Tech giant Microsoft is set to bid goodbye to its Windows 8.1 early next year. The company will soon start to notify its users from July about the nearing end-of-support date.
Microsoft released the Windows 8.1 version as the successor of the Windows 8 operating system in 2013. The company marked the end of "Mainstream Support" of Windows 8.1 in January 2018. However, Windows 8.1 got an additional five years of "Extended Support" under Microsoft’s lifecycle support policy. During this period, users got regular security updates, possible software updates, and technical assistance.
Earlier the company used this sort of notification as a tactic to get users to upgrade to more recent versions from older versions.
The end-of-support date is slated to be January 10, 2023, after which Windows 8.1 users will no longer receive security updates, making the users have to upgrade to a newer version so that they can continue to securely use the operating system.
Microsoft will not offer an Extended Security Update (ESU) program for Windows 8.1, unlike the Windows 7 version. Most Windows 8.1 or Windows 8 devices will not meet the hardware requirements for upgrading to Windows 11
Most Windows 8.1 or Windows 8 devices will not meet the hardware requirements for upgrading to Windows 11, leaving them the option to upgrade to Windows 10. Windows 10 will continue to be supported until October 14, 2025.
Microsoft recommended users take advantage of the latest hardware capabilities by moving to a new PC with Windows 11.
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