Living with Windows 7: It’s the End of the World as We Know It (Premium)

Well, it finally happened: With Microsoft issuing the final updates for Windows 7 yesterday as scheduled, I awoke today to a full-screen message warning me that my Windows 7 PC was out of support. But hundreds of millions of people will no doubt continue using Windows 7. So what will that look like?

In the short term, I don’t expect any issues.

As Microsoft’s full-screen warning notes, it will no longer be offering security updates, software updates, or tech support to Windows 7 users. But most Windows 7 users either haven’t seen most of that for years. And seriously, “software updates”? Microsoft hasn’t issued a real software update for Windows 7 since Service Pack 1 arrived in 2011, and even that was mostly about bundling previously-issued fixes.

Of course, the real issue here is those security updates. And while it’s easy to be as dismissive about this need as we are about our online privacy, that attitude could quickly backfire if hackers start targeting this unprotected platform and its hundreds of millions of users. Sorry, not “if.” When.

While Microsoft has scaled back its promise to support the new Edge on Windows 7 for 18 months---it now only says that it will do so for some indefinite timeframe---holdouts can take some comfort in the fact that Google will step up to the plate and support Chrome at least 18 more months. I expect Firefox and other browsers makers to respond similarly. And that’s important because your web browser is the primary entry point for online attacks.

Too, Microsoft Security Essentials and various third-party AV solutions will also keep Windows 7 users protected, but again the time frame is unclear.

And that’s the thing. The short term may be OK. But in the long-term, Windows 7 is unsafe. And it’s going to keep getting more unsafe with each passing day.

Microsoft’s solutions to this problem are not great: You can try and upgrade to Windows 10, which is free for most users, but likely won’t run well on your older Windows 7 PC. Or you can just up and buy a new Windows 7 PC.

Many users will simply not bother, and they will just use the other devices they have. Some will perhaps choose rival platforms, like Chromebook or a Mac. Or even Linux, though I don’t see this milestone putting that open-source solution over the top. (That said, Linux is a good candidate for an older PC that can’t run Windows 10 effectively, assuming you can figure it out.)

Whatever you want to do, my advice is simple: You will need to get off of Windows 7, no matter how good it is or how much you like it. You don’t necessarily have to do this immediately. But you will have to do it. Don’t be a statistic.

As for me, I will continue using Windows 7---with the new Edge, of course---for a few more days. And then I’ll power down this NUC and go back to Windows 10. I’ll keep Windows 7 on the NUC, though, and return from time-to-time to see what, if anything, has changed. I d...