Microsoft warns ‘outdated’ Windows 7 users to switch

Microsoft Germany is urging business users to make the switch to a newer version of the operating system, insisting that Windows 7 is no longer “fit” to be used in businesses.

Windows 7 “does not meet the requirements of modern technology or the high-security requirements of IT departments”, Markus Nitschke, head of Windows at Microsoft Germany said.

Microsoft has warned that the Windows 7 operating system is outdated and more susceptible to malware attacks that wouldn’t affect Windows 10.

“It provides for higher operating costs – for example, maintenance lost working time due to increased malware attacks, or increased support requests.

“At the same time, many hardware manufacturers no longer provide drivers for Windows 7, which means that modern peripherals such as printers are no longer recognized.

“So, Windows 10 is the only version of Window which provides the appropriate support for the latest chips from Intel, AMD and Qualcomm.

“In addition, many programmes are already written or developed for the newer versions of Windows.”

Windows 7’s extended support ends on January 14, 2020. The operating system left mainstream support in 2014, meaning that for the last two years—and next three—it only receives security fixes.