Microsoft will start sending end-of-support notifications to Windows 8.1 users next month, the company announced yesterday (via ZDNet). The OS won’t reach end of support until January 10, 2023, but the Redmond giant will notify users six months before it happens.
Windows 7 users previously received similar notifications before the OS reached end of support back in January 2020, though enterprise customers can still pay for paid Extended Support Updates. However, that won’t be the case for Windows 8.1.
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“Microsoft will not be offering an Extended Security Update (ESU) program for Windows 8.1. Continuing to use Windows 8.1 after January 10, 2023 may increase an organization’s exposure to security risks or impact its ability to meet compliance obligations,” the company explained on a support page.
Windows 8.1 was released back in October 2013, and this is the update that brought back the Start Menu button that Microsoft removed on Windows 8 a year earlier. This update brought other minor improvements, but Microsoft tried to move on as soon as possible and offered a free upgrade to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users in 2015.
If you’re still running Windows 8.1, Windows 10 is the obvious upgrade path as any hardware released during the Windows 8.1 is unlikely to meet the minimum requirements for Windows 11. However, Microsoft would much prefer if you just bought a new Windows 11 PC.
“If you have an older PC, we recommend you move to Windows 11 by buying a new PC. Hardware and software have improved a lot since Windows 8.1 was released, and today’s computers are faster, more powerful and more secure,” the company explained.