Microsoft ends Windows 7 support

Microsoft has ended support for Windows 7, more than a decade after the ageing operating system first arrived on PCs.

From today, devices running the OS will no longer receive important patches for any new security vulnerabilities, as well other software updates and technical support.

Users and organisations still using Windows 7 have been urged to move to a newer operating system like Windows 10 to avoid future viruses or malware.

Almost a quarter of Windows users worldwide are still thought to be running Windows 7, according to web traffic analysis website StatCounter.

The Australian Cyber Security Centre warned in October that adversaries could use “unpatched security vulnerabilities” in Windows 7 to target users.

It has recommended that organisations yet to upgrade should “review their risk assessments and begin planning for the implementation of mitigation strategies to reduce their risk exposure”.

The UK’s cyber spy agency has similarly advised that devices still running the OS should not be used for internet banking or emails from January 14, according to The Telegraph.

Microsoft began notifying users and organisations of the impending end of support in April 2019 to help users plan their transition away from the OS.

Extended security updates (ESU) are still available to Windows 7 Professional and Enterprise customers in Microsoft's Volume Licensing scheme at a cost.

Windows 7 was introduced in 2009, only three years after the release of its much-unloved predecessor Windows Vista.