Are there valid reasons to remain on Windows 7 and is it safe to do so?
byMark Townsend
•
10 May, 2020
•
What if you run software that doesn't work on Windows 10?
With Windows 10 v2004 due for release shortly and Windows 7 now 5 months past its 'end of support' date are there valid reasons to still be running it? My experience is showing that while most Home Users have either upgraded to Windows 10 or purchased a new machine that many small businesses are still running Windows 7. When I question business owners they have reasons that they believe make it essential to continue with Windows 7 but don't really understand the security implications. Can you make it secure? Well, only if you are a business that is large enough to be able to pay Microsoft for extended support and that isn't your average business with 1 - 10 staff.
Some customers believe that all you need is up to date Antivirus Software and that does obviously help with one type of risk but they are missing the risk posed by security vulnerabilities that exist within the Operating System and Web Browser that Microsoft are no longer patching with Windows Security Updates. Avoiding Internet Explorer and using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox provides a bit of added security but doesn't guarantee you are safe.
The main reasons quoted to me for remaining on Windows 7 are that the customer is running specific software that doesn't work on Windows 10 and also that they don't have the installation disks. We won't go too deep into why they don't have the installation disks but there are some options to get the software to work with Windows 10. If you carry out an upgrade rather than a clean install the software often just works even though you are not expecting it to. During the upgrade process a check is made on the software and if it definitely isn't going to work on Windows 10 you will be notified and can just abort the upgrade process. If it doesn't work after upgrading you can also run the program in Windows 7 compatibility mode. I have managed to get many programs working in this way when the owner thought this would not be possible. If you actually have the disks you can also test this on another Windows 10 machine first and then choose to either upgrade or not based on the results. The other good news is that as at the last time I checked (March 2020) it is still possible to get a free upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10.
In the event that none of the above works for you and you must keep these programs running then I recommend moving your e-mail, finance and other operations to a new Windows 10 machine and then disconnect your Windows 7 machine from the Internet to use as a standalone machine for the programs that don't run on Windows 10. I would also recommend making a clone of the Hard Disk in the machine because if you wake up one day and the disk has failed then that will be it. Computer repair businesses will more than likely be able to recover your data (if you don't have a backup) but without the installation disks you won't get your programs running on Windows 7 again.
So why should you remove your machine from the Internet? I have mentioned above the security vulnerabilities that exist in both Windows 7 and Internet Explorer. These vulnerabilities are relevant to both home users and businesses but particularly in the case of businesses; you will be in breach of GDPR if you store customer information on that machine. By customer information I mean names, addresses and telephone numbers just for a start. The security vulnerabilities put this information at risk and therefore that is where the breach occurs. This information needs to be moved to a Windows 10 Computer or the Windows 7 Computer disconnected from the Internet. The other thing to bear in mind is what would happen if you had money stolen during an online banking operation or credit card transaction. Under normal circumstances where such an issue occurs your money is refunded but you are required to carry out all reasonable steps to make sure the Computer you are using is secure. Are the bank likely to conclude that running a Computer that has received an 'end of support' notification and no security updates for 5 months is taking all reasonable steps to ensure your Computer is secure?
As always Churchdown Computers are here to offer advice or carry out any Operating System upgrades or Data Transfers that you require. Just call Mark on 07557 483438, e-mail mark@churchdowncomputers.co.uk or fill out the form at the bottom of theContact page.
