Microsoft has officially ended its support for Windows 7 and 8.1 for good, forcing users to upgrade to Windows 10 or 11.

If you are one of those who are still clinging onto Windows 7 with your PC despite Microsoft ending support for it in 2020, Microsoft has finally put the nail in the coffin this 2023, as it kills off Windows 7 for good. Aside from Windows 7, Microsoft announced that it will also end support for Windows 8.1, which is not as loved as Windows 7.

When Microsoft said it is for good, it is referring to ending its Extended Security Update (ESU) program for Windows 7, where Professional and Enterprise users using the aging operating system have to pay a fee in order to still use it and have support from Microsoft. However, Microsoft thinks that the premiere of Avatar 2 in theaters should justify that they should end support for Windows 7 for real and force everyone to upgrade to either Windows 10 or 11.

Windows 7 came out back in 2009, and it was also the same year that the first Avatar movie hit cinemas.

Unlike Windows 7, which powers around 10% of PCs worldwide, Windows 8.1 has a significantly smaller market share because people were opposed to all the changes Microsoft made with it–which led to users clinging on to Windows 7 or just upgrade directly to Windows 10.

With both Windows 7 and 8.1 no longer having support from Microsoft, users now have no choice but to either 1) buy a new PC, or 2) upgrade to Windows 10 or 11 IF their PC is qualified for it.