Microsoft extends consumer support for Windows 7, Vista

From CNET News.com: Consumers running Windows 7 or Vista now have a few more years of support to look forward to.

Microsoft recently tacked on five additional years in the form of Extended support for both operating systems for individual users. Full support for both versions will now last for approximately 10 years from release date, pointing ahead to January 14, 2020, for Windows 7 and April 11, 2017, for Vista.

Microsoft offers businesses both Mainstream and Extended support for its operating systems and other products. Mainstream support lasts for five years and covers all major upgrades to the sofware as well as security updates, bug fixes, and other patches. Extended support then kicks in for an additional five years, at which point only security updates become available.

But individual consumers of the two latest flavors of Windows were previously entitled only to Mainstream support, which means support for Windows 7 would have expired in 2015 and support for Vista in 2012. Microsoft's latest move guarantees protection in the form of security patches and other updates for that extra five years.

Windows XP is still set to lose Extended support in April 2014, only now that timeframe will apply to businesses and individuals alike. This means that anyone still running the decade-old OS will no longer receive updates in another two years. Microsoft has been urging companies on XP to plan their migrations now, even going so far as to advise them to forget about Windows 8 and focus on moving to Windows 7.

View: Article @ Source Site