of Support Is Coming Soon
Windows 7, the operating system that ended the reign of Windows XP, will soon reach end of mainstream support.
Come the 13th of January, 2015, Microsoft will pull the plug on Windows 7 and will end mainstream support for the operating system. That’s Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 (SP1) – mainstream support for Windows 7 RTM with no service pack already ended on April 9, 2013.
Microsoft has already ended retail sales of Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate, and Professional. On October 31st, 2013, Microsoft stopped shipping Windows 7 to retailers and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). Retailers and OEM’s can still sell PCs with Windows 7 preinstalled though. Microsoft did not set a date for the end of sales for PCs with Windows preinstalled; Microsoft will provide one year of notice prior to the end of sale date.
End of mainstream support for Windows 7 SP1 is about 2 months away. On January 13, 2015, Microsoft will end mainstream support for Windows 7 SP1. This means you won’t get any technical assistance for the operating system and you won't get non-security hotfixes (unless you have an extended support agreement).
Microsoft also offers extended support for Windows 7 SP1. The end of extended support for Windows 7 SP1 is scheduled for January 14, 2020. Windows 7 SP1 users will keep getting bug and security updates until extended support ends.
The bottom line is this: if you’re using Windows 7, prepare to upgrade to Windows 8 or 8.1, because Microsoft will end mainstream support less than two months from now.
Speaking of which, I would like to point out that on October 31st, 2014, Microsoft stopped shipping Windows 8 to retailers or OEMs. End of mainstream support for Windows 8 is scheduled for January 9, 2018. Windows 8 will be replaced by Windows 10, which is currently in Preview.
If you want to learn more about the Windows lifecycle, check out this fact sheet.
Come the 13th of January, 2015, Microsoft will pull the plug on Windows 7 and will end mainstream support for the operating system. That’s Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 (SP1) – mainstream support for Windows 7 RTM with no service pack already ended on April 9, 2013.
Microsoft has already ended retail sales of Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate, and Professional. On October 31st, 2013, Microsoft stopped shipping Windows 7 to retailers and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). Retailers and OEM’s can still sell PCs with Windows 7 preinstalled though. Microsoft did not set a date for the end of sales for PCs with Windows preinstalled; Microsoft will provide one year of notice prior to the end of sale date.
End of mainstream support for Windows 7 SP1 is about 2 months away. On January 13, 2015, Microsoft will end mainstream support for Windows 7 SP1. This means you won’t get any technical assistance for the operating system and you won't get non-security hotfixes (unless you have an extended support agreement).
Microsoft also offers extended support for Windows 7 SP1. The end of extended support for Windows 7 SP1 is scheduled for January 14, 2020. Windows 7 SP1 users will keep getting bug and security updates until extended support ends.
The bottom line is this: if you’re using Windows 7, prepare to upgrade to Windows 8 or 8.1, because Microsoft will end mainstream support less than two months from now.
Speaking of which, I would like to point out that on October 31st, 2014, Microsoft stopped shipping Windows 8 to retailers or OEMs. End of mainstream support for Windows 8 is scheduled for January 9, 2018. Windows 8 will be replaced by Windows 10, which is currently in Preview.
If you want to learn more about the Windows lifecycle, check out this fact sheet.
