Moving Away from Windows 7 to Windows 10

On January 14, 2020, Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 7. What does this mean for you? If you currently have Windows 7 on your machine, then it is highly recommended that you upgrade or purchase a new computer with Windows 10. Windows 7 will continue to work after January 14th but it won’t be as secure and if something breaks it won’t be fixed.

If you choose to upgrade, be sure your computer can support Windows 10, back up your computer on an external hard drive, then upgrade. Windows 10 will cost about $140.

If you are leaning towards purchasing a new computer, then ask do you really need a computer or will a tablet suffice? If you choose to go with a new computer, make sure you understand the difference between Windows 10 S and Windows 10 Home and get the appropriate one.

Moving from 7 to 10, it should be an easy transition. There aren’t very many differences. When you get to your Windows 10 screen, don’t focus on the differences. Focus on the similarities. The start button is still in the bottom left corner. The control panel is now called settings, but it’s the same.  What’s new in Windows 10? Microsoft Edge is the new browser. Cortana is voice control for Microsoft. There is an app store. There are some new multitasking tools (boxes icon to the right of Cortana in the taskbar). 

Setting up a new computer or a new operating system is often like getting a new car.  For about a week, you tweak the things. In a car, you move mirrors and on a computer, you arrange your programs in an accessible manner. Remember you can create shortcuts and delete (unpin is the terminology used) shortcuts by right-clicking on the icon.