Windows announced last year that the end of Life for Windows 7 would begin January 2020. That means technical support and patches will no longer happen for Windows 7, which could put your computer and network at an increased security risk. The problem with all of this is a lot of PCs still use Windows 7. What should you do?
If you’re still running computers on Windows 7 there really is no free way to get out of this predicament. Technically you can still run Windows 7 on your PC but as stated earlier, you’re putting yourself and your entire company network (since they’re linked together) at risk.
Workstaton Refresh
A workstation refresh can involve gathering every computer that’s currently active in the company network and reviewing purchase date, warranty date and licensing of operating systems. We often do this for our clients who use our managed IT services. h
Director of Operations at Netlink Solutions, Jared Lamb, recommends companies undergo a workstation refresh every four or five years, “ You don’t want to run a PC longer than five years because overall performance will begin to decline.” He further added, “If you notice you’re restarting your computer all the time or deleting files to make room on your computer, it’s probably time for a refresh.”
The operating system that will be replacing Windows 7 is Windows 10. Licensing all computers at one time can be costly which is why we can help clients ease that burden by upgrading three to five computers at a time throughout the year.
Jared also added, “You don’t want to be ordering a new PC in December before the Jan 2020 deadline as most computer companies will be overwhelmed with orders and it could take longer to get yours, which again, puts you at risk by using Windows 7 while waiting for your new computer to arrive.”
Upgrading to Windows 10
While there are other operating systems out there, the most obvious choice to upgrade your Windows 7 is to Windows 10. Again, your Windows 7 will not suddenly stop working in Jan. 14th of 2020 but patches and support will cease. This opens the door for new viruses and other security threats that could be more costly and damaging in the long run than simply upgrading to Windows 10. As TechRader put it, “What’s more, if a large number of people continue to use Windows 7 after the End of Life date, that could actually be a big incentive for malicious users to target viruses and other nasties at WIndows 7.”
If you think your company is ready for a workstation refresh or needs guidance through the Windows 7 end of life, don’t delay in calling us. We can help manage this process for your company and make it as stress free as possible.