Despite the End of official Windows 7 lifespan Earlier this week, reports claimed that the software could live a little longer.
Microsoft appears to have added UEFI and Secure Boot to Windows 7, potentially extending the lifespan of computers that are still using the platform without worrying about being hit by a cyberattack.
Secure Boot allows a computer to verify that the software and firmware drivers used during boot are approved by the manufacturer. The late addition to Windows 7 could be another indication that the platform remains a firm favorite for many business users who rely on the operating system to run securely office software.
Windows 7 Secure Boot
While official support for Windows 7 ended in 2020, Microsoft, recognizing that many business and educational users were still using the operating system, which first debuted in 2009, opened an Extended Security Updates program to keep bugs in its successful operating system at bay to keep .
Three years later, Microsoft has now ended this program as of January 10, 2023, leaving many users wondering what to do and whether they should bite the bullet and upgrade to a newer version of the Windows operating system.
According to data from statistics counter (opens in new tab)Windows 7 accounted for 11.2% of all Windows installations at the end of 2022, making it less popular than Windows 11, which accounted for just under 17% of all installations, although the numbers suggest that Windows 11 only surpassed Windows 7 in popularity in August 2022.
At the top of the charts, according to Statcounter, is Windows 10, which occupies more than two-thirds of the Windows market, while Windows 8 and 8.1 together make up just 3.26%.
Windows 7 at the end of its life is joined by Windows 8.1, which never caught on as well as its predecessor, giving computer users who want regular security patches a choice between Windows 10 and Windows 11.
above Tom’s hardware
