If you're curious, you can find dates for other products on the Microsoft Lifecycle Policy page. After you upgrade from a legally activated Windows 7 to Windows 10, Windows 10 will be activated by a digital license. This is much more expensive than a Windows 10 license for a home user, and is only for companies who can't upgrade yet for whatever reason. Businesses who want to stick with Windows 7 Professional or Enterprise can pay Microsoft for extended support until 2023 thanks to the Extended Security Updates program.īut this isn't cheap: for Windows 7 Pro machines, it will cost up to $350 for all three years of support.

With Windows 7, Microsoft is actually offering a compromise. During this time, Microsoft continues to provide bug fixes and security patches but doesn't actively develop the OS with new goodies. This typically lasts for five years after a product's release.įor the next five years, the Windows product is in extended support. When a Windows version leaves mainstream support, Microsoft no longer adds new features for it, and warranty claims end.

Every Windows product has two important expiry dates:

Win 7 to win10