Early this month, Microsoft has said it will begin notifying Windows 7 users upgrade to Windows 10 from April since the favorite operating system will be out of support on January 14, 2020. Recently, this company has released Windows 7 patch KB4493132 for Windows 7 to enable these reminders. Continue reading more.
Windows 7 Patch KB4493132 Is Released to Enable End of Support Notifications
Windows 7 Will End in 2020
Right now, Windows 10 is the latest operating system of Microsoft, but there are probably quite a lot of users out there who may be still on older platforms, for example, Windows 7 or Windows 8. As to users who are still using Windows 7 that is the second popular desktop operating system, now Microsoft is starting to remind them that it is time to upgrade to Windows 10.
Why? As is well known, Microsoft is ready to end support of Windows 7 on January 2020. This information had been told to users long before.
Windows 7 KB4493132 Update
The giant has already started looking for some ways to notify users about the upcoming changes. Recently, Microsoft has confirmed that it will show users end of support notifications on Windows 7 so as to let everyone be conscious of these changes and risks of using an OS that won’t have updates in 2020.
Reportedly, the notifications are scheduled to start displaying on Windows 7 machines from April 18. And recently, Microsoft has published an optional Windows 7 patch KB4493132 that enables the support notifications to tell users about future changes.
The new update is available via Windows Update. But users should know it will only be installed automatically if the machine is set to receive automatic updates.
In the release notes of KB4493132, Microsoft writes “After 10 years of servicing, January 14, 2020, is the last day Microsoft will offer security updates for computers running Windows 7 SP1. This update enables reminders about Windows 7 end of support“.
Windows 7 End of Support Notifications
As bleepingcomputer says, when users install Windows 7 KB4493132 update, it will create a new executable file: C:\Windows\System32\sipnotify.exe that is launched by two scheduled tasks called Notify 1 and Notify 2 which live in the Microsoft\Windows\End Of Support folder.
When executed, the program will check whether the date is between April 18, 2019, and January 15, 2020. If so, a notification will be displayed and says “After 10 years, support for Windows 7 is nearing an end…Change can be difficult, that’s why we’re reaching out early to help you back up your files and prepare for what’s next”.
Some users may ask how to stop Windows 7 end of support notifications. The best way is to avoid Windows 7 KB4493132 patch, namely, don’t install the update. But if users have installed the update, users can uninstall the specific update that generates the notifications. However, Microsoft says that it gives users control with a checkbox Do not remind me again.
Besides, on the notifications page, there is a Learn more button. When clicking it, users can go to Microsoft’s Windows 7 page to know more information about moving to Windows 10.
What Should Windows 7 Users Do
According to Microsoft, users can continue to use the PC running Windows 7 but no continued software and security updates are offered. This will be at greater risk for malware and viruses.
Besides, after the cut-off date, Microsoft will extend support and security updates to 2023 for users. However, they need to pay for extended support.
Going forward, the best way to stay secure is on Windows 10. Microsoft offers a 3-step plan for moving past Windows 7: back up important files and photos, check out the latest PCs and get tips on Windows 10.
Of course, you can choose to reinstall the operating system to the place where Windows 7 is installed. To do this, it is recommended to back up important files before reinstallation with Windows backup software, MiniTool ShadowMaker.
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Vera is an editor of the MiniTool Team since 2016 who has more than 7 years’ writing experiences in the field of technical articles. Her articles mainly focus on disk & partition management, PC data recovery, video conversion, as well as PC backup & restore, helping users to solve some errors and issues when using their computers. In her spare times, she likes shopping, playing games and reading some articles.
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