News JVTech Please note, if you are using this version of Windows, its final update is coming this week
Condemned by Microsoft for many years, Windows 8.1 receives its final update this Tuesday, January 10. The Redmond firm strongly encourages users to change operating systems, and even computers.
All good things come to an end, and so do the less good things. As such, one can quite easily consider that Windows 8.1 is not the best version of Microsoft’s operating systembut none the less still used by about 2.59% of PC ownersaccording to figures published in December 2022 by StatCounter.
This therefore represents a few million users worldwide, and they will have to mourn the updates of their operating system this week. In effect, it is this Tuesday, January 10 that Microsoft publishes its ultimate “Patch Tuesday” for Windows 8.1.
No extended support for Windows 8.1
As a reminder, Windows 8.1 will reach end of support on January 10, 2023, at which time technical support and software updates will no longer be provided.explains Microsoft on its official website. “Microsoft will not provide an Extended Security Update (ESU) program for Windows 8.1. Continuing to use Windows 8.1 after January 10, 2023 may increase an organization’s exposure to security risks or affect its ability to meet compliance obligations. »
With Windows 8.1, there is therefore no real “soft” shutdown : the cut is brutal for the users. Microsoft is obviously looking to get owners of a PC that still works with this operating system to react quickly, to encourage them to update their equipment without further delay.
Microsoft wants Windows 8.1 users to change OS, but not only
The solution to avoid any risk associated with an operating system that is no longer up to date is, of course, to change OS to a newer version. But it’s a safe bet that a computer that runs on Windows 8.1 is completely incompatible with Windows 11, which is Microsoft’s newest operating system.
Windows 8.1 was released in October 2013 : it was a free update of Windows 8, whose concrete marketing did not last very long since the OS was replaced by Windows 10 in July 2015. It is therefore rather probable that certain machines which equipped with them have been operating for almost 10 years. Gold, the prerequisites for using Windows 11 require having recent componentsin particular a TPM 2.0 chip present within the motherboard.
This is the reason why Microsoft doesn’t just recommend changing the operating system… but actually changing the computer.
“You may be able to upgrade your Windows 8.1 device to a newer version of Windows, but our best option is to upgrade to a new PC capable of running Windows. »
A planned obsolescence which can be criticized, but which, in the case of Windows 11, is explained by the presence within this OS of many features related to data protection. However, keep in mind that Windows 8.1 will continue to work even after updates are stopped : it is appropriate for everyone to make the choice, or not, to change the operating system.
