Although Windows 7 devices have been receiving warnings about the end of support for many months, starting January 15, 2020, Microsoft will be making the notifications full screen to make sure that you’re fully aware that the operating system is no longer supported and understand the risks of malware, attacks, and compatibility issues running an operating system without support.
The notification will read “your Windows 7 PC is out of support,” and it’ll stay on the screen until you decide the option to dismiss it manually. The warning will include three options, including the ability to remind you later or don’t remind again, and learn more.
The full-screen warning will appear for Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, Home Premium, Home Basic, and Starter editions, but devices connected to a domain or configured as kiosk machines won’t get the message.
The interesting aspect about this warning is that it won’t focus on luring you to upgrade to Windows 10. Instead, the message is expected to recommend you buy a new device running Windows 10. The reason is that most devices using Windows 7 are configured with older hardware, and today, there are far more secure and capable hardware.
Although switching to a new computer will be ideal, if you’re still running Windows 7, and you think that the hardware could last a little longer, it’s now the time to upgrade to Windows 10 to continue receiving support.
Windows 7 support is scheduled to end on January 14, 2020, and after that day, Microsoft will no longer release security and maintenance update making the operating system vulnerable and obsolete. However, businesses with a volume license or Microsoft 365 subscription can enroll and pay a yearly fee per computer for the Extended Security Update (ESU) plan to continue getting cumulative updates.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].