After April 11, Vista will be unsupported forever.
In a month’s time, Microsoft will put Windows Vista to rest once and for all. If you’re one of the few people still using it, you have just a few weeks to find another option before time runs out.
After April 11, 2017, Microsoft will no longer support Windows Vista: no new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options, or online technical content updates, Microsoft says. (Mainstream Vista support expired in 2012.) Like it did for Windows XP, Microsoft has moved on to better things after a decade of supporting Vista.
As Microsoft notes, however, running an older operating system means taking risks—and those risks will become far worse after the deadline. Vista’s Internet Explorer 9 has long since expired, and the lack of any further updates means that any existing vulnerabilities will never be patched—ever. Even if you have Microsoft’s Security Essentials installed—Vista’s own antivirus program—you’ll only receive new signatures for a limited time.
Microsoft Few may miss Windows Vista, but the desktop gadgets were awfully cute.
Vista was never one of Microsoft’s beloved operating systems – annoyances like the User Access Control and the introduction of Digital Rights Management played a role in hurrying user adoption of its successor, Windows 7, though Vista’s desktop gadgets were certainly nice. (Extended support for Windows 7 ends in January, 2020, incidentally.)
Why this matters: Even if you’re not part of the small group clinging to Windows Vista, its demise reinforces Microsoft’s efforts to pull Windows users into the present day. Other software companies are following suit: Firefox has let go of XP and Vista users. Google Drive is kicking them to the curb. Windows Vista isn’t safe, it wasn’t loved, and the risk that some site will steal your email or bank account information is real. It’s time to move on.
Give us a call or email us and we can discuss your best options to replace your system, perhaps its time to take the plunge and replace your PC with something new, take a look at our free guide for assistance – you can get it by clicking here.
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