How Long Can I Continue to Use Windows 7 After 2020

• Windows 7 end of support

• Disable Windows 7 end of support notification

• Get Windows 7 Extended Security Updates

• How to stay as safe as before after windows 7 end of life?

• Summary

Windows 7 end of support

According to the Microsoft website, it has stopped providing free technical assistance and software updates, bug fixes for Windows 7 on January 14, 2020, and it's highly recommended that upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 10 to get safety protection. Otherwise, you probably encounter other threats like cyber-attack, viruses, etc.

However, what to do if you still want to use Windows 7 after January 2020? First of all, you may need to check how to block TCP port 445 to survive from virus like WannaCry Ransomware.

Disable Windows 7 end of support notification

If you're currently running Windows 7 system, like Starter, Home Basic or Premium, Professional or Ultimate version, and installed Windows update KB4530734 (includes EOSnotify.exe), you might receive the full-screen information every day: Your Windows 7 PC is out of support.

If you don't want to see the warning and continue using Windows 7, you could click Don't remind me again option, or uninstall the Windows KB4530734 update, or just disable the notice by editing the registry key as follows:

1. Press Win+R Keys;

2. Type Regedit in theRun dialog and hit Ente r;

3. Find the following path to set:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ EOSNotify]

4. Then, modify or create a new 32-bit DWORD value DiscontinueEOS, then set the value to 1.(Even if you are running 64-bit Windows, you can only create a 32-bit DWORD value)

Now Windows 7 PC is out of support warning is blocked. And Windows 7 will not stop working, it will run as usual. However, your Windows PC will face more risks if you do not get critical updates.

Get Windows 7 Extended Security Updates

Is it safe to run Windows 7 after January 14, 2020? Of course not, unless you get Windows Extended Security Updates.

You could not stay on Windows 7 forever but could use it another 3 years. Because Windows 7 Extended Security Update (ESU) includes a maximum of three years for critical and important security updates if you paid for it, and it will end on January 10, 2023.

Note: The Windows 7 ESU is available for Windows 7 Professional and Enterprise Edition.

Can you get Extended Security update for free? Yes but limited. For security updates only, you could receive Windows 7 ESU for free from Microsoft Windows Virtual Desktop, which provides a Windows 7 device with free Extended Security Updates through January 2023.

The cost for Windows 7 Extended Security Updates quite expensive. The Windows 7 ESU (not for home user) is sold on a per-device basis, and the price increases each year:

• For Windows 7 Enterprise organizations, it will cost $25 per device in the first year, $50 per device in the second year, and $100 per device in the third.

• For Windows 7 Pro organizations, it will cost $50 per device in the first year, $100 per device in the second year, and $200 per device in the third.

How to stay as safe as before after windows 7 end of life?

Although you could receive significant updates from Windows 7 Extended Security Updates after January, it does not mean that you can relax your vigilance. It's highly recommended to backup your Windows 7 data to external hard drive just in case.

The comprehensive yet free backup software - AOMEI Backupper Standard will do you a big favor. You could use it to backup Windows 7 operating system and program files, and important personal documents, even entire hard drive to other locations, like external hard drive, local drive, USB flash drive, CD/DVD, NAS, network share, and clouds, etc.

Here is how to backup Windows 7 computer to external hard drive with AOMEI Backupper Standard, follow the instructions:

Download Freeware

Win 10/8.1/8/7/XP

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Step 1. Run the AOMEI Backupper Standard after installing.

Step 2. Choose theBackup tab at the left panel, and select Disk Backup.

Step 3. Click + Add Disk button to add your Windows 7 System hard drive (or multiple hard drives) as a source disk to backup.

Step 4. Then choose an external hard drive as the destination to save the disk backup image file (suffix with .adi).

✦ Tips:
☂You could modify the Task Name to distinguish with others.
☂Options: It allows you to comment backup, enable encryption for backups (only in paid version), Email notification, compress, split backup image, choose backup mode, etc.
☂Schedule: You may want to set the disk backup daily, weekly, monthly, or event trigger, USB plug in (the last two only in paid version), the task will run at the time you set. Besides, you could choose a way to perform the scheduled backup, Incremental backup, Full backup, and Differential backup (only in paid version).
☂Scheme: This is a paid function, you could set the number of backups to retain for Full Backup Scheme, Incremental Backup Scheme, Differential Backup Scheme, Space Management Scheme, etc.

Step 5. Click Start Backup>> button to backup all the data in Windows 7 computer.

Now, your Windows 7 computer will run safely, there is no need to worry about data loss before January 2023. There are some useful features, you might be interested in real-time sync, dissimilar hardware restore, etc.

Summary

Furthermore, cloning the entire hard drive is another great way to keep your data safe. Can I still use Windows 7 after 2020? The answer is positive, but less than 3 years. So, upgrade for Windows 7 to Windows 10 is the ultimate way, make sure your computer meets the corresponding conditions to upgrade. Or just buy another Windows 10 computer.

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Source: https://www.ubackup.com/windows-7/can-i-still-use-windows-7-after-2020-5740.html

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