More than 50 million Windows users face security threats. Reason: they use too “old” versions.

The concept of “old” can vary significantly depending on the context. A house from ten years ago is not necessarily considered old, and a mobile phone of the same age (think iPhone 6 or Samsung Galaxy S5) has probably already been replaced by a more modern model. The passage of time is usually more noticeable in technological productsespecially in software and more specifically in operating systems.

In the Windows world, the period of time that we can safely use a given version of the system is determined by the life cycle defined by Microsoft. When the version in question reaches the end of its life, it simply becomes obsolete because it is no longer supported or updated. Therefore, it is more risky to continue using it, and its compatibility with programs is decreasing day by day.

Millions of Windows users use outdated versions

Based on an analysis published by Paul Thurrott and figures released by Microsoft in the past, we can estimate that there are at least 1.5 billion devices currently running Windows. According to Statcounter, 3.77% of the total, about 56 million usersthey are using versions of the operating system that remain unsupported. In particular, we are talking about older Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 8 and Windows XP.

As we see, many people are still using these systems, which have long felt the weight of the years and whose shields in the face of the threats of the digital world are too weak. Redmond hasn’t forgotten these old products. It’s not that the company decided to release a surprise update, but that it published an article that lists the risks that users face and what to do about it.

The US firm notes that the above-mentioned versions are “incompatible”, so they expose their users to malware that could ultimately lead to the loss or theft of their personal information. Microsoft recommends “upgrading to latest version of Windows“, in this case it is Windows 11. Let’s stop for a moment at this stage to analyze why the company is offering this route and whether we have any other alternative.

If you currently have a computer running Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, or Windows XP, you can upgrade to Windows 10 by purchasing a license. This will depend on whether they meet the hardware requirements of this system released in 2015. It should be noted that support for Windows 10 will end in October 2025, so you will have to deal with a temporary solution. In some ways, it makes sense to upgrade to Windows 11.

The decision to upgrade to Windows 11 isn’t that easy either. The first obstacle is the hardware requirements. Computers running older versions of Windows that we mentioned will not be compatible with Windows 11mainly in terms of processors and Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0. The second drawback is that there is no free update either. You will need to purchase a license.

In this case, millions of users, both home and business, will sooner or later have to purchase new hardware to upgrade to Windows 11 if they want to continue receiving updates. This is a pretty significant change that we haven’t seen in recent years. Windows 10 has over 60% market share of Windows systems just a year after becoming a legacy operating system.

Images | Microsoft

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