Windows 7 Support

2020-01-06:  Special Notice for Users of the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system

At 12:01am on Tuesday January 14, 2020 Microsoft will terminate all support for non-commercial users of Windows 7. This means that you will no longer receive fixes or maintenance updates from Microsoft to correct security bugs or flaws in the operating system. This would allow malicious actors & software to steal your personal data or hold your computer for ransom among a host of other nasty things that Microsoft fixes have prevented in the past. It is the very strong recommendation of the Villages Computer Club and the Villages Computers Plus group that you cease using Windows 7 on any PC connected to the internet on or before Jan. 14th.

Currently, a free version of Windows 10 can be installed on any PC running a legitimate copy of Windows 7, assuming the Windows 7 hardware platform is up to the task. We have no official word from Microsoft that would indicate if the free upgrade will be extended beyond Jan. 14. In the absence of an official announcement from Microsoft, the safest course of action is to assume that an upgrade WILL NOT be allowed. So, if you have to pay for a copy of Windows 10 you are looking at spending about $130.00 for the retail version of the Home edition that is currently available on Amazon. If your PC is more than 5 years old do you really want to invest that much money, in addition to the expense to have it professionally installed if you are unable to unwilling to do it yourself? For the majority of current Windows 7 users whose PCs are more than 5 years old the best course of action is to go shopping for a new Windows 10 PC. We know you all love the Windows 7 user interface and don’t want to give it up, but you don’t have to. Use “Classic Start” from Ninite so that your desktop and your PC will be more like Windows 7 than Windows 10. So, it’s probably time to go shopping, but before you do please review this VCC, “Tips for Purchasing a Computer Platform & a Printer” presentation given on Sept. 2019.

Please share this really important information with your family and friends who currently use Win 7.

Thank you and best regards.
Peter Cronas, VCC President