Can I still use Windows 7 after 2020? Some people may have this question. This post from MiniTool Partition Wizard tells you what it means if you still use Windows 7 after 2020 and what you should do if you want to use Windows 7 forever.
Windows 7 End of Life
Windows 7 is a PC operating system released by Microsoft in 2009. The mainstream support for Windows 7 expired on January 13, 2015, and the extended support expired on January 14, 2020. It means that since January 14, 2020, PCs running Windows 7 no longer receive security updates.
In addition, Microsoft customer service is no longer available to provide Windows 7 technical support. Related services for Windows 7 are also being discontinued over time.
Support for Windows 7 Will End on January 14, 2020, Get Ready Now
Can I Still Use Windows 7 After 2020
Yes, you can. You can still install, activate, and use Windows 7 after 2020. But you should be aware that the Windows 7 PC will no longer receive software updates, including security updates, from Microsoft. Therefore, it will be more vulnerable to security risks and viruses.
What should you do if you want to use Windows 7 forever? Here are some suggestions for you.
1. Purchase Windows 7 Extended Security Updates
Only Windows 7 Enterprise and Microsoft 365 customers can purchase this service and this service is based on per device. In addition, the pricing of this service is expensive, and the cost rises over the years.
For the first year after the End of Life date (January 2020 – January 2021), the cost is $25 (around £20, AU$35). It rises to $50 per device (around £40, AU$70) for year two (January 2021 – January 2022), and $100 (around £80, AU$140) for year three (January 2022 to January 2023).
If you are using Windows 7 Pro (Microsoft 365 customers), those prices are even higher, with $50 (around £40, AU$70) for the first year, $100 (around £80, AU$140) for second year, and $200 (around £150, AU$280) for third year.
2. Run Windows 7 on Virtual Machine
If you are unable to buy the Windows 7 Extended Security Updates and you have to use Windows 7, you can create a Windows 7 virtual machine. Thus, even if the Windows 7 virtual machine gets infected with viruses, it will not cause damage to your real PC.
In addition, as long as you have the Windows 7 iso file, you can delete the Windows 7 virtual machine full of viruses or problems and create a new one. In this way, you can run the Windows 7 forever.
3. Protect Windows 7 with Various Tools
If you don’t want to run Windows 7 virtual machine, you should protect your real Windows 7 PC with third-party tools. For example:
- Use a durable antivirus program: Because you can’t get security updates from Microsoft, you should use a powerful antivirus program to protect your Windows 7 PC, lest your PC is damaged by various viruses.
- Back up files regularly: No matter which Windows version you are using, I will recommend you to back up file regularly. When PC crashes, you can get Windows 7/8/10 ISO file and install the OS again easily. But recovering the lost files will be much difficulty.
Through the above ways, you can use Windows 7 forever. But, upgrading the PC to new Windows OS is still a better choice.
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Linda has been working as an editor at MiniTool for 5 years. She is always curious about computer knowledge and learns it crazily. Her articles are simple and easy to understand. Even people who do not understand computer can gain something. By the way, her special focuses are disk management, data recovery and PDF editing.