14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 7 will begin displaying notifications on the desktop in order to let users know that support for this OS version comes to an end in January 2020.
Microsoft wants the world to be fully prepared for the Windows 7 end of support, especially because the 2009 operating system remains the second most popular desktop platform at the moment.
The notifications will show up the first time next month and Microsoft describes them as “courtesy reminders” that you’ll be able to block if you find them annoying.
“This is a courtesy reminder that you can expect to see a handful of times in 2019. By starting the reminders now, our hope is that you have time to plan and prepare for this transition. These notifications are designed to help provide information only,” Matt Barlow, Corporate Vice President, Windows, says.
Upgrade to Windows 10
The notifications will come with a “do not notify me again” option, but also with a link to let you “learn more” about the transition to Windows 10. So while essentially these notifications are supposed to alert you that the end of support for Windows 7 is approaching, they are also trying to convince users to migrate to Windows 10.
Microsoft used a similar approach in 2015 when it rolled out Windows 10. At that time, the company installed an application called “Get Windows 10” on Windows 7 devices, and a notification displayed occasionally prompted users to move to the new OS version. The app was also responsible for a series of forced upgrades to Windows 10.
Microsoft seems to suggest the new approach would be much friendlier and the new notifications will be completely different, as their only purpose is to inform you that the end of support is approaching. Most likely, the majority of Windows 7 users will just block them from the first run.