Once a product is released, it sets in motion a support lifecycle. For Microsoft products this is a minimum of 5 years mainstream support, where Microsoft will offer upgrades to the product itself, and then a further minimum 5 years of extended support from the products general availability, which will still provide security and reliability patches.

There’s a little more to it than that, and if you wish to know exactly how a products lifecycle is worked out, then please visit Microsofts frequently asked support lifecycle questions. But we’re going to give you the key dates for Windows 7 and Windows 8.

Microsoft’s Windows 7, released in October 2009, reached the end of it’s mainstream support in January 2015. It is scheduled to reach the end of extended support on 14th January 2020.

For more information about keeping your software up to date, and your business safer from cyber attacks, please feel free to contact one of our support engineers.