The end of extended support for Windows 8.1 will end in six months. Microsoft will begin in July to alert people still using it.
The countdown has started in earnest. In just over six months, extended support for Windows 8.1 will end. By then, the few individuals and companies still using this version of the operating system must have completed their migration to Windows 10 or Windows 11. Because after January 10, 2023, there will be no more support.
No free updates for Windows 8.1
We have already known this deadline for a very long time. It had been announced in October 2016. At the time, it was only a question of a sidelining of the OS, but progressive: the standard support would last a little more than a month. year, until January 2018. Then, for the following five years, it was under the extended support regime that Windows 8.1 was maintained.
The upcoming end of Microsoft’s support for Windows 8.1 was recalled on June 23 by journalist Mary-Jo Foley, a specialist in American business. The group plans on this subject to start issuing warning notifications in July 2022 to those still on the operating system. Early warnings, to leave room for migration.
It is important to change OS before January 10, 2023. Windows 8.1 will still work after this date, but any vulnerability or failure emerging then would no longer be taken into account by Microsoft at all. Support for applications and services will also fade, as third-party vendors increasingly focus their efforts on the latest systems.
Upgrading to Windows 10 or 11 will require a small financial effort, since migration from Windows 8.1 is not offered. This is what the American company recalls in a frequently asked questions. This expense may be a barrier, but it must be qualified in comparison with a more serious problem caused by an unplugged flaw in Windows 8.1, for lack of a patch.
