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  Geebo 8:07 am on January 14, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cybersecurity ( 37 ), Linux, Windows 10 ( 3 ), windows 7 ( 2 )   

  Windows 7 is no longer supported, what should you do? 

  

  As of today, January 14th, 2020, the Windows 7 operating system is no longer supported by Microsoft. This means that as of today, Microsoft will no longer be providing security updates for Windows 7 as the operating system has reached its end of life. If you currently have a computer that runs Windows 7, you could be vulnerable to malicious attacks. Not only that but you could also leave any other computer connected to your network vulnerable to attack. In short, if your Windows 7 computer is currently connected to the internet, your data and information are at great risk. So let’s discuss what you can do to correct that.

  The first thing you want to do is back up all your data. Most security experts recommend the 3-2-1 method. That means make 3 backups on 2 different forms of media with at least 1 copy kept offsite. The easiest way to proceed from here would be to purchase a new copy of Windows 10 for over $100. That’s as long as you don’t have an older computer that doesn’t meet the requirements to run Windows 10. Microsoft says that no computer over 3 years old should install windows 10, however, Windows 10 has been known to run on older computers. A good rule of thumb may be to only install Windows 10 on a computer that had Windows 7 or 8 pre-installed.

  But if you don’t feel like spending a lot of money to upgrade to Windows 10 there is an unofficial way to get the update for free. While Microsoft isn’t advertising this method, they’re not discouraging it either. The steps for that process can be found at this link and they’re not as hard as they may seem. Be warned that this isn’t a guaranteed method for everyone.

  [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o7By0cifNI%5D

  If your computer is not capable of running Windows 10 all is not lost. There are a number of free operating systems that fall under the Linux umbrella that should be able to be installed on your computer. If you want one that resembles Windows 7 there is a Linux distribution, or distro for short, known as Zorin OS. They have instructions on how to install their system on your computer. One of the benefits of using Linux over Windows is that Linux is more secure. While Linux does not run Windows programs natively there are many Linux versions of your favorite apps. There are also Linux alternatives for most of your favorite Windows apps.

  Just remember to back up all of your data before attempting any of these upgrades or changes.

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  Geebo 9:01 am on April 13, 2017 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Linux, Windows ( 3 ), Windows VIsta   

  Support for Windows Vista has ended, what can you do? 

  

  Among the tech set there has always been an unwritten rule when it comes to iterations of the Windows operating system. They say that you should skip every other release. For example, Windows 7 was a big hit among users, while Windows 8 was not very popular to say the least. Meanwhile the current generation OS, Windows 10, has been begrudgingly popular. (For the record, there was no Windows 9.) Now, one of those installations that should have been skipped, Windows Vista, has come to its end of life cycle, meaning parent company Microsoft will no longer support the operating system with security updates and patches.

  That doesn’t mean that there still aren’t machines out there using the now discontinued operating system. If you have one of those machines, you may be wondering what your options are when it comes to securing your computer. Unfortunately, the solutions aren’t that great. If you continue to use a Vista machine that’s connected to the internet you can run into several security issues that could compromise your machine with malware and viruses that could render your machine inoperable in a worst case scenario. Users of Windows 7 and 8 were offered free upgrades of Windows 10, unfortunately that offer was not extended to users of Vista. That means if you wanted to update to Windows 10 you could either shell out $120 for the operating system itself or several hundred dollars to buy a new machine that comes pre-installed with Windows 10.

  There is a small light at the end of the tunnel though if you’re willing to take some steps out of your comfort zone. If you’re currently running Vista, that more than likely means you’re running an older machine since Vista was only released on machines from 2007 to 2009. If you’re not afraid to experiment there are a number of free operating systems out there that are specifically designed to work on older machines while keeping them secure. Most of them are free alternatives to Windows known as Linux. While you can’t necessarily run Windows programs on them, there are many free alternatives to the Windows programs that you’re used to using. The most popular versions of Linux currently are Ubuntu and Linux Mint which both have a strong community and detailed instructions to get you started. While installing Linux may seem intimidating at first, it becomes easier as it goes along. Not only will this keep your machine secure for the foreseeable future but it will keep you from having to spend additional funds as well.