An antivirus vendor has sounded a warning that millions of Windows 7 PCs are out of date. Avast conducted a research that showed a large fraction of these computers are running unsupported solutions.
Operating systems and software, both.
According to the findings, millions of Windows 7 computers are still running the RTM version of this soon to be retired operating system that Microsoft released about a decade back — in 2009.
Windows 7 is, according to most estimates, the leading desktop platform currently with a 43% share. It is followed by Windows 10, with 40%., while Windows 8 is slotted in third place with 12%, just ahead of Windows XP and Windows Vista.
In terms of statistics, we have no less than 13% of Windows 10 devices currently running the older version of the OS.
These computers are still powered by Windows 10 RTM or the Creators Update, which no longer receive updates for both Home and Pro variants.
On the Windows 7 side of things, we have a slightly higher number. Out of all Windows 7 desktop PCs, around 15% currently on that old RTM build that Microsoft released as the original version of the operating system.
Why these users are not updating, may well be the mystery of the year.
Speaking of years, this is, obviously, the final year of support for Windows 7. Microsoft is all set to retire the operating system on January 14, 2020, which is when the company will release the final security updates for this OS. After which it will reach end of support.
We can expect Redmond to ramp up its efforts to move these users to Windows 10.
The report also highlights how millions of devices that run outdated software.
Some 15% of all Office installations are Office 2007, which is a version that no longer receives support either. Only 3 percent of users are running Office 2010, which, again, is the next version that will get the ax next year.
Avast also says that a frightening 55% of devices are running old programs.
All the usual suspects are here.
Adobe Shockwave is the most often outdated, followed by VLC Media Player, Skype and Java. Google Chrome is the most used application here, with Adobe Acrobat Reader being the runner-up, just ahead of good old WinRAR.
Microsoft Office and Mozilla Firefox round up the top 5.
