ZDNet found out that the Redmond based tech giant will shutter Windows 7/8.1 from November 2016 from Microsoft’s “Windows lifecycle fact sheet” which was published in the last week of October.
The Windows lifecycle factsheet shows that Microsoft has opted for October 31, 2016, as the “end of sales for PCs with Windows preinstalled” for both Windows 7 Professional and Windows 8.1. Apparently after that date, the only choice for Windows PC buyers will be to purchase new computers with Windows 10 installed. The lone exception will be businesses with license agreements that entitle them to choose which version of Windows they want preinstalled. Those users who want to continue running Windows 7 on their PCs need not worry. Microsoft will provide Windows 7 users with extended technical support until January 14, 2020. This means that they will continue to get security patches, bug fixes and other updates. Windows 8 users will get such extended technical support until January 10, 2023. Despite the extended deadline for Windows 7 and 8.1, Microsoft is heavily pushing Windows 10. In fact from 2016, the Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 will get Windows 10 as a “recommended update.”
