Read more: New to Windows 10? Here's how long Microsoft will support it Windows 10 was released in 2015, and extended support for the latest version of the OS is slated to end in 2025. Windows 7 was released in October 2009, so its 10-year life cycle has come to a close. Both types include security and program updates, self-help online topics and extra help you can pay for.

For each version of its OS, the company offers a minimum of 10 years of support (at least five years of Mainstream support, followed by five years of Extended support). Microsoft has a long-established Fixed Lifestyle Policy for many of its products. Read more: How to download Windows 10 for free Why did Microsoft end support for Windows 7? The customizable Start menu on Windows 10.

Keep reading for everything you need to know about the end of Windows 7 support, and how to make the switch to Windows 10.

And with Windows 10, you can upgrade to Windows 11 for free. (If you're a Windows 8.1 user, extended support for that OS won't end until January 2023.) But don't worry - you can still use this trick to download Windows 10 for free if you want to. That means Microsoft no longer offers technical assistance or software updates to your device, and the company encouraged people to upgrade to Windows 10 to keep their PCs and laptops secure. The end shouldn't have come as a surprise to Windows users: Microsoft promised 10 years of product support for Windows 7 when it was released in October 2009, before shifting focus to supporting newer technologies, like Windows 11. It's been almost two years since Microsoft officially ended support for Windows 7 in January 2020.

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