Microsoft Warns Computer Makers They Have A Year To Build New PCs With Windows 7 Professional

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The clock is now ticking on computer makers planning on building new PCs that come with Windows 7 Professional: Microsoft has issued a deadline of Oct. 31, 2016 to original equipment manufacturers (or OEMs) — after that date, no more new machines can be built with the operating system.

This means companies like Dell, HP, and Lenovo will have to stop shipping new PCs with Windows 7 Professional or Windows 8.1. pre-installed, which aligns with Microsoft’s goal of having all machines running on Windows 10.

After that deadline, OEMs will only be able to sell PCs with Windows 7 that remain in their stocks, reports ComputerWorld.

It’s actually a bit longer than the original end-of-sales deadline for Windows 7 Professional, which originally was Oct. 31, 2014 (two years after the release of Windows 8, which is the usual timing of these things). Microsoft later retracted that date, then put it back into place for consumer systems. Windows 7 Professional had a bit more wiggle room, with Microsoft saying it would give a one-year warning before OEMs were told to stop selling PCs with that operating system.

Windows 8.1. is also under the gun with an end-of-October due date — including Windows 8.1. Pro — though Windows 8 machines have an earlier deadline of June 30, 2016.

This shouldn’t be a huge shock, as Microsoft stopped selling Windows 8 to retail customers a year ago, and put the kibosh on Windows 8.1 last month. Windows 10 is Microsoft’s one true love right now, and it doesn’t want anything else to get in the way.

Microsoft ends Windows 7 Pro reprieve on new PCs [ComputerWorld]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist