Over a third of Windows PC users are still on Windows 7, despite support ending next year.
Microsoft is set to pull the plug on Windows 7 in just eight months time, but dedicated users of the 10-year-old operating system are still refusing to upgrade.
The company has confirmed that Windows 7 support will end on 14 January 2020 .
As a result, PCs that are still running the old operating system after the January deadline will be more vulnerable to viruses and other malware.
Microsoft will also stop offering technical assistance for Windows 7 customers after that date.
The company is strongly urging Windows 7 users to upgrade to Windows 10 sometime before January 2020, to avoid a situation where they need service or support that is no longer available.
It recently started turning up the pressure, with pop-up messages informing users in no uncertain terms that “support for Windows 7 is nearing an end”.
However, statistics from NetMarketShare show that users aren’t budging, with the percentage of Windows 7 users moving from 36.90% in December 2018 to 36.43% in April 2019.
That’s not even a half percentage point drop throughout the entirety of the year so far.
During the same period, Windows 10 has gained a little ground, moving up from 39.22% to 44.1% market share.
However, the lack of movement from Windows 7 users suggests Windows 10’s gains are coming from elsewhere – most likely macOS.
One reason that so many people are still using Windows 7 is the unpopularity of Windows 8, which launched on 26 October 2012.
Windows 8 included a lot of innovations to convert an old desktop operating system into an touch-screen interface fit for use on smartphones and tablets.
However, the new-look for Windows was widely hated by PC users, due to the removal of the Start button and a new full-screen experience that largely hid the desktop.
At that point, many swore to continue using Windows 7 until Microsoft reversed its attitude.
With the launch of Windows 10 in 2015, the company did indeed give users back both the Start button and the desktop. It also offered to let users upgrade to Windows 10 for free .
But many people refused to take the company up on the offer, preferring to stick with what they knew.
Alternatively, Microsoft suggests buying a new PC with Windows 10 pre-installed.
“For most Windows 7 users, moving to a new device with Windows 10 will be the recommended path forward,” said Microsoft.
Source: UK Mirror
