It’s official, Microsoft has dropped support for Windows 7 Home and Professional

They have made it clear that they will not be extending support for either operating system, no dragging it out for an extra six months to give people a chance to make changes.

Sorry this is long, but it’s extremely important. Please read to the end. 

Some of you may have seen a large pop-up message on a blue background telling you that Windows 7 is no longer in support. If you have not seen it yet, you probably will soon. If you get that message, look to the bottom left for the link that says Don’t Remind Me Again. 

You won’t be reminded again, but you still need to consider your options. 

If you still have a Windows 7 computer, what does that mean for you?

It means you need to upgrade your operating system to Windows 10.

First, how do you know which version of Windows you’re running?

If you haven’t received a notice stating your computer is out of support, look down at the bottom left corner of your screen.

If your Start button is square with an all-white Windows logo in the middle, then you have Windows 10 and you should be all set.

If your Start button is round with a multi-colored Windows logo in the middle, you have Windows 7 and need to upgrade.

There are two ways to do that. You can purchase a $140 copy of Windows 10 Home, then back up all of your data and upgrade your operating system to the latest thing. If you need Windows 10 Pro (you probably don’t) a copy will set you back more than $200. 

***If you get a price from some third-party website and it is drastically lower, like $45 for Windows 10 Home, run away. Don’t buy cheap aftermarket copies, unless you can absolutely prove otherwise, it’s probably an illegal copy. This can cause you a bunch of trouble, but we’ll cover that in another issue. 

Should you Upgrade your Computer? 

If your computer is not already running Windows 10, it does not usually make sense to upgrade. 

If you can do the upgrade yourself you will save a little money, but in the end, you’ll have invested that time and the cost of a Windows 10 license into an older computer that should probably be replaced anyway. 

You wouldn’t put a new engine in a Model T and use it to commute to work. 

The other option is to buy a new or refurbished computer with Windows 10.

If you choose to buy new, please ask me for recommendations. Don’t let the salespeople talk you into a bunch of stuff you don’t need, or a computer that’s far too underpowered to do the job. Let’s talk about what’s best for you.

However, you don’t have to buy a brand new $1000 computer to upgrade your computer to something much newer, faster, and better. (Queue the $6 Million Dollar Man theme for us who remember the show) 

The second option can save you up to 50%.

If you’d rather save money and get the same end result, please ask about refurbished computers. I can replace your old Windows 7 computer with a refurbished Lenovo Core i5 laptop or desktop for $250. 

For home users, your computer will come with a warranty, pre-installed software package, and you’ll need to do nothing but copy over your data and get to work.

However, if you need help setting it up and moving your data between computers – for a little extra I can do that too. 

For business users, I can also replace your old equipment with refurbished Windows 10 Lenovo Core i5 computers for $250. That will come with a warranty and some pre-installed software. 

Just like Home users, if you need it installed and configured and need your data moved between your old and new machines, that service is available as well.

No matter what you decide, ask me! Please, before you buy – Ask me.

If you need more information, give me a call or send me an email and let’s talk about getting your computer up to date. Don’t wait too long… 

Without support Windows 7 will become a virus magnet.

Since Microsoft and other vendors will stop releasing updates to your computer’s software, it will become a huge virus magnet. 

Also, within a few months, your software will stop working with Windows 7 as well. The same thing happened with Windows XP and Apple’s OSX, as the year passed, more and more apps stopped working, or working properly. 

Without support, vendors that create software like Adobe Reader, Microsoft Office, Google Chrome, Firefox, and many more will stop creating new versions that work with the older operating system.

Although your old versions will work, they will no longer be supported either. That means they will also become virus magnets. That means your personal, confidential, or critical data will be put at risk of total loss, or equally horrifying – your private or business data could be sold on the Dark Web. 

Don’t wait too long, I expect refurbished Windows 10 computers to go up in price this summer and down in availability as people realize they need to replace their aging equipment. 

If you’re nervous about “pre-owned” computers, Don’t fear the Refurb

I have helped hundreds of people upgrade to refurbished laptops and desktops. In all of the years I’ve been doing so, I have had less than 10 computers fail or need replacement parts. And, those issues were covered by me for free. 

Please let me know how I can help. You can email me here at ChuckWarren.com, or at Info@Bluemarbleonline.com, or call me to discuss your best options.

I have a new business line I’m slowly switching to so, although you are welcome to reach me at 616-499-4423, I’d love it if you started helping me transition to either 888-572-7888 or 616-294-0304

If you’d like to discuss options for upgrading your computer, please let me know as soon as you are ready. 

Thanks and please, be careful on the web. Remember, trust nothing – don’t click links or images or download stuff from an email unless you are certain it’s safe. 

Chuck