100 PCWorld FEBRUARY 2020HERE’S HOW WINDOWS 7 IS DEAD
date if you need them. You might not,
though. I was able to live my online life
surprisingly well (go.pcworld.com/lvwl)
without them seven long years ago, and it’s
even easier today, though it’s hard to replace
some of the meatier features in Reader (go.
pcworld.com/rder). Kick Flash and Java to
the curb and only install them if needed.
They’re in their twilight years.
Audit all your installed software, including
browser plug-ins. If you don’t use it, ditch it.
Many standalone programs offer an option to
update automatically to newer
versions as they’re pushed out.
Activate it.INSTALL ANTIVIRUS
SOFTWARE
The free antivirus that Microsoft
offers for Windows users works
great for most users, but it
won’t receive updates now that
Windows 7 is end-of-life. Yes,
Windows Security Essentials is
dead too (go.pcworld.com/sees). Now that your operating system won’t
receive security patches it’s even more
crucial to run protection on your PC. That
expired version of McAfee that came with
your computer isn’t going to cut it.
An activated version might, though there
are better options. Most security suites will
continue to support Windows 7 for a while,
and our guide to the best antivirus suites for
Windows (go.pcworld.com/anvr) can help
you find your best option. While you can
cobble together an arsenal of free security“Support for Office 2010 ending October 13, 2020,” says the message popping up on Office 2010
screens everywhere.Norton Security Premium will help keep a Windows 7 PC safe.