Author: batteryforpc

If you’re still using Windows 7, it’s time to move on. The venerable and much-loved 2009 version of Windows gets its last security update on Jan. 14, 2020 (unless your company pays for extended support) and the free Microsoft Security Essentials antivirus program will (probably) no longer be supported either.

As we get further into 2020, Windows 7 machines will be more likely to become infected by malware, and any deep-rooted flaws in the operating system that arise almost certainly won’t be fixed.

That’s not good for the roughly 28% of Windows users who still use Windows 7. If you’re among them, you should upgrade to Windows 10. Your Windows 7 PC will almost certainly support Windows 10, though you may have to ditch some programs.

How to upgrade to Windows 10 for free

Here’s a little secret: As long as your Windows 7 license key is valid, you can probably upgrade your Windows 7 machine to Windows 10 for free by downloading and running Microsoft’s own Windows 10 installation tool.

Microsoft’s user forums have instructions on how to do this, and Bleeping Computer has more detailed instructions. Bleeping Computer says you need to opt to keep all files and applications to get the free upgrade, but the Microsoft user forums say you just need the existing Windows license key. Here’s how to find the Windows license key.

How to survive with Windows 7

If you do decide to stick with Windows 7 after Jan. 14, you’ll need to take some precautions.

Update everything in the Jan. 14 Microsoft Patch Tuesday release. It’ll be your last chance to make sure Windows and other Microsoft software are as secure as possible.

Install one of the best antivirus programs. Microsoft is killing its own antivirus software for Windows 7, so you’ll need something else.

Uninstall the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser. It’s a huge security hole. Use Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox instead.

Ditch Microsoft Office and any of its components, such as Word, Excel or Outlook. Switch to Google’s office suite or to LibreOffice. For an email client to replace Outlook, try Gmail or Thunderbird.

Turn off Java in your browsers.

Turn off Adobe Flash Player in your browsers.

Create a limited user account for yourself and use that for day-to-day computer tasks instead of the administrator account you originally created. Limited accounts limit malware infections.