![]() Call it the "Immortal OS" - or the "Undead OS.") Instead, its lifecycle will be extended again and again by new feature upgrades. (Microsoft has repeatedly dubbed Windows 10 the "last Windows," since, in theory, it will never really be retired. The retirement will presumably be the last of its kind: the demise of a widely-adopted version of Windows, a cornerstone of enterprise computing, after a decade of support. Microsoft will deliver the final free security update to Windows 7 PCs on this date. If Microsoft repeats this for Windows 7, the message will return to the screen on the 14th of every month thereafter, unless disabled by the user. The company did just that with Windows XP, beginning a month before that operating system's last-patch date. 14, 2020, retirement deadline and urging them to upgrade to Windows 10. ![]() Microsoft may start forcing Windows 7 to show users an on-screen nag reminding them of the upcoming Jan. Since 3.0's introduction, Microsoft has released WSUS 4.0 (with Windows Server 2012) and WSUS 5.0 (Windows Server 2016). WSUS 3.0 SP2 harks from 2009 and was associated with Windows Server 2008 R2, the server software slated to slide into retirement alongside Windows 7 in January 2020. July 9, 2019Įnterprises using WSUS 3.0 (Windows Server Update Services) SP2 must have added SHA-2 support by this date to continue delivering updates (of any kind, to any Microsoft software) to employees' PCs. That support will be included in the March updates as well for those who skipped the month prior. Starting with the February 2019 monthly updates, Microsoft will introduce support for the replacement SHA-2 to Windows 7. But at this late date in 7's life, Microsoft wants to ditch SHA-1 and rely only on the more-secure SHA-2. SHA-1 (Secure Hash Algorithm 1), which debuted in 1995, was declared insecure a decade later it was retained for backward-compatibility reasons, including for Windows 7. Microsoft, like other software vendors, digitally "signs" updates before they are distributed via the Internet. Windows 7 PCs will not receive security fixes after this date unless they have been modified to accept updates signed with the SHA-2 algorithm. In a couple of months, Microsoft could repeat the offer with the comparable OS and Office - Windows 10 Pro and Office 2019 Professional - or some other deal, perhaps a discounted Microsoft 365 E3 subscription plan, as an incentive for laggards to move on migration. That deal had a cap of 100 licenses for each of the two products. Microsoft may reprise a 2013 deal by discounting a combination of Windows 10 Pro and Office 2019 and pitching the offer to small- and medium-sized businesses.Ībout a year before Windows XP's end-of-support date, Microsoft offered a package deal - Windows 8 Pro and Office 2013 Standard - at a 15% discount. Pencil these dates and return here frequently Computerworld will be updating this timeline as Microsoft makes further proclamations about Windows 7's demise. Computerworld used the year or so prior to Windows XP's retirement - that OS was Windows 7's predecessor as an enterprise linchpin - to assemble definite, likely and possible events on 7's calendar.
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