Microsoft Windows 7 & Windows 2008 End of Life

Microsoft Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 End of Life is fast approaching. 'End of Life' is the point where the operating system will be no longer supported with security patches, unless you (as a business) take out a rather expensive extended warranty agreement with Microsoft.

As a home user, you should upgrade from Windows 7 without delay, as there are significant performance improvements to be gained with Windows 10. I always recommend installing Windows 10 from scratch onto a blank hard disk drive, rather than using the upgrade option. Ideally install onto a new Solid State Drive (SSD), which improves an operating system's performance massively. SSDs have come down in price in recent months, making a decent memory size SSD an affordable option. Always ensure all your important documents and data are backed up at all times, double check before attempting an operating system installation or upgrade.

Where as a businesses you have Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 present, it is imperative not to leave your upgrade plan until the last minute, as mass operating systems upgrades within business can be fraught with delays due to technical issues to overcome, and unforeseen business circumstances. Also, Microsoft Windows Server 2016 has a significant virtualisation perform kick over 2008 & 2012 versions. And given the high security risk or cost in purchasing a Microsoft Extended Warranty, there really can be no solid business reason for delaying an upgrade project.

Microsoft Product     End of Life Date
Windows 7                      14/01/2020
Windows Server 2008    14/01/2020
Office 2010                     13/10/2020
Windows Server 2012    10/01/2023
Windows 8/8.1                10/01/2023
Office 2013                     11/04/2023
Windows 10                    14/10/2025
Office 2016                     14/10/2025

For further Microsoft EOF details see https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13853/windows-lifecycle-fact-sheet