Despite being the second most installed operating system (OS), Microsoft ended its support for Windows 7 on January 14, 2020.

Microsoft announced last year that Windows 7 will not longer receive important security updates and patches. Computers with Windows 7 installed may be susceptible to unwanted hacking exploits and Microsoft may not help you with that.

“Running an unpatched machine means that the flaws in the code will never be fixed and as exploits for those flaws become known and widespread, your chances of being successfully attacked grow very rapidly.”, according to Rik Ferguson, vice-president of security research at Trend Micro,

Microsoft stated on its website that users should go forward and although not recommended, install its newest operating system, Windows 10.

What should you do?

Microsoft listed steps on what you can do to prepare transitioning to Windows 10.

Check out the latest PCs

It may be hard to move forward with your old PC with Windows 7 installed, you may want to check out the latest PCs with modern parts. Most PCs you can buy right now has better storage and greater battery life.

Back up your files and photos

If you wanted to transition from Windows 7 to Windows 10, you should have a backup of your files first. In case the installation comes to a problem, your files will be safe and you can access them easily.

You may also want to check online storage services such as Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox. Unfortunately, more online storage comes with higher price so check how much storage you need.

Get tips on Windows 10

Microsoft offers guides and tutorials if you feel somehow lost with Windows 10. To learn more, you may want to check the link on the tips and tutorials offered by Microsoft.

Want to stay on Windows 7?

Even though support for Windows 7 has ended, it doesn’t keep you from using it until you can. If you are a business and want to continue getting security updates for Windows 7, Extended Security Updates is still available until 2023.

However, if you’re a non-business customer, be prepared of what could happen as your PC could be vulnerable to different attacks.

You also need to prepare your patience for more notifications about the end-of-life of Windows 7.