16 PCWorld APRIL 2019NEWS WINDOWS 7 TO USE POP-UPS
receive them again, you’ll be able to select an
option for ‘do not notify me again,’ and we will
not send you any further reminders.”
Microsoft has previously experimented with
pop-up notifications across Windows 10—tips
to push users to OneDrive, for example. But
nothing was worse than the infamous “click the
X” pop-up that encouraged users to upgrade to
Windows 10, and essentially tricked users into
doing so (go.pcworld.com/trik). Users were
outraged. (Microsoft later eliminated the
pop-up (go.pcworld.com/elmn), but the
damage had already been done.)
By now, Microsoft’s position should be
clear: when Windows 7 officially exits support
on Jan. 14, 2020, that PC will be at a greater
risk of viruses and malware. (End of support
means that Microsoft will no longer provide
technical support for any issues at all, software
updates, or security updates.) Microsoft’s
attitude toward the transition has ranged from
gentle reminders to starker, more fearsome
warnings, and it’s not clear what language
Microsoft will use in its popup reminders.
It’s a major concern (and opportunity) for
Microsoft and the PC industry in general, as an
estimated 40 percent of all PCs run Windows 7,
according to NetMarketshare (go.pcworld.com/
ntmk). If all of those PCs converted to a paid copy
of Windows 10—or bought a new PC—it would
have a profound impact on the health of the PC
market, and Microsoft’s bottom line.
Microsoft may be finally taking a kinder,
gentler attitude toward the transition, though.What almost looks like a Microsoft ad is
embedded on a dedicated Microsoft Windows
7 site (go.pcworld.com/w7st) that attempts to
help educate Windows 7 users on what they
need to be concerned about. The video (go.
pcworld.com/w710) characterizes the transition
from Windows 7 to Windows 10 like replacing a
wallet, or upgrading from a beloved old clunker
to a more modern SUV. In both cases, the
owner is shown taking some personal (a picture,
or a necklace) from one device to the other—just
as files can be migrated from one PC to the next.The story behind the story: Since the free
transition from Windows 7 to Windows 10 has
long since expired, Microsoft’s job now is to
convince its most reluctant users to open their
wallets for either a new OS or a new PC. To
date, that hasn’t happened, at least where
Windows 7 is concerned. As the deadline
approaches, though, it will be critical to see
how Microsoft responds: increasingly
apocalyptic warnings? A gentle shrug?
A stubborn Windows 7 user doesn’t have
much choice: they must choose between risking
malware on an unsecured system, upgrading, or
abandoning the platform for the Mac or Linux. But
Microsoft would rather lock in users to buying a
recurring subscription rather than a one-time fee:
buying Windows 10 Home requires a one-time fee
of about $129.99. Office 365 Home costs $99.
per year. How Microsoft navigates the Windows 7
rapids could mean the difference between
smooth sailing and users abandoning ship.