It’s been 10 years since Windows 7 began its run, but that run is coming to an end! On January 14, 2020, support for Windows 7 will end. (Also, support will end for Office 2010 following shortly after.) ProVal has been keeping an eye on this and has a few solutions to help MSPs work through this situation as painlessly as possible. Even if you have the right scripts, there is work to be done to prepare for Windows 7 end of support.
End of support means that Windows 7 machines will no longer receive updates from Microsoft. This does include security updates. Microsoft may release zero-day security updates if anything is found in the future, but that is all. Support will end on 01/14/2020. Thankfully Windows 10 is currently considered the most secure Windows ever! Hopefully, you were able to read last month’s blog related to Windows 10 updates and ensuring these are getting pushed to devices.
ProVal has content that can help force update Windows 7 Machines to Windows 10. We also have scripts to audit Windows 7 machines and ensure that they are ready for an update to Windows 10. If you do not already have a solution for this, we highly encourage you to develop one, distribute to your techs to deploy, and then follow up with clients to ensure the new software isn’t causing them any headaches. Doing this work manually on hundreds of machines is simply not scalable. Use the automation available within your RMM tool, that is exactly why that check goes out every month!
We also recommend working as closely as possible with your technical account managers to discuss different options with end clients. An upgrade may simply not be available for some of these older machines. They may not have enough hardware after the upgrade to handle everything needed to run Windows 10 efficiently. Reaching out to these clients and getting a replacement plan started is crucial! That way by the time the deadline comes, you will be able to ensure your client’s environments are secure. Security is only as strong as the weakest link. Unsupported Windows 7 machines fit into that risky category. The following link has some information about moving to Windows 10 from Windows 7 and a bit about the Win 7 exit strategy: http://www.microsoft.com/windows7
We here at ProVal would like to thank Windows 7 for its many years of service! Any questions about windows 7 end of support? Contact us today.
