What? "In Six Months, Microsoft Will Pull The Plug On Windows 7 Support"

Discussion in 'other security issues & news' started by zapjb, Jul 8, 2014.

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  1. zapjb

    zapjb Registered Member

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    In Six Months, Microsoft Will Pull The Plug On Windows 7 Support

    http://finance.yahoo.com/news/six-months-microsoft-pull-plug-153937286.html

    "Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella

    Microsoft is warning customers that the end is soon coming for Windows 7 in much the same way it came for Windows XP earlier this year. Microsoft will end free mainstream support for Windows 7 on January 13, 2015.

    That means no more security patches if hackers find holes, no more updated features or performance improvements...."




    Say it ain't so. This is BS imo.
     
  2. guest

    guest Guest

    Original release date = July 22nd, 2009
    SP1 release date = February 22nd, 2011
    Mainstream support = January 13th, 2015
    Extended support = January 14th, 2020

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7
     
  3. Dave0291

    Dave0291 Registered Member

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    Number one, what Graf said. Number two, don't worry about Windows 7. Considering the overall failure of Windows 8 or, at the very least, its snail like pace of adoption MS will treat 7 like they did XP. In fact I suspect they'll be forced to support it even longer than they did XP. They're always going to put an expiration date on their releases, it's part simple business and part marketing. They expect you to look at the date and think "Gosh, I better get the newest soon! My OS is old and won't be supported anymore!".
     
  4. zapjb

    zapjb Registered Member

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    Thanks folks, I feel better.
     
  5. Gullible Jones

    Gullible Jones Registered Member

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    The 2015 date is for RTM, and everyone's using SP1 by now.
     
  6. TheWindBringeth

    TheWindBringeth Registered Member

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    Per the chart at https://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/lifecycle, April 8, 2014 was the end of Extended Support for Windows XP. The end of Extended Support for Windows 7 is shown as Jan 14, 2020. The chart at http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifepolicy suggests that security update support will continue through the end of the Extended Support phase. So one might expect that security updates will be provided for Windows 7 through Jan 14, 2020.

    However, there are several "* Extended Support is not offered for Consumer, Consumer Hardware, Multimedia products or Microsoft Online Services" notes on the later page. Which the Yahoo article drew attention to, and which would seem to be of some concern. Will Microsoft actually approach things that way? What does Microsoft consider to be NON-consumer versions? Just Professional and Enterprise? Perhaps Ultimate as well?
     
  7. Dave0291

    Dave0291 Registered Member

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    If they really have no intention of giving extended support to anything but the high end versions, they're even more so going to have an XP situation on their hands.
     
  8. zapjb

    zapjb Registered Member

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  9. safeguy

    safeguy Registered Member

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    The original article and similar ones that used sensational headlines really need to buck up on their information verification before they publish. Come on...the lifecycle policy is a search engine away. You don't need Microsoft spokeperson to verify something that is public information.

    Mainstream support is 6 months away.
    Extended support (security updates) is 5 years away.

    Microsoft has a relatively good lifecycle policy. 10 years is not bad if you consider the speed in which technology progresses.
     
  10. emmjay

    emmjay Registered Member

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    Maybe incentives will start appearing around the announcement of W9. A very attractive offer has to be made to W7 users or they will be inclined not to deal. They hold all the trump cards. If a W9 download was offered as a promo for a ridiculously low price to all Windows licensed users (not new users), it would show some real customer appreciation and a welcome back nod. W9 would have to be appealing to the desktop crowd as well as the screen tappers. :cautious: Will MS go all in?
     
  11. TheWindBringeth

    TheWindBringeth Registered Member

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    Well, the way stuff is written it doesn't appear to be a matter of high end vs low end, but rather "Business and Development software" vs "Consumer and Multimedia products". Theoretically, Microsoft could argue that Ultimate... despite being more full featured and expensive than Professional... was/is a "consumer product" and thus it is the bold part below that applies:
    I don't recall Microsoft handling XP that way, and I suspect that such an approach would make a significant number of consumers *and* businesses rather angry. I know I've seen some Ultimates in small businesses.
     
  12. TheKid7

    TheKid7 Registered Member

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    I have two Windows XP Home PC's. I will probably be upgrading the hardware soon. I purchased Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit a few years ago for this eventual upgrade. Should I not use Windows 7 and buy Windows 8.1 for this upgrade?
     
  13. elapsed

    elapsed Registered Member

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    No. Windows 7 is just fine until 2020. If you go and buy Windows 8, your Windows 7 purchase will have been a waste.

    But it's up to you if you want to "throw away Windows 7" and buy Windows 8, or use your already bought key.

    That being said Windows 9 is around the corner and people *might* need to buy it (total speculation).
     
  14. safeguy

    safeguy Registered Member

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    I agree with elapsed. Don't waste your money. You already have Win7 license so upgrade to that first. Windows 8.1 is still in growing pains in the UI department. Might as well use Win7 for now while waiting to see what Microsoft comes up with Windows 9.
     
  15. Carver

    Carver Registered Member

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  16. SirDrexl

    SirDrexl Registered Member

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    I assume that the 2023 date is for all iterations of Windows 8, including all point releases and major updates. Notice how it's 3 years after the Windows 7 EOL date, which is 3 years after Vista's EOL. This is no different from in the past, when a service pack would be released you were required to get it to keep getting updates. For instance, support for XP SP2 ended in 2010.

    BTW, this page includes "Desktop Operating System Products" in the extended support phase: http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/. By "Consumer and Multimedia Products" they must be referring to something other than Windows. Xbox? The Hardware must be stuff like keyboards and mice.
     
  17. pajenn

    pajenn Registered Member

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    What is the difference between mainstream support and extended support?

    The link only said extended support is for 5 years more than mainstreaam support, but not who will get the extended support, and whether it's as good as mainstream support, or even good enough to fix known security issues.
     
  18. MikeBCda

    MikeBCda Registered Member

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    For all practical purposes, "mainstream" support may include new or improved features, non-security bug fixes, and the like, whereas extended support covers security fixes only.
     
  19. Kerodo

    Kerodo Registered Member

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    There's a chart on this page/link that outlines the differences plus more details:

    http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifepolicy
     
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