Windows 7 users, the day has finally arrived when you can either bite the bullet and choose another OS, or roll the dice with an OS that will, for the most part, no longer receive security updates from Microsoft. After today, Windows 7 will officially become a legacy OS, and hundreds of millions of users will have to make a decision.

Or they can kick the PC to the curb and buy a Surface.

"After January 14, 2020, we will no longer provide security updates or support for PCs running Windows 7. moving to Surface and Microsoft 365 will ensure that security is built into the devices in your company and that your business is future-proof," Microsoft says. Microsoft says.

Microsoft, you get the point. But the real message is that Windows 7 is no longer supported as of today. That means Windows 7 PCs will no longer receive monthly security patches (today is Patch Tuesday, so Windows 7 will be the last resort) and technical support. And in the rare event of a ransomware pandemic, emergency patches might be provided. But for the average user, this is the end of the road.

To be clear, Windows 7 will not stop working after today. If you decide to be extra cautious, your Windows 7 PC will not refuse to boot or go up in smoke (not because of this anyway). However, you may be exposed to a new threat.

Whether malicious actors will increasingly target Windows 7 PCs in the future remains to be seen; data collected by Net Applications shows that while Windows 10 users are growing, Windows 7 still accounts for 26.64% of the desktop market Stats Counter reports similar figures.

Nevertheless, market data is a fuzzy business when it comes to numbers, so estimates of the number of Windows 7 PCs vary. For example, ZDNet estimates that there are approximately 200 million Windows 7 PCs, while Computer World's number crunching estimates that there will be 446 million Windows 7 systems by the end of this month (two months after the OS is retired).

Divide the difference and let's say 323 million systems. This is a huge number, and with Microsoft no longer providing updates, Windows 7 may become a more attractive target for hackers. On the plus side, Microsoft says it will continue to push MSE (Microsoft Security Essentials) definition updates for Windows 7 PCs. Of course, there are also third-party AV programs; if you're sticking with Windows 7, we strongly recommend that you don't neglect updating your AV, regardless of which program you use.

What operating system are you using these days, and if Windows 7, do you plan to upgrade to Windows 10?