On Spot Techs

By Eric Geier (Our Founder & Owner)

Originally published by Cox Media Group on 2/24/20

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As you may know, Microsoft ended all support (including security fixes and updates) for the Windows 7 operating system on Jan. 14, 2020. So, if you still have Windows 7 on your computer(s), I highly suggest moving to Windows 10. If you’re unsure if you should upgrade your current computer or buy a new PC, I suggest contacting a local tech company for advice. And if you somehow still have an even older Windows (like Vista or XP), support for those ended many years ago and you shouldn’t be using them either.

Checking your current Windows version: If you aren’t sure of your Windows version, you can quickly check on your computer: click the Start Button in the lower-left corner to bring up the Start Menu, look for Computer or My Computer, right-click whichever one you have, and then select Properties.

If you don’t see Computer or My Computer on the Start Menu, you may have Windows 8, 8.1, or 10. In those versions, you’d rightclick the Start Button itself in the lower-left corner and select System.

Once you see the System window pop-up, you’ll find your Windows version and edition near the top of that window if using Windows 7 (or older) or near the bottom if using Windows 8, 8.1, or 10. If using Windows 10, also make note of the Version listed near the bottom.

End-of-support dates for Windows: You might be wondering about the support of other software as well, so here I discuss some of the other important end-of-support or end-of-life dates: Windows 8 and 8.1: The support for the original Windows 8 operating system (released in 2012) actually ended back in 2016. However, most Windows 8 computers should have been updated to Windows 8.1 (released in 2013), and the end-of-support date for that isn’t until January of 2023. But you should certainly verify your computer is running 8.1 and isn’t somehow stuck at the original Windows 8.

Windows 10: Microsoft has a different update approach to Windows 10.

They release an updated version about twice a year and end-of-support dates are based upon those versions.

Windows 10 should keep itself updated with the new versions but you should verify your version every so often to ensure you are up-to-date. Here are the pertinent dates for the Windows 10 versions (the first date is the release date, the second is the endof-support date):

Version 1507 — 7/29/2015 and 5/9/2017 Version 1511 — 11/10/2015 and 10/10/2017 Version 1607 — 8/2/2016 and 4/10/2018 Version 1703 — 4/5/2017 and 10/9/2018 Version 1709 — 10/17/2017 and 4/9/2019 Version 1803 — 4/30/2018 and 11/12/2019 Version 1809 — 11/13/2018 and 5/12/2020 Version 1903 — 5/21/2019 and 12/8/2020 Version 1909 — 11/12/2019 and 5/11/2021 So, if your Windows 10 computer is somehow on version 1803 or older, it should certainly be updated. The next version to lose support is 1809 in May of 2020, so if you still are on that version keep an eye on it to ensure it’s updated by then.

Microsoft Office: Microsoft also has end-of-support dates for its Office suites, the date where they no longer release any security or stability updates. I wouldn’t be as concerned about these dates as the operating system, but I do suggest updating your office suite if its support has expired. Here are the pertinent dates for Microsoft Office (the first date is the release date, the second is the end-of-support date):

Office 2007 (with Service Pack 3) — 10/25/2011 and 10/10/2017 Office 2010 (with Service Pack 2) — 7/23/2013 and 10/13/2020 Office 2013 (with Service Pack 1) — 2/25/2014 and 4/11/2023 Office 2016 — 9/22/2015 and 10/14/2025 Office 2019 — 9/24/2018 and 10/14/2025

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