Windows Vista end of life

You knew the day was coming, correct? This PC World article “Windows Vista has just 30 days to live” is a reminder that if your old PC’s still running Windows Vista, you’ll be facing a decision soon.

In a month’s time, Microsoft will put Windows Vista to rest once and for all. If you’re one of the few people still using it, you have just a few weeks to find another option before time runs out.

After April 11, 2017, Microsoft will no longer support Windows Vista: no new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options, or online technical content updates, Microsoft says. (Mainstream Vista support expired in 2012.) Like it did for Windows XP, Microsoft has moved on to better things after a decade of supporting Vista.

As Microsoft notes, however, running an older operating system means taking risks—and those risks will become far worse after the deadline. Vista’s Internet Explorer 9 has long since expired, and the lack of any further updates means that any existing vulnerabilities will never be patched—ever. Even if you have Microsoft’s Security Essentials installed—Vista’s own antivirus program—you’ll only receive new signatures for a limited time.

Typically this means that it’s time for a new computer. I’ve helped a few clients make this transition. It’s a major change. Time to maybe even rethink whether you want another PC. Maybe something simpler or with less worries? An Apple Mac, iPad, Chromebook? What can’t you do on your smartphone?

A friend just recently finally replaced his old Vista notebook PC with a new Windows 10 notebook PC. Like night and day. Another friend introduced me to a woman who moved into a condo unit. She found an old Vista PC sitting in the vacated unit, left there by the previous owner. She wanted to upgrade it to Windows 10 and use it for a few things. I said to dispose of it (as hazardous electronic waste). She uses a Chromebook.