How to Stay Safe With Windows 7 After End of Support
By Timothy Tibbetts |
Windows 7 end of life (or end of support) arrives on January 14, 2020. This article covers a wide range of topics, including what to expect, how to protect yourself, and what options you have going forward.
If you prefer, you can kick back as I cover everything in this guide in this YouTube video:
General Thoughts
Allow me to give you the short answer that some people won't like - Upgrade to Windows 10. Buy a cheap key if you can't upgrade for free.
There aren't many ways left to upgrade to Windows 10 for free, but we discovered this loophole until Microsoft closes it.
Linux as an Alternative OS
The negative voices are always the loudest, and one can expect to hear from the 2% (market share) that Linux is the answer to every Windows problem.
Most end-users don't like Linux, as proven by the tiny market share. Many people get lost just trying to choose a distribution (distro) to install. A distro is an operating system based on the Linux kernel that is usually created by a team of small developers due to the Open Source nature of Linux. Linux offers roughly 600 distributions at this time, and 500 of these are no longer updated, leaving you with 100 Linux distros to choose from.
Generally, Linux is more confusing to use than Windows, and many of the games and apps you have might not be available or supported. If you'd like to try Linux, we recommend using a Live distro, which means you can boot from a DVD or thumb drive and test Linux without making any changes. An excellent distro to try first would be Linux Mint.
Privacy Concerns
People complain about Windows 10 privacy while using social media, email, and video chat while being tracked from their Chinese-made devices. Windows 10 continues to add more privacy options for its users, and we have plenty of third-party privacy apps and Windows 10 "Fixes" available. We also have guides on how to remove the tracking and advertising in Windows 10 - How to Disable All Advertising and Sponsored Apps in Windows 10.
We like Windows 10. There, we said it. But, we are aware that there are many reasons some need or want to use Windows 7, and we understand. If the upgrade nags are bothering you, be sure to look into How to Block Windows 7 End of Support Messages.
While people tend to worry, this isn't our first rodeo watching the end of support. Microsoft tends to break from the threat of the end of life by pushing an occasional critical update. Third-party developers often offer third-party fixes, which, while usually safe, still carry some risk of problems. We saw this with Windows XP Service Pack 4 Unofficial. Keep an eye on MajorGeeks, and we will update this article if something is released.
Windows 7 end of life sees the market share of Windows 7 at roughly 30% of all computers, and it will be a target for hackers. 30% of all computers unpatched means easy money for them. Windows 10, in comparison, has about 40% market share of all computers.
Protect Yourself
If you're a Windows 7 user, you probably already have protection. If you don't, there's a good chance you can be protected with the proper security software and the same common sense you've always used.
You have very few choices in totally free antivirus. AVG and Avira come to mind, and we don't recommend Avast any longer. That said, if you're willing to pay for an antivirus, Bitdefender and Kaspersky are always found ranked as the top-rated antivirus and security software.
Windows 10 comes with Windows Security and Windows Defender, so you don't need to buy an antivirus.
If you don't have Malwarebytes , download that from MajorGeeks here.
Use a supported browser, preferably from the top 3 - Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge.
Summary
You might be able to upgrade to Windows 10 for free. Download Windows 10 and see. If you haven't tried it, you might be surprised. Of course, it takes some getting used to, as does any operating system upgrade.
If you're a long-time user of Windows 7 and don't want to upgrade, you're already used to an operating system that requires more user intervention and safety measures than Windows 10, so be diligent and be safe. Or come over to the dark side ;)
Similar:
Support MajorGeeks and Show Your Geek Pride With MajorGeeks T-Shirts, Cups, and More!
Update From Windows 7 & 8 to Windows 10 for Free 1.1
Windows 10 Home Versus Windows 10 Pro
How to Disable All Advertising and Sponsored Apps in Windows 10
Do Cheap Windows 10 Keys Really Work?
How to Block Windows 7 End of Support Messages
comments powered by Disqus
General Thoughts
Allow me to give you the short answer that some people won't like - Upgrade to Windows 10. Buy a cheap key if you can't upgrade for free.
There aren't many ways left to upgrade to Windows 10 for free, but we discovered this loophole until Microsoft closes it.
Linux as an Alternative OS
The negative voices are always the loudest, and one can expect to hear from the 2% (market share) that Linux is the answer to every Windows problem.
Most end-users don't like Linux, as proven by the tiny market share. Many people get lost just trying to choose a distribution (distro) to install. A distro is an operating system based on the Linux kernel that is usually created by a team of small developers due to the Open Source nature of Linux. Linux offers roughly 600 distributions at this time, and 500 of these are no longer updated, leaving you with 100 Linux distros to choose from.
Generally, Linux is more confusing to use than Windows, and many of the games and apps you have might not be available or supported. If you'd like to try Linux, we recommend using a Live distro, which means you can boot from a DVD or thumb drive and test Linux without making any changes. An excellent distro to try first would be Linux Mint.
Privacy Concerns
People complain about Windows 10 privacy while using social media, email, and video chat while being tracked from their Chinese-made devices. Windows 10 continues to add more privacy options for its users, and we have plenty of third-party privacy apps and Windows 10 "Fixes" available. We also have guides on how to remove the tracking and advertising in Windows 10 - How to Disable All Advertising and Sponsored Apps in Windows 10.
We like Windows 10. There, we said it. But, we are aware that there are many reasons some need or want to use Windows 7, and we understand. If the upgrade nags are bothering you, be sure to look into How to Block Windows 7 End of Support Messages.
While people tend to worry, this isn't our first rodeo watching the end of support. Microsoft tends to break from the threat of the end of life by pushing an occasional critical update. Third-party developers often offer third-party fixes, which, while usually safe, still carry some risk of problems. We saw this with Windows XP Service Pack 4 Unofficial. Keep an eye on MajorGeeks, and we will update this article if something is released.
Windows 7 end of life sees the market share of Windows 7 at roughly 30% of all computers, and it will be a target for hackers. 30% of all computers unpatched means easy money for them. Windows 10, in comparison, has about 40% market share of all computers.
Protect Yourself
If you're a Windows 7 user, you probably already have protection. If you don't, there's a good chance you can be protected with the proper security software and the same common sense you've always used.
You have very few choices in totally free antivirus. AVG and Avira come to mind, and we don't recommend Avast any longer. That said, if you're willing to pay for an antivirus, Bitdefender and Kaspersky are always found ranked as the top-rated antivirus and security software.
Windows 10 comes with Windows Security and Windows Defender, so you don't need to buy an antivirus.
If you don't have Malwarebytes , download that from MajorGeeks here.
Use a supported browser, preferably from the top 3 - Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge.
Summary
You might be able to upgrade to Windows 10 for free. Download Windows 10 and see. If you haven't tried it, you might be surprised. Of course, it takes some getting used to, as does any operating system upgrade.
If you're a long-time user of Windows 7 and don't want to upgrade, you're already used to an operating system that requires more user intervention and safety measures than Windows 10, so be diligent and be safe. Or come over to the dark side ;)
Similar:
Support MajorGeeks and Show Your Geek Pride With MajorGeeks T-Shirts, Cups, and More!
Update From Windows 7 & 8 to Windows 10 for Free 1.1
Windows 10 Home Versus Windows 10 Pro
How to Disable All Advertising and Sponsored Apps in Windows 10
Do Cheap Windows 10 Keys Really Work?
How to Block Windows 7 End of Support Messages
comments powered by Disqus
