Despite Microsoft’s best efforts to move everybody onto Windows 10, Windows 7 is still the company’s most popular operating system. Microsoft stopped selling consumer editions of Windows 7 two years ago but kept the professional version going so original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) like HP, Lenovo and Dell could keep pre-installing them on their PCs. Now Microsoft has finally stopped selling Windows 7 Professional and Windows 8.1 licences. Here’s what you need to know.
It’s not like Microsoft did this without warning. In fact, it had extended the end of sale deadline for Windows 7 Professional because the operating system was so popular. OEMs were able to sell the licences to users who wanted to downgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 on their pre-built PCs.
The end of sale for the two older operating systems doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get a Windows 7 or 8.1 PC right now; OEMs are still allowed to sell whatever remaining licences they have for those operating systems. Also, Windows 7 will continue to be supported right through to January 14, 2020. Windows 8.1 will be supported until January 10, 2023.
Companies with the right enterprise licencing agreements can still buy new PCs with Windows 10 and downgrade them to Windows 7.
If you want to get a new PC with Windows 7 Professional or 8.1 pre-installed, you better get one soon before OEMs run out of stock.
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