December 2019
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This is a bi-monthly compilation of some of the questions that our clients have asked us recently!
My PC is using Windows 7 and a few weeks ago I started getting a notification from Microsoft that support for Windows 7 ends in January. Does that mean my computer will quit working? In the words of the immortal Douglas Adams, "Don't panic!". No, your computer will not just stop working in January. But it does mean that you will have to make some decisions. What you are facing is what Microsoft calls "end of support" for an operating system. It is exactly the same thing that happened about five years ago when Windows XP reached "end of support". When Microsoft ends support for a version of Windows, it means that the company is not going to continue to invest resources in maintaining the product. Software and security updates for the operating system cease. The affected computers continue to operate but, over time, they will likely become less reliable and more vulnerable to intrusion by outsiders (aka "hackers"). The reliability issue is actually the biggest issue and many Windows 7 users still using Internet Explorer for web browsing have already experienced it to some degree. Internet Explorer has long been a target for hackers. As a result, for some time many websites (especially in the financial sector) have been urging their users to employ other browsers such as Chrome or Firefox rather than Internet Explorer to conduct business. This is why Microsoft replaced Explorer in Windows 10 with an entirely new browser named Edge. So while Windows 7 users shouldn't feel compelled to upgrade to Windows 10 immediately, the change will need to start moving up their computing priority list in 2020. Upgrading Windows on an existing computer or transitioning to a new computer is not as difficult as it used to be in the pre-Windows XP era but it can be challenging. Terri and I will discuss upgrade strategies in a later issue of One Click Wonders Insider. For the record, Mac users also face regular operating system upgrade issues but the nature of Macintosh operating systems and Apple's support of them is quite different from that of Microsoft. What do you want to know more about? There are still many other topics we could talk about here or in a personal consultation. We welcome your comments and questions for future issues of the OCW Insider. You also can give one of us a call or shoot an e-mail and we'll set up an appointment to meet with you! As 2019 comes to a close, Terri and I would like to than our many loyal clients for their continuing support of our small consulting business! We hope that 2020 finds you healthy and happy, and we look forward to serving you in the new year. |
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phone: 864.710.7009 email: dave@oneclickwonders.com |
phone: 864.633.6707 email: terri@oneclickwonders.com |