Windows 7 is about to enter its final quarter before going end of life
byMark Townsend
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13 Oct, 2019
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What are the options available to you?
Windows 7 has been around since 2007 and has proved to be a very popular Operating System for both Businesses and Home Users. It was the Operating System that Windows Vista was supposed to, be but all good things come to end. Windows 7 users will have seen regular pop-ups appearing with their Updates that Support will be ending on 14th January 2020 and it's time to upgrade. I have previously covered the risks of doing nothing and not upgradinghereso this article will focus on how you can upgrade.
The most simple option is to go out and buy a new Computer, reinstall your favourite programs and copy over your Documents, Pictures, Videos and Music from your old Computer. Many people will know how to accomplish this task but if you don't Churchdown Computers can do this for you. What if your old Computer isn't really that old and it still has plenty of life left in it? The first thing to do is check whether it is capable of running Windows 10. Most Manufacturers have what is known as an HCL or Hardware Compatibility List. So for instance if you own an HP you can go to hp.com and check whether your make and model is capable of running Windows 10. It is sometimes quicker to Google 'HP windows 10 compatibility list' rather than go to hp.com and hunt for it. Alternatively you can just google 'is my HP XXX compatible with Windows 10' where 'XXX' is your model number. There are two things to be cautious of here. 1 - If you end up in a forum you are taking somebody else's opinion rather than that of HP. 2 - I have successfully upgraded many Computers where the Manufacturer stated it wasn't compatible with Windows 10. This is down to the Manufacturer playing safe and offering no guarantees.
Assuming your Computer is capable of running Windows 10 can you still get a free Windows 10 Licence? The answer as at the last time I checked (late September) is 'YES'. Nobody knows how long this will be the case as the FREE upgrade was supposed to be withdrawn several years ago and thus it could be withdrawn at any time. If I had to guess I would guess it will go on 14th January 2020 but it could just as easily go on longer or be withdrawn before. If you can upgrade and get a free licence then what other things should you consider? Churchdown Computers offer a couple of options. The first one is straightforward upgrade to Windows 10 and the second option involves upgrading the existing Hard Disk Drive to a Solid State Drive. The older and slower your existing Computer is the more it will benefit from a Solid State Drive. Solid State Drives run at 10 x the speed of traditional Hard Disk Drives and therefore you are getting a substantial performance boost at the same time as your Windows 10 upgrade. This will considerably help with the extra demands.
I have lost count of the number of Customers that are going to contact me during December or early January for their upgrade to Windows 10. If they all come back to me I will be struggling to fit them in alongside the already busy support side of my Business. There is also the possibility the FREE Windows 10 Licence may be gone. I can't offer guarantees on what Microsoft may or may not do. To encourage people to think about upgrading early I have a special offer running between 1st October 2019 and 30th November 2019. To take advantage of this offer you need to quote WIN10OFFER.
So what does it all cost? At present you can still get a FREE Windows 10 Licence rather than paying the retail price of £110 for Windows 10 Home or double that for Windows 10 Pro. Churchdown Computers are offering a standard upgrade for a fixed price £70. There is a further option to upgrade to an SSD as well which is £90. PLEASE NOTE this price is for the labour only and you will need to purchase the SSD either through us or yourself on top of the £90. So either way you can get the upgrade done for you at less than the cost of a Windows 10 Licence. There are some T&C's for the offer and these are listed below.
1. You must be running a retail version of Windows 7 Home or Professional. Business or Ex Business Computers licenced with a Volume Licence cannot obtain a FREE Windows 10 Licence. 2. There is no upgrade path from earlier Operating Systems like Windows XP or Windows Vista but you may be able to do a clean installation. 3. Your Computer must be compatible with and capable of running Windows 10. 4. The upgrade will be carried out at Churchdown Computers address and not at your Home address as we do for normal support work. 5. If you choose the SSD option you will need to purchase or ask us to purchase an SSD for you on top of the £90 quoted.
If you would like Churchdown Computers to carry out the upgrade for you and get you a free Windows 10 Licence then call Mark on 07557 483438, e-mail mark@churchdowncomputers.co.uk or fill out the form at the bottom of theContact page.
