News hardware One of the most hated Windows is (finally) put to death by Microsoft

The end of extended support for an operating system generally spells the end of its use under good conditions. More Updates Means More Closing Security Holes, and therefore more protection against the many threats of the Web. And this is what awaits Windows 8.1 from January 10, 2023.

Windows 8.1, a long-planned end

It is therefore in just over six months that Microsoft will stop updating Windows 8.1an unloved operating system, but one that still has followers. Last May, 3.06% of machines equipped with a version of Windows worldwide were still using Windows 8.1, according to StatCounter. For comparison, in the same month, Windows 7 was still present on 13.03% of machines.

The few people still using Windows 8.1 will trade to receive alerts on their machine from next July 10. They will then be invited to change the operating system without delay. It must be said that playing the surprise in the face of the announcement of the end of support for Windows 8.1 is rather inappropriate, since Microsoft fixed the fate of this OS in October 2016. Mainstream support for the operating system has ended since January 2018.

What will happen after January 10, 2023?

The end of extended support for Windows 8.1 does not mean that the machines that will still be equipped with it on that date will happily self-destruct. Unlike Internet Explorer which is no longer accessible, the operating system will continue to work on computers that have it. Only, it will no longer be possible to have updates.

Software and services compatible with Windows 8.1 will also become increasingly rare since they will no longer be updated either. Generally, the end of extended support for an OS motivates third-party publishers to stop offering their solutions on this platform.. In short, Win 8.1 will slowly, but surely, become totally obsolete. But as with all versions of Microsoft’s system, there will always be a little resistance: the proof, 0.39% of users still have Windows XP on their PC.

For Windows 8.1 users, it’s the tile!

The need to checkout

The most relevant solution is therefore to switch from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10, provided that the computer is compatible. It is highly unlikely that the machine will be technically capable of upgrading to Windows 11unless you have installed Windows 8.1 on a recent computer, which seems like a curious choice.

In all cases, affected users will have to get their hands on the wallet, because Microsoft does not offer a free update to move from Windows 8.1 to another of its operating systems. Enough to motivate those reluctant to change to keep their current interface…