Full screen warnings to be displayed on Windows 7

Dec 12, 2019 13:13 GMT  ·  By

Windows 7 is projected to reach the end of support on January 14, and one day later, Microsoft will begin a more aggressive campaign whose purpose is to make people aware that their operating system would no longer receive any updates.

As I said several times, upgrade notifications are a necessary evil, simply because there are too many users out there who just don’t know that Windows 7 is approaching the end of support.

Or worse, they don’t know what this means and why it’s critical for them to update to supported Windows going forward.

So beginning January 15, Microsoft will turn to full-screen upgrade warnings that will be displayed on the desktop on devices still running Windows 7. Here’s what you need to know about this new notification.

What is says

The notification message is as straightforward as possible and tells users that Windows 7 is no longer supported, so an upgrade to Windows 10 is required. The text is the following:

“Your Windows 7 PC is out of support.

As of January 14, 2020, support for Windows 7 has come to an end. Your PC is more vulnerable to viruses and malware due to: No security updates No software updates No tech support Microsoft strongly recommends using Windows 10 on a new PC for the latest security features and protection against malicious software.”

While Windows 8.1 still receives updates and can be the next destination for Windows 7 users, Microsoft recommends users to switch to Windows 10. And at the same time, it advises them to buy a new PC, despite the fact that Windows 10 should run smoothly on a device powered by Windows 7 in the first place. Indeed, some features do require new hardware, such as Windows Ink and touch support, but for a traditional Windows experience, a Windows 7 device should easily run Windows 10.

The notification is already on your PC

Microsoft has already deployed the necessary files to power the notification on your PC as part of the December 2019 Patch Tuesday.

More specifically, the monthly rollup shipped on December 10 to Windows include the executable file that will be first launched on January 15.

It is called:


EOSnotify.exe
And it’s located at:
%windir%\system32\
As per GHacks, the notification will be powered by two scheduled tasks called:
EOSNotify
EOSNotify2
The tasks were created on December 10 and are scheduled to run after logging in to the desktop and daily at 12PM.

You can dismiss the message

The upgrade prompt will allow users to block it from showing up again thanks to an option called “Don’t remind me again.” A separate feature to “Remind me later” will also be offered alongside a link to learn more about the Windows 7 end of support.

Microsoft promises that if you click the “Don’t’ remind me again” button, the upgrade will no longer show up on your device anymore. Of course, this is something that remains to be seen after the end of support is reached on January 14.

Windows 10 custom updates and Microsoft Security Essentials

The notification won’t be displayed for devices included in the ESU (Extended Security Updates) program available with a fee for enterprises. On the other hand, it’ll show up on Windows 7 Starter, Windows 7 Home Basic, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, and Windows 7 Ultimate.

Domain-joined machines or systems running in kiosk mode won’t get the notification.

Microsoft says the notification will stay on your screen until you interact with it and click one of the options detailed above.

Also, Microsoft Security Essentials for Windows 7 will also be discontinued on January 14, and further virus definitions wouldn’t be released.