If You’re Still Running Windows 7, You Really Need To Upgrade — At Least To Windows 10

As technology evolves, it’s only natural that we move on from older hardware and software, but there’s always a subset of a community that likes to stay on an older version of an operating system. Windows is a prime example, with people often championing old versions instead of whatever Microsoft is promoting at that time. But at some point, you have to let go, and if you’re somehow still using Windows 7, it’s time to stop. The least you can do is upgrade to Windows 10, which doesn’t require any money.

Windows 7 is well and truly dead, and developers have started to drop support for it. It’s dangerous to keep using Windows 7 at this point.

A new computer is probably overdue

I know, spending money is not fun

You don’t actually have to spend money to move on from Windows 7, but I want to start by making an argument in favor of doing so. Computers designed for Windows 7 are now well over 10 years old, and technology has evolved a lot since then. You may think your current PC works fine, and that’s totally valid, but buying a new computer now, even a relatively cheap one, will be a huge upgrade for you in almost every way. Especially if you want a new laptop, everything from screens to touchpads has evolved immensely in the past decade, and a new PC will treat you so much better.

Performance has obviously come a long way, too, both for laptops and desktops. Around 11 years ago, Intel’s top-tier Core i7-4770K was a quad-core, eight-thread processor that could boost up to 3.9GHz. Today’s approximate equivalent, a Core i7-14700K, has 20 cores, 28 threads, and can boost up to 5.6GHz. Today’s best processors are no joke. Not to mention the evolution of SSDs since that time, which also has a major impact on performance.

Again, you don’t have to spend money to leave Windows 7 behind, but I highly encourage you to look for options if you can afford a new machine that runs Windows 11.

You’re missing out on a ton of features

From gaming to all kinds of things

Windows 7 first launched in 2009, and naturally, it’s not just hardware that has evolved since then. Windows has also added a lot over the past few years, and you can do so many more things with a newer operating system. For gamers, for example, Windows 10 introduced DirectX 12, and this latest version of the API is the best to help you maximize performance in your games and enable newer visual effects and technologies. There’s also the Game Bar software, which is useful for recording clips of your games or taking screenshots, on top of providing a lot of handy features like a volume mixer and resource management.

But even outside of gaming, there’s a ton to dive into. Windows 10 introduced virtual desktops, a multi-tasking feature that makes it much easier to manage, organize, and separate your apps based on what you want to do at any given moment. There’s a unified notification system now that lets you easily view and manage notifications from your apps in one place. You can more easily snap multiple windows side-by-side and resize them simultaneously for multitasking, which is the main feature that always makes me dread using an old PC, personally.

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The list goes on. Built-in OneDrive syncing makes it easier to manage your files in the cloud, a lot of settings have been simplified and made easier to understand and use, there’s a do not disturb mode, you can link your phone to your PC to see notifications and make calls from your computer, some apps like Windows Terminal add tabs to Command Prompt and PowerShell, and so much more. You’re missing out on a lot by sticking with Windows 7.

Your apps probably aren’t getting updates anymore

And it’s going to be a problem

Do you use Google Chrome on Windows 7? Have you perhaps noticed that you haven’t received an update for your browser for over a year? Indeed, if you’re using such an old operating system, there’s a very good chance the apps you use are also no longer supporting your PC. Google Chrome, the most popular browser in the world, dropped support for Windows 7 back in February 2023, and that’s a big deal. That’s well over a year of potential features you’re missing out on, and most importantly, security fixes. By using such an outdated browser, you could be more exposed to newer threats on the internet, which is obviously not a good thing.

But at some point, you may also just not be able to visit certain pages anymore. It will probably be some time before this becomes a major issue, but as newer web technologies appear, using an old browser can mean you’re no longer able to view some pages, so it’s going to hurt your ability to use your PC.

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And like browsers, many other apps will eventually drop support for Windows 7. You need to move on.

It’s simply not safe

Windows 7 isn’t getting security patches anymore

Even if your apps are still getting updates, the biggest reason you need to move on from Windows 7 is the fact that the operating system itself is no longer supported. Microsoft ended support for Windows 7 in January 2020, though enterprise customers could pay for extended security updates for an additional three years. But even that period is gone, meaning Windows 7 is now completely unprotected from any newer threat on the internet. And if you know the internet, you know these threats are always evolving and getting more complex.

Things like ransomware and all kinds of viruses that can compromise your data are being developed all the time, and without official updates from Microsoft, you no longer have a basic line of defense against those threats. You can install a third-party antivirus to help cover your bases, of course, but that built-in protection is far more important than we give it credit for. For your sake, upgrading to a newer version of Windows is for the best.

It’s time to move on

No matter what your reasoning might be for staying behind, moving on form WIndows 7 is well overdue. You’re missing out on new features and, most importantly, security patches that can keep your computer and your data safe from ill-intended attackers. The very least you can do to protect yourself is upgrade to Windows 10 for free, since that operating system will at least be supported until October 2025.

And if you do have a bit of money to spend, then buying a new PC is even better. You’re going to get huge performance upgrades and built-in security in newer processors. And, of course, all the newer features in Windows 11.