Windows 7 mainstream support ends, but don’t panic — mashable.com

Welcome, Windows 7 users, to the day you’ve been dreading: the end of mainstream support. Starting Tuesday, Microsoft will stop pushing out new features, end free support and halt any update not related to security for its six-year-old operating system. That’s the bad news. The good news: The 56% of desktop users still running Windows 7 can expect Microsoft’s “extended support” until 2020. Microsoft’s slow and steady effort to stamp out Windows 7 in favor of Windows 8.1 is not new. The company ended consumer retail sales last November (no more Windows 7 boxes in stores), though it will continue to let computer manufacturers sell systems with Windows 7 pre-installed. In fact, the company promises to give at least a year’s notice before ending that program.

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