For Microsoft, 2023 marks the end of a messy era of Windows. The opportunity for millions of users to turn to a much more practical new version. In any case, the historic computer giant issues a warning about using an outdated operating system. Explanation !
Microsoft notifies users about the end of use of an operating system to switch to newer versions.
Microsoft issues a warning about an older version of Windows
Windows 8 interface on the computer. source: spm
According to clubic, it’s official, Microsoft wants to turn the page on Windows 8.1, which it launched in 2013, considered unergonomic. The company had announced that the end of updates to this version of Windows is scheduled for January 2023, at which time all those who still use it will no longer be protected against bugs and vulnerabilities that may arise. Although Microsoft sometimes re-releases an older version of Windows to release important fixes, Windows 8.1 will not be considered this time around.
Switching to Windows 10 or 11 is now a must
The official end of support for Windows 8.1 is scheduled for January 10, 2023. This means that soon this operating system will stop receiving updates. After this date, even the Microsoft 365 Office suite will no longer have updates. To be clear, anyone still using Windows 8.1 will have no choice but to upgrade to Windows 10 or 11, either by upgrading their computer’s operating system or buying a new one if the old one isn’t compatible with these new versions. But what happens if we ignore this warning?
What are the risks of continuing to use Windows 8.1?
Whenever Microsoft officially supports a version of Windows, the company regularly releases updates that contain new features and security fixes. However, new features become scarce as soon as a new version of the operating system is released. End of support is a few years or later for the most popular versions of Windows, such as Windows XP; Microsoft had to postpone end of support multiple times, finally getting rid of it in 2014. That said, there are consequences attached to this end of support for computers that continue to run Windows 8.1.
In fact, without your intervention, your computer will continue to run this outdated version, and of course, without security updates, you will be exposed to compromises and other system breaches starting on January 10, 2023; malware, bugs, viruses, and other cyber-attack risks. So what should you do in this case to protect your sensitive data?
Windows 11. Source: spm
New versions of Windows provide a great experience, but at what cost?
One way or another, in order to migrate to new versions of Windows, a purchase is required. In fact, as stated above, not all computers are compatible with newer versions of Windows. In other words, if you have an old computer, you will have to buy another one. Otherwise, to obtain Windows 10 or 11 licenses, you have to contribute 145 euros for the family version and 259 euros for the professional version, according to the media on technological innovation. numeral.
Also, as reported by Phonandroid and for informational purposes, the end of support for Windows 10 is scheduled for October 14, 2025.
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