Here's a sneak preview of our latest ALERT email which comes out soon. Lucky you :)
Hi,
If you have Windows 7 it's time to strongly consider upgrading before it becomes a security risk.
In January 2020 Windows 7 will reach end-of-life which means they won't be fixing any bugs in the system. Of specific concern is they will no longer be patching security flaws and exploits. This won't immediately cause you trouble, but as time goes on, secure internet sites that require a login (e.g. banking, TradeMe etc) won't be happy with an unpatched system and will not let you log on any more. Software won’t be developed or updated on an unsupported system (this has already started happening). Additionally, your free anti-virus will stop too (MS Security Essentials) and third party AVs (AVG, Trend, Avast etc) will shortly discontinue free versions for Windows 7.
How do you know if you have Windows 7? (First, if you have an Apple Mac or a tablet, you don't! ߘ꠩
The easiest way, that works for all Windows computers is this...
- Press and hold down the Windows Key on your keyboard.
- While holding it down, press the 'R' on your keyboard.
- A window pops up, you can start typing in it straight away. Type "winver" (without the quotation marks).
- Press enter.
- A Window will pop up saying, at the top, what version of Windows you have.
If you have Windows 7. You'll need to take action before January 2020 (18 weeks away). Seems a long way off, but best not to leave it to the last minute as this can cause complications and extra costs.
What action do you need to take?
Essentially, you need to upgrade to Windows 10. But if your computer is more than 3 or 4 years old, it may be to be too slow or your computer may be incompatible. In this case we'd recommend upgrading to a new computer. This will ensure everything is working well and is compatible.
If your computer is reasonably new then you can just get the software upgraded. At this stage the software license is still free but after December it may not be free any more. There would be a labour charge if you get us to do it.
What to look for in new computer.
Don't buy a computer without a Solid State Drive (SSD). They add a little cost to the total but make the computer at least twice as fast.
Get 4GB or preferably 8 GB of RAM. The RAM determines how many things your computer can think about at any one time. RAM is the "thinking memory", as opposed to the "storage memory".
Buy quality. You get what you pay for. If you see two computers with the same specifications but one is half the price, it will probably last half, or quarter, as long as the "more expensive" one. Generally, if you go for the business model computers it's better as they are built to last and handle a few knocks.
Hopefully that helps you decide.
If you need any advice on upgrading to Windows 10 or on buying a new computer we are always keen to advise you BEFORE you buy that lemon that looked so nice and the sales staff assured you was going to be great. We can even sell you a computer from our carefully selected range.
Matthew, Sharron, Paul, James and Steve
Computer Help NZ
Friendly Advice in Plain English. Same Day Computer Repairs
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