5 Options for Windows 7 End-of-Life

With exactly 90 days left until Windows 7 hits end-of-life, you're probably thinking about the tsunami of work about to hit your IT team. You can't leave devices running Windows 7 - that would be a massive security vulnerability - but migrating to Windows 10 is a massive time suck, logistically complex, and frankly, a distraction from the organization's real priorities.

And even if you migrate or have already migrated to Windows 10, you still have to worry about updating, securing, patching and managing your computers as Windows continues evolving...forcing you to operationalize this process internally, just to keep up and stay secure. It's no surprise, therefore, that most organizations are pursuing other ways to take this issue head-on.

Stick with Windows 7 (not recommended, security risk, 2/10)

While this is an option, the heightened risk around an unsupported OS in today's environment of ransomware attacks, malware, phishing, etc. is too high to do nothing. The potential cost for most organizations should something go wrong is far too great.

And you can be sure that malicious actors will capitalize on laggards that haven't taken care!

Upgrade to Windows 10 (status quo, but not recommended, 5/10)

This is the most popular option today. Organizations are already familiar with Windows 10, and know everything involved in migrating, even if it's time-consuming, complex and perpetuates the cycle of high-touch Windows OS support. There's a robust industry of security vendors to keep your endpoints protected and companies you can pay to help you -transition, or even to manage Windows 10 for your organization altogether going forward.

Replace (expensive, not recommended, 5/10)

Replacing computers is another popular option. It's relatively easy, but the most expensive option by far. Again, it doesn't solve for Windows 10 support after the initial purchase though, which promises to be high-touch - plenty of updates, patching & ongoing change (inside of 18 months).

Chromebooks (recommended, but expensive, 7/10)

Chromebooks have been a hit in US schools, but as other organizations shift to the cloud, they are coming around to the idea that they can use the Chrome browser and therein Chrome OS for almost everything they need done. Analysts estimate as high as 5% of computers in the enterprise have shifted to Chrome OS from Windows (see 7 Reasons Chrome OS Computers are Ideal for Enterprises). While desktop applications will need to be virtualized with VMware, Citrix, Amazon Workspaces, or Microsoft Azure, users that only need the browser can be switched today, and the rest can switch as cloud-based alternatives to the desktop apps they rely on become available. And from there everything gets easier for IT and users - Chromebooks update automatically in the background, security is baked in by default (so you don't have to buy antivirus, malware protection, etc.) and you never have to re-image again. Management for IT is a breeze in Google's Admin Console, and you constrain your attack surface to the VERY secure Chrome browser.

Replacing all Windows 7 computers with Chromebooks isn't economical or realistic for most companies though, with prices starting at ~$250/computer and ranging up to $1,500/computer for enterprise-grade Dell hardware. So it's easy to choose migrating to Windows 10 over this as a result (even if it may not be a good long-term choice).

CloudReady (recommended, affordable, 9/10)

Cost-conscious organizations that want to break out of the Windows 10 status quo are pursuing CloudReady OS, allowing them to turn their Windows 7 computers into Chromebooks. Minimum requirements are 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, and a CPU from the last 13 years, and the experience is nearly identical to Chromebooks. This means that even computer models running Windows 7 that can't fit Windows 10 or subsequent Windows 10 updates (requiring 25GB+ in drive space) can still be kept in production, supported and running well up to 13 years after the model release date. In fact, CloudReady OS is small and light compared with Windows, so computers improve in performance.

While this option requires that you familiarize yourself with Google's Admin Console, it is simple, secure and easy to manage, even for IT staff new to Google's ecosystem. And while it doesn't allow you to use desktop applications by default, you can:

1) Reap the benefits for your users that are already or can be fully transitioned to the cloud.

2) Use Citrix, VMware, etc. to get your users access to desktop applications when they need them.

3) Keep users on Windows 10 as needed, or if VDI infrastructure is not in place/an option.

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