Windows 7 Archives - Foster Institute https://fosterinstitute.com/category/windows-7/ Cybersecurity Experts Fri, 13 Dec 2019 22:50:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.1 https://fosterinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Favicon.png Windows 7 Archives - Foster Institute https://fosterinstitute.com/category/windows-7/ 32 32 Good News for Windows 7 Users https://fosterinstitute.com/good-news-for-windows-7-users/ Fri, 13 Dec 2019 22:50:14 +0000 https://fosterinstitute.com/?p=3012 Microsoft stops supporting Windows 7 on January 14, 2020. If you are not going to upgrade, there are options. Of course, in most circumstances, it is best to upgrade. Windows 7 is dated and missing the security features of Windows 10. For businesses, Microsoft offers extended support via critical security patches for Windows 7. You […]

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]]> Microsoft stops supporting Windows 7 on January 14, 2020. If you are not going to upgrade, there are options.

Of course, in most circumstances, it is best to upgrade. Windows 7 is dated and missing the security features of Windows 10.

For businesses, Microsoft offers extended support via critical security patches for Windows 7. You need to contact them to find out pricing, but you’ll likely find out the pricing is $50 per Windows 7 instance for an added year. The next year will be $100 and a third for $150 each. More information: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4497181/lifecycle-faq-extended-security-updates

Home users are not supported. However, many people find that Microsoft allows them to use their Windows 7 license key to activate Windows 10. The path isn’t super easy, but possible. Here is more information: https://www.howtogeek.com/266072/you-can-still-get-windows-10-for-free-with-a-windows-7-8-or-8.1-key/

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]]> Microsoft Will Stop Protecting Windows 7 on January 14, 2020 https://fosterinstitute.com/microsoft-will-stop-protecting-windows-7-on-january-14-2020/ Thu, 05 Sep 2019 18:27:54 +0000 https://fosterinstitute.com/?p=2989 Windows 7 computers will still run, your anti-virus will still work, as will your other programs. But you are taking a significant risk because Microsoft will no longer provide security updates that help keep attackers out of your network. Security patches are one of the best ways to protect your systems from attacks. Any of […]

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]]> Windows 7 computers will still run, your anti-virus will still work, as will your other programs. But you are taking a significant risk because Microsoft will no longer provide security updates that help keep attackers out of your network.

Security patches are one of the best ways to protect your systems from attacks.

Any of your computers that you purchased six years ago came with Windows 7 installed. Unless you paid for new licenses and gave your team time to upgrade them, those computers run Windows 7 today.

Some of your options include:
– Buy new computers
– If the computer is strong enough, upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 8.1 or Windows 10
– You can ask your IT team if you use a technology called VDI. If so, they can uninstall Windows 7 completely. They can install Linux, or make a bootable thumb drive, or use a No Touch Desktop program. The computer can function as a screen and keyboard to a server where Windows runs

If, for any reason, you need to keep Windows 7 on some workstations, be sure to give your IT team time to implement compensating controls. For example, they can isolate the computers from the rest. Ask them to install Microsoft’s downloadable EMET security tool that works in Windows 7.

Support for Windows 8.0 ended in 2016.
Support for Windows 8.1 ends on January 10, 2023.

Please forward this to your friends and business associates, so they know January 14 is the when Windows 7 becomes a severe security risk to their networks.

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