What to do if you are still using Windows 7

Microsoft provides support for its software for a significant period of time. Then it stops, ending support services, bug fixes, and security updates.

Microsoft is committed to providing 10-year product support for Windows 7 when released on October 22, 2009. In fact, the deadline is slightly longer than that, with support for Windows 7 ending January 14, 2020.

But there are still 500 days!

This end date may seem very remote – almost 500 days, actually. But Dale Titcombe, IT Manager at BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, tells IT Pro that it is "certainly not" too early to start working.

"It can not be assumed that correction work will not be necessary to move from one version to the other of the operating system and that" projects "of the migration project may arise. and require a prioritization of resources and resources, "said Titcombe.

He argues that the process of upgrading machines to a new operating system is the easiest part, which can often be done in a few days with the proper provisioning. "The hardest thing is to make sure that you have identified all the problems in your environment and to plan the project," he adds.

And the bigger your organization, the more likely it is that you will have to start working on this project immediately.
"Established companies and institutions already existed before, so we hope lessons have been learned," said Richard Edwards, Distinguished Research Analyst at Freeform Dynamics. "Large companies are usually not the fastest, so 500 days should signal a degree of urgency."

Companies risk being left behind

According to StatCounter, Windows 7 still held 26.54% of Windows desktop market share in the UK in September 2018. This represents a significant number of jobs likely to become vulnerable unless changes are made, and "The criminals will be ready to go on strike as soon as the end date of the assistance comes to an end," says Titcombe.

Titcombe also reports that organizations using Windows 7 will no longer be in contact and that switching to Windows 10 is an opportunity. He said any organization or individual going through Windows 10 will be "surprised by the speed and dynamism of your environment by upgrading to Windows 10 and its support software, such as Office 365 and Windows Server 2016".

Thus, the move to Windows 10 can be a lever to take a new look at the computer, which was also the case for the migration of BCS.

"As part of our migration to Windows 10, we pushed the boundaries of the company's IT strategy by moving to more cloud-based operations and SaaS solutions," says Titcombe. "Our new Windows 10 environment is much more dynamic than our previous pre-Windows 10 heavy client environment."

Even without adopting this broader approach, there are reasons for software compatibility to consider moving as a good thing rather than a chore. The biggest part of the Windows 10 draw is in the broader range of features it offers, and newer software and hardware are frequently designed with Windows 10 in mind, with no guarantee of the same Windows experience. 7.

"The very same year that Microsoft provided us with Windows 7, Apple provided us with the iPhone 3GS and Google 2.0 under Android, Éclair," says Edwards. "How much has Microsoft Windows changed since then?" It's time to change course or change course. "

Slowly but surely, we succeed

Starting to leave Windows 7 without wasting a lot of time means that it is possible to think carefully about the entire computer configuration and perhaps to carry out a general cleaning of the long-awaited spring, both on the hardware side than software. It might even be a good time to make a fundamental change.

Richard Edwards' advice is to "understand why you are upgrading and do not do it blindly."

"If Windows 10 is not appealing, there are other ways and means – take a close look at these alternatives, including Windows 10 in S mode, and remember that the tools we use are shaping the way we do things. Computer hardware can work in different ways Look for example CloudReady from Neverware (with support from Google). "

Wherever a company uses Windows 7, the upgrade must be done in a measured and controlled manner, and not rushed at the last moment.

"This is essential if you want a smooth upgrade," says Titcombe. "You prefer to have a few weeks / months after planning rather than realize that you have not left enough time and that you have to complete the whole project / deployment in a week."