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Tech 911Tech 911Do you have a tech question keeping you up at night? We’d love to answer it! Email david.murphy@lifehacker.com with “Tech 911” in the subject line.Deadlines are scary. I know. And Microsoft has thrown Windows 7 users a big one: Update to a more modern operating system by January 15, 2020, or you’ll never receive security updates ever again. Eventually, Microsoft will even start disabling key Windows 7 services—like Internet Backgammon and Internet Checkers—throughout the year.I’m being a little lighthearted about this, but Microsoft’s abandonment of Windows 7 is a cause of concern for many. Lifehacker reader Douglas recently wrote in with this question:“I was reading your writeup regarding Windows 7 and I really cannot afford to upgrade at this exact moment. Is it catastrophic if I don’t upgrade now? Thanks in advance for your help”Catastrophic? No. If you’re still clinging to Windows 7, odds are good that you’re using it to address simple handful of simpler needs—sending email, browsing the web, etc. That, or perhaps you have a few specific applications that don’t work with future versions of Windows, or you might even be running Windows 7 on old hardware that can’t handle the upgrade for whatever reason (speed or available space).Windows 7 will keep working come January 15. However, now that Microsoft won’t be releasing any more security updates for the operating system, it’s true that Windows 7 will be more vulnerable to attack. No question there. However, I’m willing to go out on a limb and say that you’ll be able to mitigate most issues with some good common sense. In Lifehacker terms, that means thinking hard about your cyber-security setup at home and doing everything you can to ensure that software doesn’t get on your machine that can take advantage of any vulnerabilities that will not be patched going forward.Were I still using Windows 7, I’d go the nuclear option. I’d install some variant of Linux on my system and run Windows 7 in a virtual machine, thereby giving me a fresh, updated system to work with for everyday activities, and access to Windows 7 for any super-specific apps or services I need to use. It’s not a tricky process, but it’s possible that setting up this kind of a configuration might be over the heads of many people still using Windows 7. That, or your system is too underpowered to run a VM. (I’ll likely write a guide for this next week, so stay tuned!)Otherwise, there’s plenty else you can do to keep yourself as protected as possible from exploits while you cling to the sweet familiarity of Windows 7. The list is pretty comprehensive:Make sure you’re using a router that’s still receiving firmware updates from its manufacturer (as in, not something that’s six years old). Keep your router updated and make it as secure as possible.Don’t use an administrator account for everyday tasks. Use a standard account, and switch to an administrator account for any settings you need to change (if needed). Switch
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