An urgent alert from Microsoft leaves Windows users facing a costly decision

[ad_1]

There have been warnings for months, but this week will finally see one of Microsoft’s popular operating systems sent to the tech junkyard. The American software giant has officially confirmed that Windows 8.1 will lose all support from January 10th, and this is really bad news for anyone who still has this software installed on their devices. It also leaves PC owners with a very costly decision.

Once Windows is no longer supported, it leaves devices vulnerable to a plethora of issues including unpatched vulnerabilities and cyberthieves who are able to launch attacks without stopping them in their tracks.

That’s because Microsoft will no longer push out any bug patches or fixes for known security issues.

As the company explains on its Windows support pages, “Once a Microsoft operating system (OS) reaches end of support, customers will no longer receive technical assistance, software updates, or security fixes.”

While PCs will continue to run Windows 8.1, without constant software updates, devices will be more vulnerable to viruses, malware, and cyber threats.

Read more: BMW reveals its vision of the future, inspired by the cars of the past

It’s a serious problem, and with the latest stats showing that 2.5 percent of the world’s computers still have this software installed, that means millions will be at risk later this week.

With Windows 10 updates scheduled to be canceled in 2025, Microsoft is now urging users to move to Windows 11.

“We recommend upgrading to a version of Windows that is still supported,” Microsoft said. “A new device that can run Windows 11 makes the transition easy and a great experience.”

Of course, this is good advice but it comes with a heavy price.

Most of the older devices cannot run the latest operating system as they need certain system requirements including a powerful processor and TPM 2.0. TPM stands for Trusted Platform Module and it’s a built-in hardware security feature that you’ll find on newer hardware.

This means that a lot can be left grappling with the costly decision of buying a brand new laptop.

New Windows 11 PCs can be bought for around £400, but that’s still an expense people don’t need right after Christmas.

If you’re using Windows 8.1 and don’t feel like using a new computer, be aware that starting Tuesday, it could become a bigger target for cyberthieves and any bugs that come up won’t be fixed.

[ad_2]