Officially, Windows 7 isn’t going to be around much longer. On January 14, 2020, Microsoft ends “extended support” for Windows 7, and it will stop receiving security updates. But there is a way around it: Paying for “Extended Security Updates.”
Normal Security Updates End on January 14, 2020
First released on October 22, 2009, Windows 7 is nearing its tenth birthday. On January 14, 2020, Windows 7 will leave the “extended support” lifecycle. Microsoft will stop issuing routine security updates, and software developers will eventually stop supporting it with updated versions of their software. New computer hardware may not function on Windows 7 if hardware manufacturers don’t do the work to support it specifically.

Basically, it’s Windows XP all over again. Windows 7 might have more staying power, but it will eventually get left behind by software and hardware developers. More security holes will be found in it—many of the same flaws found in Windows 10 affect Windows 7—and Microsoft won’t patch them. The operating system will become less secure as time goes by. Microsoft has been warning us about this for years and now the date is nearly upon us.

Microsoft May Issue Some Free Security Updates
If Windows XP has taught us anything, it’s that Microsoft may release some security updates for Windows 7 to everyone anyway.
Even in 2019, five years after support expired, Microsoft took the rare step of releasing a security update for Windows XP. The Windows Update pipeline for XP had long been shut down, so Windows XP users had to download and install this update manually—but it was available.

Still, Microsoft hasn’t patched all the security holes for Windows XP. The company won’t patch them all for Windows 7, either. Particularly bad holes—like the Windows XP flaw that could enable a worm to spread across the internet by infecting those old Windows XP machines. But don’t rely on getting security updates for most flaws Microsoft patches in other versions of Windows.

Business Organizations Can Get Extended Security Updates
The average home computer user should leave Windows 7 behind and upgrade to a modern, supported version of Windows 10. If you have software or hardware that requires Windows 7, consider isolating that Windows 7 machine from the internet or running that software in a virtual machine environment on a modern version of Windows.

For businesses that need more time before upgrading, Microsoft will sell “Extended Security Updates.” In other words: Microsoft will continue creating security updates, but you can only get them if you pay up.

These updates are designed as a stopgap and the updates will get more expensive every year. Microsoft wants businesses, governments, and other organizations to move to a modern version of Windows.

Some good news
Instead of just being available to large companies with volume licensing agreements, Windows 7 Extended Security Updates (ESUs) will be available to businesses of any size—even small or mid-size companies.

Microsoft won’t sell you these updates directly, and they’re not available through normal retail channels. Microsoft officials said these ESUs must be purchased “from qualified Cloud Solution Provider partners (CSP’s).” A recent Microsoft blog post about Windows 7 support invites interested parties to “Please reach out to your partner or Microsoft account team for further details.”

How Much Will Extended Security Updates Cost?
Just because you can buy them doesn’t mean you should. Microsoft doesn’t release the price list publically yet but we have some pricing details from a reliable source.

For business organizations with Windows 7 Enterprise, updates will cost $25 per device in the first year, $50 per device in the second year, and $100 per device in the third. This is an “add-on” to a Windows volume license agreement.

Businesses with Windows 7 Pro devices will pay $50 per device in the first year, $100 per device in the second, and $200 per device in the third. This doesn’t require a volume licensing agreement.

Microsoft’s documentation states that no minimum purchase is necessary—technically, you could just pay for updates for a single device.

Unfortunately, Windows 7 Home Users Can’t Buy The Updates
The average Windows 7 user can’t buy these updates, however. They’re only available to businesses and other organizations.

With Windows 7 still installed on over 35% of PCs worldwide, many organizations will no doubt pay for these extended security updates.